Dilara Findikoglu: five beauty products that defined my life

Beauty Biographies is a weekly column where we ask some of our favourite people to reflect on the beauty items that have influenced their lives and have a sentimental place in their heart. From their grandmother’s perfume to the eyeshadow they wore to their first dance, these are the products that have had a significant impact on them and that instantly transport them back to a particular time, place, or person.

Dilara Findikoglu’s designs are instantly recognisable. Bringing together influences from the punk, metal, and goth subcultures and injected with a heavy dose of romance and drama, no one else is making clothes quite like her. For Dilara’s debut runway collection, SS18, shown in the basement of a Soho strip club, the CSM graduate sent an assortment of satanic and occult-inspired creatures down the runway including a model with a pentagram painted across her face, various devil horns, and a vampire straight out of Buffy – created by our very own Isamaya Ffrench.

As well as the horror influences, weaved throughout Dilara’s work is important social commentary on feminism, religion and politics. Earlier this year, Dilara released an all-inclusive bridal collection designed for not only straight couples but gay and non-binary ones too, while she showcased her political views with a comic book last December, in which a superhero version of the designer travels time and space with the goal of bringing down Trump. Here Dilara talks us through the beauty products that shaped her life growing up.

Black Eye Pencil

During my emo stage (from middle school to high school), I wore black eye pencil everyday and lied to my teachers saying that my eyes were naturally like that. I thought that my eyes looked empty without it.

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Rimmel Soft Kohl Kajal Eye Pencil in Jet Black

Charlotte Tilbury Rock ‘n’ Kohl in Bedroom Black

Glitter Nail Varnish

When I was 10 years old, I used glitter nail varnish to paint and embellish t-shirts and earrings and try to sell them during the summer holidays.

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Essie 511 Congrats Silver Pink Glitter Nail Polish

Smith and Cult Nail Lacquer in Shattered Souls

Ginger Hair Dye

I used to dye my hair and eyebrows ginger when I was around 16 and I'd tell strangers that it was my natural hair colour. Such a liar!

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Schwarzkopf LIVE Intense Colour Mango Twist 030

Bleach London Super Cool Colour in Tangerine Dream

Lancome Juicy Tube Lip Gloss

When I was 12 years old, all the cool girls at school would have this lip gloss and I'd always carry one in my shirt pocket. It was before my emo stage and thinking back it looked so gross but I thought that my lips looked really kissable wearing this gloss.

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Lancôme Juicy Tubes