Isabelle Ikpeme on becoming the Blair Waldorf of beauty influencers

The Dazed Beauty Community is our ever-expanding encyclopaedia of creatives and emerging talent from across the world who are redefining the way we think about beauty. From supermodels to digital artists to make-up prodigies transforming themselves in their bedrooms, these are the beauty influencers of tomorrow who embody everything Dazed Beauty is about. Discover them here.

During the pandemic, many people picked up a new hobby to keep themselves occupied during quarantine, but it was only a handful for whom their isolation activity transformed into a new life. Isabelle Ikepeme is one such example – the 22-year-old make-up artist and influencer’s persistence with her lockdown hobby has led to a full-blown career. “I started playing around with make-up for the first time in quarantine and with having so much time on my hands I got kind of good at doing it,” she explained to us, discussing how she first got started with make-up. 

Born and raised just outside of Atlanta, Georgia, Ikepeme made the canon beauty influencer move to Los Angeles several years ago. Now, almost four years after she first attempted a beauty look she has accumulated over 207,000 followers on Instagram and over 131,000 followers on TikTok.

Never shying away from a dramatic look, Ikepeme is dedicated to bringing fun and colour back into make-up. Across all her social channels, she posts tutorials with looks inspired by characters such as Tweety Bird, Monster High dolls, glam zombies and her take on viral beauty looks – including her recreation of Simone Rocha’s iconic AW23 bow teardrops.

At the root of her work, Ikepeme wants to encourage people to take up space with their creativity, especially individuals of colour who are often conditioned to assimilate and blend into the background.“I find that many POC are afraid of colour, or wearing and doing things outside of the box of today's societal norms, but embarrassment isn’t a real thing,” she said. “If you think you look good then you DO!”

Below Isabelle spoke to us about her journey into make-up, and the death of clean girl make-up.

What is it you do and why do you do it?

Isabelle Ikpeme: I am a beauty influencer and make-up artist. I do this because it is one of my passions, it’s almost like therapy to me. I love creating something out of nothing. Four years ago I knew nothing about make-up and now it means the world to me. 

How did you get into it?

Isabelle Ikpeme: Having a lot of time on my hands during quarantine, I just would experiment a lot with colourful eyeliners and blush shades!

What are you trying to communicate through your work and why?

Isabelle Ikpeme: I want to communicate to everyone, but especially POC, to wear and do whatever you want that makes you happy. I find that many POC are afraid of colour, or wearing and doing things outside of the box of today’s societal norms, but embarrassment isn’t a real thing! If you think you look good then you DO! If you feel confident then that’s all that matters.

What’s your earliest beauty-related memory?

Isabelle Ikpeme: I never wore make-up until 2019, my senior year of high school! All I knew about were eyebrows and eyelashes so I would only do my eyebrows and wear huge lashes! I was so lost!

What’s been your career highlight so far?

Isabelle Ikpeme: Getting opportunities to meet people that I would spend hours watching on YouTube when I was younger. Also, being able to work with brands that I thought were so out of my reach. It’s been truly inspiring for me and shows me that I can do and be anything I want to be in this life!

Describe your beauty aesthetic in three words.

Isabelle Ikpeme: Vivid, eccentric, and futuristic.

Which fictional character do you most relate to and why?

Isabelle Ikpeme: Probably Blair Waldorf from Gossip Girl. I feel like she is so me, especially in my personal life – minus the mean girl aspect haha. 

Who is your beauty icon or favourite look of all time? 

Isabelle Ikpeme: I adore everything that Freja Bermann does, I think that she is criminally underrated and so talented.

What is your current obsession?

Isabelle Ikpeme: Isamaya Beauty, every product is exceptional.

What does beauty mean to you?

Isabelle Ikpeme: Being comfortable and confident in yourself on the inside and out.

When do you feel most beautiful?

Isabelle Ikpeme: When my hair is done. Lol!

Are you optimistic about the future?

Isabelle Ikpeme: Very. I think the future is so mystical and a bit scary because I don’t think people realize that you are in charge of your own destiny ultimately.

What is the future of beauty?

Isabelle Ikpeme: I think the girls are tired of the clean-girl and simple make-up aesthetic. I think futuristic glam is coming in full throttle. Bright and excessive blush, blonde brows, glossy lids, graphic liners, colourful lashes and lip art!

Tomorrow you wake up with another face of your choice. Whose is it and why?

Isabelle Ikpeme: I think I will have to go with Bella Hadid, her beauty is unmatched.

You encounter a hostile alien race and sound is their only mechanism for communication. What song would you play to them to inspire them to spare you and the rest of the human race?

Isabelle Ikpeme: ‘Runaway’ by Kanye West.

God – or let’s just say a higher power of some sort – is only letting who they follow on Instagram into the afterlife. What kind of pic would you put up that perfectly sums you up as the person you were back on Earth?

Isabelle Ikpeme: This one! Because I was an angel on Earth!