Olly Yip’s dreamy beauty looks are in a world of their own

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. Discover them here.

Olly Yip’s designs are intricate, experimental and bursting with colour. Think extraterrestrial orbs, thinly veined eyeshadow in dusty violets, flashes of blue lips, and dark, golden coils tracing eyebrows and cupid’s bows. While the Shanghai-based make-up artist usually paints her elaborate visions onto faces, she also uses special effects to create orchid-shaped ears, tattoos of sprouting ferns, and skin-deep chains and padlocks. The result is a fantastical, slightly surreal aesthetic – one that feels just beyond the bounds of everyday reality.

Despite her clear talent and abilities, Yip never formally trained in the craft. Previously working roles as a copywriter and scriptwriter, she often spent long hours inside, unable to determine day from night and forgoing a social life. She then made the dive into the industry off the back of advice from an actress on a TV show she was working on, who suggested she learn make-up. “That one sentence changed the course of my life,” she tells Dazed.

This change of roles has brought new intentions to Yip’s work. Where written expressions can be ambiguous and leave room for imagination, Yips revels in the ability of make-up to communicate exactly what she wants it to. That pivot has sharpened her perspective, making her designs both more outlandish and more direct than ever: she pairs bleached brows with brash, bold lips, and bright yellow accents layered over space-like markings.

While it’s only been a few years since she started out, Yip has already made a name for herself, working on editorial campaigns for magazines including ELLE, Wonderland and Numéro NL and building a portfolio of distinct beauty looks. Below, we talk to the make-up artist about growing up in China, her inspirations and what it means to go all in on your passion.

Can you tell us a bit about yourself and where you grew up?

Olly Yip: I was born and raised in Guangzhou, China, which is a pretty hot city, but the people are warm and optimistic, and the food is amazing. Guangzhou is very close to Hong Kong, so I have been influenced by Hong Kong’s fashion trends since I was young, reading fashion magazines and watching TV shows.

What’s your earliest beauty-related memory?

Olly Yip: Between 2000 and 2003, the person I knew who wore make-up was my older sister, who is 13 years older than me and already working. Every time she came home, I would see her exquisite make-up and fashionable outfits. Sometimes, she would give me the make-up products she no longer needed. I remember the first product I received was a box of light purple blush.

What are you trying to communicate through your work?

Olly Yip: I express the images or feelings I imagine in my mind through tangible forms. I hope that through my work, the communication between me and the viewer can be more direct. Unlike written expressions, which leave room for imagination, I present the imagined scene directly.

Describe your beauty aesthetic in three words.

Olly Yip: Storytelling, spontaneous, ingenious.

Which fictional character do you most relate to and why?

Olly Yip: I am really moved by a character in Love, Death & Robots called Zima Blue. It’s based on a short story from the 2006 collection Zima Blue and Other Stories by British sci-fi author Alastair Reynolds. In the story, Zima, a robot, keeps upgrading and evolving, searching for the truth about everything and the meaning of life. After gaining fame and wealth, he decides to go back to his roots and become the original pool-cleaning robot again. This character has always sparked something in me when I think about creating. Maybe the works that truly touch people come from the creator’s honesty and sincerity with themselves.

Who is your beauty icon?

Olly Yip: I would say it’s Faye Wong. She has been a very famous female singer in Asia since the 1990s. The female artists in China during the 90s often dressed in a very feminine and elegant way. Faye Wong broke the uniformity of beauty standards in that era. Whether it was her concerts, music video shoots or magazine features, her make-up blended perfectly with her rebellious personality. This made me realise that we should master make-up, not let make-up hide our true character.

What is your current obsession?

Olly Yip: The next piece of work, and once that’s done, there’s always the next one.

When do you feel most beautiful?

Olly Yip: After taking a shower.

Are you optimistic about the future?

Olly Yip: Yes, do my best, and let God guide the rest.

What is the future of beauty?

Olly Yip: I wish I knew, so I could avoid more setbacks and make more money than others.

You have the ability to live in a video game. Which would it be and why?

Olly Yip: It’s definitely Super Mario, but I don’t want to be Mario. I want to be one of those flying turtles in the game. The job looks pretty interesting, I just have to wait for Mario to kill me, and then I can clock out. Plus, flying seems a lot easier than walking around like those other turtles.

You have to replace part of your body with that of an animal or a mythological creature. What do you go for and why?

Olly Yip: I’d totally swap to a centaur, trading two legs for four – that seems like a pretty cost-effective deal.

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?

Olly Yip: I’d play Queen’s “We Will Rock You”, with its strong rhythm, and clap along while singing. Maybe, while the aliens are clapping, they’ll forget to attack us.