Anya Tisdale is Nobody's 'Cakeface'

January 21, 2022

Log on to Instagram and a quick scroll through Anya Tisdale’s beauty account reveals an ethereal realm of shimmery color palettes, an assortment of striking multi-colored wigs, and sugary prosthetics so sweet they can give you a cavity. A 21 year-old film and media student based in Boston, Tisdale spends much of her time (outside of class) decorating her face in every capacity possible, using only the rainbow-colored makeup sticks and beauty blender in her hands to explore new looks and designs.

Since the onslaught of the pandemic, Tisdale has amassed a growing community of makeup lovers and beauty artists who flock to her feed for her original makeup looks and bold fashion sense. With partnerships including NYX Cosmetics, Neutrogena, Anastasia Beverly Hills, and Colourpop Cosmetics, Tisdale’s work is a love letter to self-expression and artistic experimentation, celebrating individuality and self-love through bold pastels and sparkly face gems.

Text by Maya Pontone
Photos courtesy of Anya Tisdale

As an emerging Gen-Z beauty artist with a growing social media following, Tisdale has faced her ups and downs with her artwork and its online presence. She primarily shares her work on Instagram, where her followers can engage with her and her art through posts, livestreams, and reels. While this digital existence has connected her to a community of beauty artists and makeup fanatics, it also can make her the target of internet hate and cyberbullies. In spite of the negative criticism, Tisdale has made it clear to her fans and foes that the only person’s approval she is interested in is her own. Her motivations for her work are not predicated on likes, comments, or shares, but rather the self-fulfillment she feels when creating art on her personal canvas— her face.

office caught up with Tisdale to discuss her viral 'cakeface' series from this past year, her relationship with social media, her artistic inspirations, and more.

Check out the interview below.

Tell me a little about yourself. How did you end up in beauty and fashion?

I feel like I always start with saying that it was very accidental. I've always been very involved in the arts. I went to a performance art camp for 10 years— painting, singing, dancing, pretty much everything that you could imagine. But having a career in the arts was like purely accidental. Because I started really getting into makeup as a form of art, and that being my main medium when the pandemic started. So I had way too much free time on my hands. I feel like a lot of other people might have had a lot of free time on their hands, especially when we went right into quarantine, coming from university and then going straight into quarantine. And I just was experimenting, trying different things, posting different things, and just kind of exploring and growing my skill set in makeup. And that's how I kind of came at the point where I'm at now, where it's kind of my main thing. It was definitely very accidental. But it's been very fun.

I love all your make-up designs— they’re so bold and innovative! Where does the inspiration come from for your artwork?

I pretty much feel like I can get inspired by anything. It could be food, it could be a couple of colors that I really like together. It could be a flower or an animal— I try not to limit myself to just one niche of things. One, because it's not fair to myself to kind of limit myself, but also because I'm always trying to push myself outside of my comfort zone. So taking inspiration from things that maybe you wouldn't expect to get inspiration from— that's something that I try to really do, just pull inspiration from the world around me.

Your ‘cakeface’ series was a huge hit this past year! Can you talk a bit more about the origins of this look?

So it was two things. One was flipping cake face, because I remember in high school, I didn't really wear makeup, and other people would. And sometimes people would be really mean to them about the amount of makeup they were wearing, using the term, 'cake face.' And I was like, 'That's really mean. Why is that a bad thing, if someone wants to wear makeup? Why are we making this a meme, when it could be really cool?' I wish when I was in high school I was trying the stuff that the other girlies were doing. But that was one thing: just flipping something that I grew up hearing that was very, very negative and very mean and meant to degrade other people, and turning it into something that's very creative— not even necessarily positive, but just interesting and intriguing and bright and colorful and just kind of whimsical.

Then the other thing is, last year or two years ago, I just started getting all these little bakeries on my (Instagram) Explore page. Do you know what I'm talking about? The little cakes, like tiny little cakes, that have a ton of frosting on them. And it's all very intricate. There's so many different little bakeries that are making these tiny little specialty cakes. And I was like, "Hmm, that'd be really cool if you just put that on your face somewhere." And that's where it really came from. So it was a combination of those two ideas.

Social media has been an important way to share your work and connect with fans of your art. How do you feel about your relationship with the internet?

I think the one thing about the internet is sometimes you think it's a battle with the internet, but it's really just how you, yourself, view the internet. It's not you versus the internet— it's you versus what you feel about the internet. I've definitely gotten better at this, but there was a point in time where I was just like, 'If I don't get enough likes on a post, then that means that my work wasn't good, and everybody hates it, and I need to take it down.' But that's just not the case. Because at the end of the day, did I like it? Did I think that it was good? Did I think that it was that it was a good piece of art that I made or a good makeup look that I did? My negative relationship I had with my thoughts about the internet and my thoughts about how my work was being consumed by other people forced me to change my mindset about my own work. The reason why I started posting on Instagram wasn't for other people. And it wasn't for likes, and it wasn't for attention. It was because I was exploring something, and trying something new, and wanting to get better at something that I was interested in, and just having fun. So my big thing that I've learned is the minute you feel like it's not fun anymore is when you need to reevaluate that relationship you have with what you think the internet is. So yeah, I mean, it's been ups and downs, but at this point in my Instagram career, I just kind of am like, 'I'm gonna post when I want!' Cause it's my like 'internet diary.' Like, it's my little documentary. So if I want to jot something down, I'm gonna jot it down. So being in the position I'm in has made me analyze my relationship with the internet and the internet itself much more closely because it's now become such a big part of my life because it's my job.

How do you think makeup can be used as a tool of empowerment?

I mean, you can do so much with it. Beyond just like, you know, eye shadow and your typical, everyday face— you can do so much with it in terms of transformation and bending the rules and breaking the rules and things like that. You kind of have to feel powerful when you have so many capacities and capabilities in your own hands, and can take that and use it to— not even to impress other people, but impress yourself. It doesn't matter if you're someone who's doing special effects or prosthetics, or if you're just doing a shimmery eyeshadow— there are just so many possibilities when it comes to makeup, and when it comes to using different products and such that the power is really in your hands, regardless of what it is you're trying to create. And I think that that's really cool.

You kind of have to feel powerful when you have so many capacities and capabilities in your own hands, and can take that and use it to— not even to impress other people, but impress yourself.

Who are some of your style icons?

I look to a lot of my friends for inspiration and just the way they carry themselves like not even necessarily with makeup. Some of them are more on the makeup side, some of them are more in fashion and stuff like that, but the way that they carry themselves is so iconic. Like my friend Kimasa (she's @bby.plantain), @okaysophi, @sweetmutuals, @pradaolic— all of these people have totally honed all of their crafts. And the way they carry themselves is just so inspiring because they're just like, 'I'm going to do what I want to do, and I'm going to look good when I do it. And that's what you're getting for me, and this is what I have to give, and you can take it, but regardless, it's for me anyway, so who cares?' Those are the kind of energies I really look up to because it can be really easy to fall into the trap of the Internet where you feel like you have to perform for a crowd, when at the end of the day, you should just be doing this for you. When you're producing work that makes you happy, and makes you feel good about yourself— that's the best part of it.

Name one beauty product you can’t leave the house without.

I'm honestly gonna say like, a good lip gloss. I like the NYX Cosmetics Butter Gloss.

What’s next for you in your journey and your art?

I'm very excited to graduate, first and foremost. My next big thing is— obviously fingers crossed because I really don't want to jinx it, but I've already spoken it into the air, so I'm gonna say it— my partner and I are moving to New York. He graduated MassArt last year with a BFA in fashion design, and he's just been waiting for me to finish up school, so we can move. I'm very excited to move to New York because I've lived in Boston my whole life, and it's kind of hard to find jobs that have anything to do that I do right now in Boston. And I feel like I love New York. I used to hate New York, but I love New York now. Just because I was scared of the trains. But now I know how to take the train to New York, so I'm fine with it. But I'm excited to move to New York. That is the next thing, just to see where things go.

Beauty

Power in Glam at Kim Shui: FW24

For Shui, this collection is about claiming and standing in your power. Even the color palette — deep oxbloods, vibrant greens, and bright cherry reds — evokes intensity, inspired by Kazuo Shiraga Gutai’s paintings.

Signature Shui elements found their way into this collection, including lace detailing and printed mini dresses, but other intentional design choices are specific to the range, like corseted leather jackets and brazen shoulder pads. These symbolize structure and support, bracing the Kim Shui woman for whatever life throws her way — even though she doesn’t need clothing to reinforce that strength, it’s already inside of her.

Backstage offered a closer look into just how fierce every look was, amplified by sultry makeup. Siren eyes were complimented by candy-like shellacked lips and the final accessory touches — futuristic Poppy Lissiman and Akila sunglasses and fingerless gloves — were just the cherry on top of every look.

Beauty

Sonny Molina

February 03, 2024

More an architect of tresses than a groomer, Sonny Molina's work is as much about art as it is about hair. While many of us think of past hair experiments and shudder at memories of less-than-desirable uneven bangs and botched accidental chops, Molina's textured, unexpected, and trendsetting cuts defy convention and only get sexier as they grow out. A long way from the days of testing haircuts on friends, they now have an entire network of models and creatives eager and willing to go under their shears. Since finding a home in the beautiful chaos of Manhattan, Molina has cut and styled the stars of downtown, including fellow office person and New York star Ren G of Club Eat. Their editorial work has graced the covers of The Cut, Homme Girls, Perfect, and Re-Edition, and their styles have graced the runways of Anna Bolina and Vaquera alike, crowning it girls like Bella Hadid, Paloma Elsesser, and Hunter Schafer. While every look Molina crafts is wildly unique from the rest, they are all united by Molina's love for creative expression and impulse for adventure.

Interview OFFICE
Photography YAHSHEL MACAPAGAL

[Originally published in office magazine Issue 20, Fall-Winter 2023. Order your copy here.]

What is your ideal office?

Somewhere overlooking Manhattan … with plenty of space and light.

If you could switch lives with someone for a day, who would it be and what would you do?

Probably some gross billionaire and literally fund all my friends’ dreams immediately!

What era most inspires you?

There is truly something special about every era … but I do love the 70’s.

Who was the last person you hugged, and how did it feel?

My partner Coco, it felt tender.

For you, what is the most sacred place in New York?

As cliche as it sounds, anywhere my friends are!

What does play look like to you?

Blissful with no boundaries.

If you were a hair tool or product, what would you be?

I would be a classic mixed-bristle hairbrush.

What is your favorite texture at the moment?

I'm obsessed with patina … as a texture and color.

Who was the last person to make you laugh?

My dog Kiki. Yes, he’s more of a person than a dog.

How do you win in a fight?

Listen, process, reciprocate.

Beauty

Love for Our Mother

Throwing factory-produced recipes and excessive packaging to the wayside, the ethical beauty and scent brand collaborates with herbalists, farmers, and expert perfumers to create sustainable perfumes and cosmetics — while also marrying the worlds of art and beauty through their one-of-a-kind hand-blown glass vessels. Because beauty is truly an art, and we should decorate ourselves as worthy canvasses. office sat down with Kindred Black’s co-founders to discuss their unique process below.

What originally spurred you both to introduce a disruptive, apothecary-esque brand to the beauty scene?

Alice— I think it’s kind of age-old: I had this need in my own life and couldn’t figure out a way to fill that need in a way that aligned with my values. We’re both makeup and skincare lovers but with packaging being what it is, there was so much we didn’t feel right buying. We wanted an alternative where as much thought is put into the packaging as it is in the ingredients, where every single element of the line is considered.

Jen— We always said we’re not going to be the “please recycle this plastic bag” type of company — that’s such BS! Companies need to invest in alternatives so the public isn’t left guessing how to make their products more environmentally friendly. We spend a lot more money than we would have to if we just mass-produced bottles overseas and bottled up some pretty skincare. But we’re super anti-greenwashing — we want our behind-the-scenes to be 100% true to the ethics and values that we put out there to our community.

Your packaging — artisan-crafted glass bottles — really takes thoughtful production and consumption to the next level.

Alice— When we initially set out to design the collection, we envisioned a vanity with beautiful vessels, no branding, just pure oils and scents in colorful shapes and silhouettes. Life is already so cluttered; we think of the beauty routine as a quiet time, a private, sacred space. The entire line is plastic-free and every single item in the collection comes in an individually handblown glass vessel. Behind each bottle is an artist blowing out the glass, one by one. They’re not producing mass quantities; everything is designed to be treasured.

Tell me about the Kindred Black community. Not only do you work closely and travel to meet farmers and herbalists, but you also partner with artists and artisans for your one-of-a-kind glass bottles. What does this community mean to you?

Jen— They’re everything for us and we couldn’t have such a special line without them. We’ve met such extraordinary people doing this — a chemist turned perfumer who only creates using ancient methods of extraction with the flowers and plants that she grows. An herbalist that specializes in Sonoran Desert flora. Glass blowers from all over the country who show their work in museums and create our bottles one by one like unique sculptures. Even a collective in Mexico that creates bottles using glass from residents and restaurants because there is no municipal recycling. They all have different specialties, but our community shares a set of values when it comes to our planet.

You also mentioned that the brand is historically rooted. How does the past inform every scent, cosmetic, or rich skin serum?

Alice— We’re both hugely into history and just curious people. When you start to look into it, some botanicals have been used for thousands of years to heal and scent the skin and as primitive cosmetics and ‘medicine,’ dating back to the earliest civilizations. People have always used what’s around them for beauty. Our formulas all start with who used this plant, what for, and whether or not there is a good reason to still use it on the skin. For example, our Aker Fassi lip and cheek pigment is a recipe that makes use of a dried poppy flower that North African Berber women have used as makeup for centuries. It’s a beautiful, flattering shade of berry red and we were just so taken by its place in history.

What is your favorite scent you have created to date?

Jen— This is hard — I love Earthly because it’s just so different from anything I’ve ever smelled. It’s like grassy damp moss and violet leaves but also has a lot of lilac enfleurage in it. Not many people use real lilac because it’s incredibly difficult and time-consuming to make and has a more subtle scent than say a jasmine or a rose. But real lilac is incredible and complex.

Alice— Delta Dawn is my current favorite. It's a classic floral rose but has real depth to it — an underbelly. The star ingredient is a night-blooming Damask rose that’s harvested before the sun rises. You can smell the cool night air, but also the warmth and muskiness of the jasmine oil, known as the perfume of love.

How does art play a role in Kindred Black? Many of the handmade bottles sold are antique or vintage-inspired. Where did that shared interest spur from?

Alice— We’re both big collectors, verging on hoarders, and have shelves and boxes full of trinkets and treasures we’ve picked up over the years — everything from piles of shells and rocks to antique Lalique perfume vessels, antiquarian snuff bottles, folk art liquor jugs, and on and on. We often find ourselves using an old glass piece as a jumping-off point — or a piece that we’re lusting after in an auction or Museum catalog. The halls of The Met are filled with incredibly beautiful glass perfumes and cosmetic tinctures that have survived millennia. Pre-plastic everything, in the early 20th century, many cosmetics were refillable and came in the most exquisite packaging — lipsticks in sterling silver canisters, blush in bejeweled compacts. They were practically pieces of jewelry. We like to think of our bottles as precious objects that people will hold on to and cherish as the years go by.

You just launched your refill program. How do you hope this sways the wider beauty industry?

Jen— We were really excited to start doing refills for our skincare — like I said, our bottles are like little, individually made sculptures. We chose aluminum for the refills because the necks are wide enough to clean the bottle out and aluminum is the most easily recyclable material. We’re hoping that if a tiny company like ours can spend the money and do it, more of these million and billion-dollar brands will start paying attention to their footprint. They have such power to create real change, it’s heartbreaking so many of them choose to sidestep the opportunity.

Tell me about one of the strangest ingredients you have worked with.

Jen— We made a light summer perfume and skin treatment once to benefit the Ocean Conservancy and infused the ingredients with sea salt from the Sea of Cortez. Not a strange ingredient but it definitely gave the scent a unique profile. We once gathered large sacks of rose petals from the world’s largest rose bush that sits inside the courtyard of an old hotel in Tombstone, AZ. We had a lot of grand ideas for it but the petals couldn’t be cleaned well enough to be made into anything marketable, so we had to give up on it. Sometimes these experiments fail!

Alice— Maybe the strangest right now is quite widely used for cosmetics by everyone from Chanel on down because it’s a safe alternative to chemical dyes. The rich berry red of Night Venom is from a pigment that is made from the cochineal beetle, an insect native to parts of North and South America. It’s actually a stain that has been used for centuries – Cleopatra is said to have ground up the beetle in beeswax to achieve her renowned red lips. The Aztecs also used the pigment for dyeing and painting, and it was then brought back to Europe with their Spanish colonizers.

You just celebrated eight years. What do you hope is in store for the next few and how do you hope to continue revolutionizing the beauty space?

Jen— We’re always looking to make things less wasteful in everything we do. There’s always room to improve. We’d like for our line to be 100% refillable and are working on bottle design tweaks that would make that achievable. We’d also love to expand the glass operation down the road and begin recycling our own glass. Our mantra is “love for our mother” and it informs everything that we do.

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