Pics or it Didn't Happen

So, I put my fear aside and asked her some questions. Naturally, she was just as inspiring as I imagined. See for yourself, below.

What was your experience at Pratt as a fashion design major and how did that help you figure out that you wanted to pursue makeup?

I grew up being pretty obsessive about makeup. I wasn't like, super crazy about it when I was younger, but I was very obsessed with getting perfect eyeliner. Like, people would say things about it. When I went to Pratt, I was very interested in fashion at the time, and my experience there was intense. There was definitely a culture shock coming from Nashville—I think Pratt, in general, was really stressful. My reaction when I got out was like, ‘Wow, I hate the fashion industry.’ It’s not that I hate New York, but it was just shoved in my face for so long and the teachers at the school were trying to push so many things down my throat. Forcing someone to be creative is a hilarious way to go about creativity.

But it ended up kind of serving me in a way, because I hated it so much that I blossomed in another way. So, I left for three years and kind of chilled out, figured out what it was that I wanted to do. I started posting makeup and people just responded to it like that. It was not something I ever thought about doing before—it was very in response to people. It's like, you're getting a huge response to something and you think, ‘Well, what if I push it a little more this way?’ It's almost like a communication between your followers and you. That’s how it happened and it just grew from there.

What do you see as the biggest differences between fashion and beauty?

I would say that makeup, in a way, is really more inclusive than fashion because you don't have to be a particular way to wear makeup. In my mind, I have less pressure to show off my entire body instead of just creating a picture on my face where I can contort it into any shape that I want. You can do that with fashion, too, but it's almost more work to source clothing, and making clothing is very time consuming. I do love making clothes and I would want to do it more, but makeup is so fast in the social media world. Also, people are automatically attracted to faces. I’m responsive to what people like, and I want to give the people what they want—but in my own way.

Do you ever think about the images you’re posting on Instagram in a historical context? Are product arrangements and your own content this generation’s version of a still lifes?

Absolutely. Thinking about it in a historical context is very strange. Not everyone is on Instagram, but not everyone was in an art museum. It feels to me like it’s at that level. I feel like less people go into museums now—they go online. Also, I just got a VR headset the other day for the first time, and I’m so excited. You can go anywhere. It’s freaky, but I love it. There are art museum tours in the headset. I know it’s going to be the future of a lot of things. Of course, real things will exist, too. But it's so interesting that we're so hooked into social media that they're going to keep pushing it into different dimensions.

I actually just watched the video that you posted for your palette where you're layering it all over your face and I was just like, ‘Thank you, yes, someone needed to do this!’

I know! I would post stuff like that all the time because I love doing super perfect lines and everything—for years I would just film myself drawing all over my face. Some people's responses were hilarious. They were like, ‘What's wrong with you? You need to go to the psych ward.’ People post way crazier shit—that’s actually not that intense. And it just feels good. What is the level of what’s okay to post? Six, seven, eight years ago, this platform didn’t even exist. So, should there be any rules?

I also feel like I’m drawn to maximalist beauty, but I grew up with people telling me to find colors that ‘matched’ my look and to always tone it down.

That’s the bane of my existence! I want to do whatever I want, whenever. People have done palettes a million times, I'm aware of that—I’m aware I’m not bringing anything new in terms of that. But the assortment of colors is new, I think. And I think partially what I’m selling and trying to promote is a freedom from whatever the current beauty world is trying to do. I like yellow highlighting my cheeks; you can literally put whatever shape you want on your face. You look to the past, and there's so many different types of adornments, culturally. Why don't we create something new that's specific to our generation that has nothing to do with perfect winged eyeliner? As much as I love to wear it, we’ve got to push through!

How did you find the confidence to put yourself out there and be so colorful, with your beauty routine and your personality?

I can't help it. My mom’s a designer—she designs fabric—and I was just around a lot of color growing up, so it's natural to me. When I see people dress in a certain way, I think, ‘I have to break out of this.’ But it's like I'm not wearing crazy things all the time. It's mostly on the internet that I act this way, and I really like pushing people. Like, ‘Oh, you hate this? Great. I’m doing something right.’

I think that’s needed. Going back to your Claropsyche palette—how did you go about picking the colors?

Well, I've tried a lot of different makeup in my lifetime, and I knew that I love creating bases for any intricate design that I'm doing with just matte colors, because it creates more of another layer, if that makes sense. Sometimes I think about it like I'm on PhotoShop—like, there are different layers when I'm putting things on my face. So, I would think of this palette as my background layer before I put on everything else. Color-wise, I really want it to be vibrant because it really sticks out when you're posting online.

Also, the pastels—two are my favorite colors, in general. So, I just combined basic colors with my favorite pastels and black and white. It really is the perfect palette! Anyone can use it, and you can make whatever you want.

Where did the name ‘Claropsyche’ come from?

A few years ago, I had I started with the account name @lettersmack, and that's when I started doing makeup. People were re-blogging my pictures like crazy and not crediting me, and it was driving me so insane that I deleted the account. This was before you could archive stuff. So, I deleted all of my pictures and changed my name to Claropsyche. I just wanted something clean-feeling. Claro means clear, and in Greek ‘psyche’ stands for soul or butterfly. So, ‘clear soul’ is what I wanted to use—I just made up the word basically.

Do you ever wear your designs in public? Or are they solely for artistic purposes?

It's totally half and half—it depends on what the situation is. I used to wear them out a lot more, but it would really stress me out. I’d be like, ‘I'm gonna wash this entire thing off my face and do a new look,’ but lately I've been very okay with not putting on a base before I put makeup on, and just kind of letting it be because I've been having a more freestyle feeling, which really feels good. So, I'll just rub a little bit away and leave purposeful things in some places. It just depends on the context. If I'm going to a party with a bunch of people I know, then I'll just leave it on my face. But if I'm going out—I live in Nashville—so, if I don't feel like being confronted on the driveway about what I’m wearing, I'm just not going to do it. There’s this weird stigma like, ‘Do they wear that makeup out or not?’ But why does it matter? I created it in the first place, and it's an image that I put in the universe, stuck in our psyches. That's the only way people see me, anyway—people on the internet see me through that view, because they're never gonna see me in real life.

I’m really fascinated by that idea of ‘Did this look really exist if you didn’t wear it outside?’ Like, ‘Pics or it didn’t happen.’

I honestly feel like whenever I take a picture of it, I'm getting a specific angle of the look that looks good. Oftentimes, when I’m editing it, I make it look nice. So, it's never going to live up to the perfection that you see in the picture IRL.

Lately, I just love drawing big flowers on my cheek because I think I get the best reactions from people with those naturally. Like, I wore a flower on my cheek one night and nobody treated me differently, whereas the next morning, I was going through a coffee shop and people were like, ‘I like your flower!’ I like it too—it’s really simplistic. But I'm changing all of the time. Right now, I feel like I'm moving away from eyes and going into more face stuff. I’ve gotten attention for eyes for so long that now I'm over it. Like I said, I want to do whatever I want, whenever, and when I see people wearing certain things, or liking certain things, I have to break out it and do something new. That’s just how I am.

Follow @officebeautynyc for more on our favorite club kids, models, makeup artists and product reviews from our office Beauty Committee.

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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