an interview with: Serena Adelaide

We caught up with Serena Adelaide, a beauty guru who doesn’t fail to inspire people through her gripping posts.

Iuliana: Hey Serena! How are you? Thank you for your time today. How have you been coping with quarantine?
Serena: Hi Iuliana. Thanks for having me today. The quarantine period has been such a hard time for me as it is for everyone else.

Iuliana: Name three qualities that define your personality.
Serena: Focused. Stubborn. Kind.

Iuliana: How long have you been a makeup artist and how did you get your start in the beauty industry?
Serena: I started doing makeup about 5 years ago but I wouldn’t necessarily call myself a makeup artist until I opened my makeup account on Instagram in October 2019. I’ve wanted to open this account for the longest time but I could never find the time in university to do it. So after I graduated, I just sat down and started.

Iuliana: Where do you get your inspiration from? Are there any particular artists that have influenced you?
Serena: I get my inspiration from everything and anything. I could be walking past a store and I’d think, “Wow, that’s a cool pattern on their wallpaper.” I would say Pat McGrath real inspires me. She could turn a potato into something divine and that’s talent.

Iuliana: What are the three tools in your make up kit that you can never, ever be without?
Serena: Makeup brush cleaning sponge as I don’t own that many makeup brushes (it’s surprising I know). The other two things would be Q-tip for cleaning up mistakes and tweezers for picking up tiny gems and applying falsies.

Iuliana: Serena, what is your signature look and what sets you apart from other makeup artists?
Serena: I’d say my signature look is a good color blocking moment or a detailed eye look.

Iuliana: What is your definition of beauty?
Serena: I truly believe beauty is subjective and more often than not, I find beauty in someone’s personality. A lot of the times it’s about the way you carry yourself and less of what you have on your face or body. I find beauty in things that make you feel something even if what you’re looking at isn’t visually pleasing.

Iuliana: Can you share an example of the lack of inclusivity you have seen in the beauty industry?
Serena: There’s definitely a lot of work to be done in the beauty industry, I feel like there’s a lack of representation for the marginalized community and paid opportunities for them. On top of that, I find that many companies include a certain type of beauty just so they wouldn’t be called out for and it shows. Consumers can see through their transparent actions but they’d still deny this lack of inclusivity so I feel like they should really start to listen to the minorities not just out of fear but out of respect.

Iuliana: What do you think are some of the keys to being a successful makeup artist?
Serena: Know what you represent and have a voice in your art. Many times I find that apart from luck, there really is something to talent and it’s not just in the way you work brushes or the way you apply your makeup, it’s more than your skills, it’s your expression and I think that is what sells and will set you apart on your way to a successful future.

Iuliana: Your advice for young makeup artists who are just starting out and want to be at the top of the industry?
Serena: My advice would be to ask yourself what you can bring to the (makeup) table. Usually, people want to see something fresh and that doesn’t mean you have to start from scratch, you can take inspiration from several different posts and create something new from that. I know creating something new comes with a lot of pressure so my other advice is to know why you started in the first place and make this a priority to remind yourself on days when you feel like you aren’t good enough. And believe me, there will be days like these and sometimes it’s important to know when to step back and just play instead of work. Most of my best looks come from days when I feel like I don’t HAVE TO create something, it comes from days when I WANT TO.

Follow Serena on Instagram here.