By Anika Basu, Staff Reporter

Grabbing her supplies, freshman Camryn Mendez watches a special effects makeup tutorial. She then pauses after each segment, replicating the image on her face. If Mendez doesn’t get the desired look, she rewinds and reapplies the makeup. After finishing the video, she studies herself in the mirror, takes a picture, and posts it on her social media. 

Mendez recently gained interest in special effects makeup. She saw it gain popularity on social media and received the Mehron Special FX Kit from Amazon for Christmas of 2019. The kit included advanced materials like liquid latex, setting powder, tooth paints, and fake blood. After watching a few YouTube videos and tutorials, she started creating her own looks.  

“It’s satisfying to see all of your work come together,” Mendez said.  

Before styling without instruction, Mendez references other makeup artists on Instagram or Tik Tok for inspiration. She then creates a specialized look based on the appearance she’s aiming for. However, she still uses tutorials for more challenging techniques. As she gains experience, support, and enthusiasm for the hobby, Mendez is considering a future career in special effects makeup.  

“I think it’s so cool to work in movies and do the liquid latex and all that stuff on your face, like little cuts and scrapes.” Mendez said.  

Currently, Mendez takes art classes at school. This year, she’s taking ceramics and 3D sculpt mixed media. Mendez said these classes teach her to apply her creativity. 

“3d sculpt mixed media has helped because we learn about different concepts of sculptures and we get to be hands-on with our projects,” Mendez said. 

 She is also promoting her art through accounts on Instagram and Tik Tok (@mendez.sfx). She frequently receives collaboration offers and encouraging comments. Mendez hopes to start a special effects makeup club at Conestoga to share her interest with the school community, where she teaches members in-person.   

“I talk about it to a lot of my friends and they seem to be really interested and into it, so I let them do it on me, or I do it on them,” Mendez said.  

She encourages students to follow their interests regardless of their experience with it.  

“When I first started, I literally knew nothing,” Mendez said. “It’s such a good feeling being proud of what you’ve done.”