SMOOTH, PEEL, & SHINE ON.

Eyeshadow: Some of us are artists when it comes to the craft, and others… not so much. Regardless of your skills, you can prob still relate to Jenny Qian (she/her), founder of astrobabe, when she says that creativity in makeup should be celebrated, especially if it helps heal you.

“Astrobabe is a love letter to your inner child,” she says. “I’ve struggled with anxiety and depression since my early 20’s, and during my journey through adulthood, I gave up so many pieces of myself in an effort to fit in and belong. I think a lot of people share this experience of feeling like they need to be, think, or look a certain way because of societal pressures, personal insecurity, and/or conditioning. So, I wanted to create a brand that celebrates all the things that make us messy, misunderstood, and weird. Astrobabe creates ready-to-wear makeup that allows all skill levels, from beginner to professional makeup artist, to create intricate and fun looks. We’re most famous for our viral Shadow Tatt, which is a press and peel eyeshadow that takes five seconds to apply. All of our designs are bold, loud, and unapologetic because the brand is a reminder to celebrate our childlike wonder.”

Below, we talk about the importance of inclusivity in beauty brands, which ones are Jenny’s faves, and learn how to press and peel our eye looks to perfection.

Your makeup is designed to make application easy (and fun!) for those with disabilities. Why was accessibility important for you to include in your products?
Inclusivity goes beyond skin tone, body types, gender, and sexuality—all of which are still very important. But, there’s a large group of people who want to incorporate makeup into their lives, but can’t with the majority of existing products because they’re not accessible. Accessible makeup gives those with disabilities a sense of autonomy, confidence, and normalcy back, and I think it’s important to champion these voices and experiences. People who struggle with chronic fatigue, hand tremors, mobility constraints, circulation challenges, muscular issues, or vision impairment can use our products with more ease.

What other accessible beauty brands do you love?
I love what Terri Bryant has built with Guide Beauty. Their makeup tools have ergonomic grips and applicators that allow for easy control and stability, while still allowing for fine application. In addition, a lot of people don’t think about the packaging of a product itself—how easy or difficult it is to open. For a lot of people with disabilities, entire purchase decisions can be made based on ease of opening, due to mobility challenges, chronic fatigue, and other considerations. Many of Guide Beauty’s products can be opened and closed with one hand, and without having to grip or expend a huge amount of energy.

On a similar note, Rare Beauty also makes user-friendly componentry. Their famous rounded top helps people open the product easier, allowing for anyone with arthritis or circulation issues to enjoy the product.

 

Your products can also be used for festivals, party looks, and soon, Halloween costumes! What are your makeup tips for these kinds of events?
What I love about our eyeshadows is that you can use them standalone as your entire eye makeup look, or you can layer to your heart’s desire. We create both solid colors and graphic eyeshadow designs. If you opt to wear something standalone, our solid eyeshadows have color combinations and shapes pre-designed, so all you have to do is press, peel, and blend it out. The colors and shapes are designed by professional makeup artists, so they’re guaranteed to be flattering, and takes the hard work out of doing makeup, so you can focus on getting to the party and spending more time with friends. For our graphic eyeshadows, the designs are also pre-set, so all you need to do is press and peel off the applicator, allowing people to achieve looks that they may not have been able to do on their own, of if they can do it on their own, they can now do it in five seconds.

If people wanted to turn it up a notch and layer, the eyeshadow is super light and easy to add other products on top of. I’ll often complete a look with just a swipe of eyeliner and mascara. For festivals and for Halloween, I’m more likely to add glitter on top of the eyeshadow, as well as face gems for added sparkle. Speaking of Hallowen, we just launched limited-edition Halloween designs for all our late-night, spooky baddies out there.

Is there anything else you’d like to share?
I’d love to share an exclusive discount code that’ll get you 20% off in case anyone wants to grab something fun for their next party—our treat! Just use NEWSETTETOTHEMOON20. See you on the dancefloor!