By Peyton Dickerson, Staff Writer

A light bulb goes off in senior Kimmy Fernandez’s brain as she scrolls down her Instagram feed. She sees an eccentric makeup look on a beauty influencer page and pictures the look on her own face. She grabs a few blending brushes and gets to work.

Fernandez found inspiration to dabble in makeup from her older sisters and began to branch out and try to create new looks during her freshman and sophomore years. As time passed, she began to perfect her skills and come up with more out-of-the-box ideas.

“I started going off of my own imagination and random drawings,” Fernandez said.

Today, her makeup is more creative than ever. Depending on her mood, some days she will choose a more simple look, such as a nude eyeshadow and lip gloss, while other days she chooses to use her inspiration to take her look to another level.

“Some days I can go really girly, and look very typical, and then other days I want to look absolutely crazy and have my whole face painted blue,” Fernandez said. “I could want blue eyebrows, pink eyebrows or big winged liner.”

The application process Fernandez uses can take up to five minutes, 15 minutes, or even an hour, all depending on how she would like to look that day.

To Fernandez, makeup is a way to express herself. When applying a full-face, she sees it as more of an art form than a repetitive task.

“(Makeup) is something that anybody can do, it doesn’t matter who. It’s just some way to tap into your creativity and take it to another level,” Fernandez said.

Despite the amount of thought and effort she puts into her makeup, other people’s reactions aren’t always positive or uplifting. Fernandez would receive comments such as, “You don’t need makeup” or “It’s too crazy looking.”

“I take it pretty well because I know they mean well,” Fernandez said. “I’ve never been one to care what other people thought of me. It’s a form of expression for me.”

While some may not understand the reasoning behind Fernandez’s makeup, others are quick to ask her to do theirs for various occasions.

“I don’t think there’s an event that goes by that I don’t get asked to do somebody’s makeup,” Fernandez said. “As much as I love to do it, doing somebody’s makeup is really difficult because I don’t know their face like I know my face.”

Though makeup is a staple in Fernandez’s daily routine, she is about to face a new and exciting challenge that may disconnect her from her favorite creative outlet: the Navy. After wanting to join for two years, Fernandez has made it through the application process and is focusing on preparing herself for her future.

“All I’m doing right now is working out and making myself healthier,” Fernandez said.

Despite being excited for this new journey, when Fernandez arrives at boot camp she will have to leave her artful makeup endeavors behind.

“(At boot camp), you can’t have anything that wouldn’t fit in your pocket,” Fernandez said.

Makeup has always been a crucial part of her day-to-day life, but Fernandez now has to start switching gears. Despite being busy preparing for boot camp, in her free time, or whenever she is bored, Fernandez will sit down and try her hand with a new makeup look.

“Sometimes it’s midnight and I’m still awake because I can’t fall asleep, and I think, ‘OK, I’m gonna do my makeup,’ ” Fernandez said.

Sophomore Peyton Dickerson can be reached at 21dickersonpe28@daretolearn.org.