Excerpt from Issue 27 (December 2019) of Beautiful Bizarre Magazine // Candy Makeup Artist is Joyce Spakman’s creative moniker, which she adopted at the age of 16 when she began posting photos of her visual creations online. The renowned makeup artist and wearable art designer – who hails from the Netherlands – is well known for her dark and almost Tim Burton-esque creations, including over-the-top headdresses and corsets.
All of her looks are finished with highly imaginative makeup that is inspired by ancient stories of the unknown, where everything is possible. Candy Makeup Artist also teaches others how to emulate her artistry, she rents/sells her creations, and often creates magical pieces for music videos.
Joyce Spakman’s handcrafted Baroque corsets, waist belts, leg armor, hand jewelry, and various other decorative pieces indeed look as though they’re fashioned out of glossy ceramic or – in some cases – stained glass. The wearer can don her highly ornate costumes, however, without hunching over from the sheer weight of the material. That’s because – for the sake of functionality, comfort, and durability – the artist creates each piece out of a durable, pliable thermoplastic that she has dubbed Porcelain 2.0. That has served recording artists such as Cardi B and Halsey – both of whom have donned her one-of-a-kind designs in recent music videos – quite well.
As is evident by the sheer level of detail in Joyce’s costumery and accompanying makeup looks, nothing about her creative process happens in the snap of a finger. Each wearable design requires several weeks to bring to fruition, is generally hand-moulded out of plastic, with other elements hand-carved out of lightweight foam. She fashions the embellishments adorning each accessory with modeling medium, using fine art sculpting tools to ensure that each curve and swoop is perfectly refined. The entirely self-taught creative then finishes her designs with hand painted accents, gold leaf and other trimmings (such as Swarovski crystals and glass/metal/semi-precious stone beads), finally sealing her wondrous creations with a durable high gloss top coat.
Joyce Spakman’s Rococo bustier-, nail-, hand-, leg- and headpiece-donning muses then receive gloriously transformative makeovers. Her Candy Makeup Artist moniker is entirely fitting because she turns mortals into otherworldly prismatic divinities who vogue through the annals of time. From start to finish, a complete costume and makeup look takes an average of two months to bring to fruition! Her unbridled creative brilliance, innovation, and divine storytelling convinces the viewer – and wearer – that grand dreams and wild fantasies don’t have to remain a figment of our imaginations. An alterni-verse of extravagant eye candy and fantastical possibilities awaits – one where the human form becomes a living, breathing work of invaluable, museum-caliber art.
Credits: Sanne van Bergenhenegouwen, Cardi B, Halsey, Michael Hussar, Lara Aimée, Maria PetrakovaaAu Contraire Photography, Acid Doll, Zoe Spakman, Gsquare Photography, Ili Mavroidakou, Virginie Ropars, Elena Lovebite, Laura Marijn, Laura Sheridan, Estrella Dewi, Kari Autumn, Nympha Ophis, Sensemielja Sumter, Chantal Brink, Poeka Witts, @unavanherwijnen, @josefienhoekstra, @tinotendamushore, @sukistyling, @defotograafsanne, @lottelavey, @costumier_athens.
