Getting noticed by our favorite celebrity is a fantasy that many of us have. It’s also a fantasy that 20-year-old Filipino artist Camila Sunn got to live out.
On Oct. 28, Sunn posted photos of her makeup inspired by Rina Sawayama’s “XS” music video. The photos caught the attention of the singer who retweeted them with a bunch of exclamation marks. We sat down with Sunn for a chat where she revealed how she recreated the look and what Sawayama’s music means to her.
Hey, Camila! First off, what’s it like to be retweeted by the queen herself?
To be seen by someone you admire and look up to feels amazing and surreal! I couldn’t stay put and kept internally screaming on my bed. (Laughs)
Any funny reactions from your friends? Has anybody ever told you that there’s a resemblance between you and Rina?
My friends had the best reactions. At first, they thought I just reposted Rina’s photo. They had to check twice and were surprised that it was me. Even Rina’s fans kept saying, “How are they not the same person??!”
A number of people have actually noticed the resemblance. When I’d coincidentally have the same hair color as her, people would always message me photos of Rina saying, “Yo, I thought this was you!” What finally pushed me to do a makeup look [inspired by her] was a tweet from one of my followers.
Can you walk us through how you recreated her look?
I was just staying in and tried my best to recreate her “XS” music video makeup look with products I had on hand. I had to layer some products since I didn’t have the exact shades. If you guys have similar shades, I recommend you use those.
First I had to prime my face. I started with a Hello Gorgeous face mist and Quick FX’s No Shine Mattifier. Then, I mixed my Maybelline Fit Me Foundation in warm nude with my Careline Oil Control Liquid Makeup in the shade natural. Because my Maybelline foundation is a shade darker, I applied the lighter shade on the high points of my face—cheeks, nose tip, chin and forehead. I also used my Maybelline Fit Me Concealer and Maybelline Fit Me Matte + Poreless Pressed Powder.
If you look at Rina’s makeup in the music video, it seems that her temples had very vibrant colors that faded as they reached her cheeks and forehead. I bronzed my cheekbones and my forehead with the Toofaced Sweet Peach Glow kit, then applied a Chihuahua Cosmetics’ Blush Sunset blusher on the apples of my cheeks little by little. I used Revlon’s Certainly Red Super Lustrous Lipstick to dot my temple and then gradually blended it outwards. I left out an area around the eyes for the eyeshadow.
After priming my eyelids, I patted on the Moonlight shade on Colourpop’s Blue Moon Palette on my eyelids to act as the base on my eyelids and bottom lids. I then used a darker blue color from my J Cat Beauty X-Treme Access Pocket Eyeshadow Pops of Paparazzi Palette to draw in the outline of the wing and on my outer lower lashes.
I didn’t use any eyeliner for this, just eyeshadows made to look like a very exaggerated wing. From my Blue Moon Palette, I used Fine China to line the wing, Tide Pool to color it in and Lumi to highlight my brow-bone and the inner corner of my eyes. I used The Face Shop’s Freshian Volumizing Mascara for my lashes and NYX Cosmetics’ Tinted Brow Pomade for my brows.
For the lips, aim for a glossed hot pink color. I didn’t have any at the time so I improvised. I layered a Hello Gorgeous Fruit Punch Water Tint in Dragon Fruit and a Chihuahua Cosmetics Matte Lipstick in Cherry Pop to change the undertones of my pink lipstick. I topped it off with my Lynx Cosmetics Lip Gloss Sphynx Series in Obsession.
For the hair, you can use Lunar Tides’ Siam Orange. But a local hair dye brand that I often use as a dupe is Hybrid Colors’ Orange Salem. I just attached a black wig behind my fringes because I already have orange hair. I wore similar earrings as hers for the finishing touch.
Is this your first time recreating her look and will this be the last?
It’s my first time recreating one of (Rina’s) looks but it won’t be the last! I admire her style and how she expresses herself so much. If I ever pursue modeling, I aspire to be as amazing as she is.
How long have you been Rina’s fan? What’s your fave song and album of hers?
I was first introduced [to her music] in 2018. I think the song that was sent to me by a good friend was “Cherry.” When I heard it, I was reminded of the R&B songs I listened to in the early 2000s, mixed with city pop. The early 2000s is my favorite [music era since] I’m a 2000s baby.
“Cherry” is my favorite song. Rina initially wrote it to talk about her experiences as a pansexual—what made it amazing and the stigma around it. She tells us how it’s okay for anyone to love who they want to love. The song always makes me soft because [it’s about] a feeling that LGBTQ+ individuals all over the world also experience. I’m bisexual/queer and it always makes me happy to hear music I can relate to on a personal level.
For my favorite album, it’s hard to pick between “SAWAYAMA” and her “Rina” EP. You could see Rina’s growth in both. But I’d have to go with “SAWAYAMA” because she captured the feeling of “belonging” so well. She also sings about identities, politics, culture, stereotypes and different definitions of family, friends, and love.
If Rina ever reads this article, what would you like to tell her?
First of all…wait, am I allowed to swear? (Laughs) I really want to thank you for sharing your art and music with us. Your music deeply resonates with me as a queer individual and someone who often struggles with belonging somewhere. You have made your mark and I’m sure a lot of people can see [how] you pour your soul into the music you write. You make a lot of individuals feel seen, heard and represented. I’m a proud pixel who is sending you all my love from the Philippines.
Art by Tricia Guevara
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