v9300 on Beauty in the Digital Age

v93oo is a digital trove teeming with treasures for users who love wacky makeup looks. Here, we chat with the personality behind the cult-followed Instagram account.

What’s the backstory behind v93oo?

My backstory with this page was very spontaneous. I always played with makeup since I was very young. I'm watching my cousins grow up and seeing them also being so creative with makeup. This actually reminds me of the fun part of makeup: times when you would steal a lipstick from your mother and draw all over your cheeks. I always admired artistic makeup and creative runway looks. I also had a dream of becoming a makeup artist, but that dream slowly got shut down. I guess I first fell in love with makeup in a very toxic way. I used to cover up instead of expressing myself. I used to wear makeup to feel comfortable and to feel better, but I actually felt even worse. So I stopped with the foundation and concealer and I started to slowly go natural. I got used to it. Then I fell back in love with makeup again, but this time I was very interested in editorial makeup. I started to save inspiration on my phone, but my storage filled up and I had to save the pictures somewhere else. So I started the v93oo Instagram account.

How do you define beauty?

To me, beauty is fearless. Beauty bends rules. It doesn't have any rules. It's new and fresh. It feels good and freeing for the soul. It includes everyone.

In your opinion, how has social media impacted modern beauty standards?

Back when I used to wear makeup more excessively, I felt like the beauty community was highly impacting me. Especially when it came to covering up uneven skin tones or scars from acne or pimples. I guess there has been a shift, but the [toxic] beauty standard still exists. I think we should push the idea of playful makeup to use it as an art rather than using it to cover up.

Does social media inspire or hinder creativity?

Both. It is indeed the best source to find inspiration but it could also be toxic to be too engaged in social media.

What advice do you have for budding creatives?

My advice would be to start experimenting with whatever you like and to not really take it seriously and to have fun.

Originally published February 16, 2021