Artist in Residency: Raoúl Alejandre’s Gilded Graphic Eye

Welcome to Artist in Residency, our series that brings the industry's most innovative makeup artists to Rose Inc. for a month of creativity and inspiration. Each week, you'll discover an original look—and the story behind it—created by an artist we love.

Raoúl Alejandre isn’t interested in staying in his lane. Makeup? That’s his specialty. Photography? He shoots on digital and film. Hair, wardrobe styling, and art direction? All in a day’s work. But arriving at a place of artistic confidence across disciplines didn’t happen overnight.

The Los Angeles native grew up loving fashion—often studying magazines that were misdelivered to his home—then got a job at a cosmetics counter in college to help pay for his textbooks. He became enamored with makeup artistry and soon after moved to New York, won a makeup competition, and found himself having breakfast with iconic artist Pat McGrath as his prize. They immediately bonded over their shared passion for art history and he left inspired to carve out his own path like she had before him.

Still, only when Alejandre moved across the Atlantic three years ago did he make a life-changing professional realization. “It wasn’t until I ran away to London did I begin to unlearn everything I was taught,” he says. “The British culture inspired me as an artist to forget the idea that you need to focus on just one thing.” He’s since found his way back home to Los Angeles with a fresh perspective, arresting social media presence, and impressive CV: From editorials in Numéro, Wonderland, and Elle to his latest M.A.C. campaign with Alexa Demie, his work crosses fields and is as striking as it is recognizable. For these reasons and more, Rose Inc. is delighted to feature Alejandre as this month’s Artist in Residency as both photographer and makeup artist.

To ground the eye, Alejandre first tightlined Halimotu’s waterline with Revlon ColorStay Eyeliner in Black, then added shadow from the brand’s limited-edition Wonder Woman Eye & Face Palette. “I love to carve out the eye, but instead of using matte color I went with a frosty finish this time,” he says. Using the copper color from the palette, he buffed the pigment into the inner corners of Halimotu’s eyes, up into the brows, and onto her temple—all the while using a light touch. “I then applied the darkest brown color on the lid,” he says.

Be sure your liner is sharp, then don’t overthink it, he says. Using Marc Jacobs Highliner Gel Eye Crayon in Mari(Gold), Alejandre crafted a classic cat-eye, then extended a swoop above her crease. “If you make a mistake, use a small, dry cotton swab,” he says, noting that cleaning up sans makeup remover will prevent you from disrupting the shadow. “It’s a classic ‘60s shape but it has the double line, but you really only see it when your eyes are closed—I love little details like that.”