Rebel, Rebel

Ophelia Liu is a rule-breaker. She tells Tatler how she’s redefining glamour, embracing imperfections and expressing what diversity really looks like in the beauty industry today

-  Amalissa Hall

“My art is an escape—it doesn’t always come across as pretty,” says Ophelia Liu regarding her unique approach to artistry in her field. The make-up artist says the looks she creates and photographs on herself often explore “the uglier side of things”.

It makes her feel like she’s doing something different, which is important to her. This need for variety is reflected in how she is building her career: in addition to creating looks on herself, she does make-up for clients such as the English National Ballet, and last year, she launched a clothing and accessories venture, 18 Levels Of.

“People tend to have prejudgements about influencers and if I can break those perceptions, I will,” Liu says. “I like doing things that surprise people—I hate being a one-trick pony.”

Originally from Hong Kong, the London-based Liu shares that her pursual of a creative path did not align with her family’s traditional Asian values—but she eventually won their approval after winning Season 2 of Glow Up: Britain’s Next Make-up Star, the Netflix reality show to find the next big name in make-up art. The 27-year-old grew her Instagram following to over 600,000, and now her bread and butter is regularly posting photos and tutorials of complex looks.

Liu’s view is that beauty is ultimately about what one feels comfortable with—although she has a unique level of comfort. “I’m intrigued by the grotesque, the dark and the disturbed,” she explains, and encourages her followers to challenge their own perceptions of beauty.