Alejandro Roberto Torrontegui on the liberating power of makeup and why it’s okay to embrace both your masculine and feminine sides
For Alejandro Roberto Torrontegui AKA Art, his face is his canvas. Once a painter with oil-based primer and acrylic paint, he turned to makeup during the pandemic. As an all-around creative with different skill sets—from being a painter in his youth to being a photographer’s apprentice—his different passions throughout the years have merged as he fulfills his latest role: content creator.
@alealejndr : Hallolook 4/10 “Aku” the shapeshifting demon from Samurai Jack #fyp #foryoupage #viral #makeup ♬ original sound – ⒶⓇⓉ
From recreating beauty trends (see: Pat Mcgrath’s “porcelain doll” look for Maison Margiela) to showcasing makeup tutorials, his portfolio of work sets him apart from other creatives because of his history. He tells Wonder, “Ever since I was a kid, my mom told me I have an eye for sketching. When I was a kid [playing Lego], i-stinack ko siya by color palagi (I would stack it by color all the time).”
@alealejndr : recreated @Pat McGrath Labs porcelain skin using the technique of @Erin Parsons — Used the Hydra peel of @jskinbeauty.official for Porcelain skin effect — #fyp #foryoupage #viral ♬ original sound – ⒶⓇⓉ
He first found his passion for creative work as an apprentice for fashion and editorial photographer Seven Barretto in 2017. He shares, “I love taking portraits. So, ‘yung mga portraits na ginagawa ko (the portraits I take), it’s not very studio; I always base it on natural light.” But he quickly found out that it wasn’t sustainable, so he decided to go into corporate.
During the pandemic, he felt the need to return to creative work, and he used photography as a creative outlet. He realized he missed painting, so he thought to himself: “Why don’t I put [paint] on my face?” At first, he couldn’t control his hand. “Nung umpisa, nanginginig pa ’ko. Iba ‘yung feeling when you paint on a canvas in front of you vs. when you look at the mirror and you paint yourself kasi hindi flat ‘yung mukha mo (At first, I would tremble. It’s a different feeling when you paint on a canvas in front of you vs. when you look at the mirror and you paint yourself because your face isn’t flat).”
@alealejndr : liquid waves – tools and paint from @HeyHue #fyp #foryoupage #makeup #viral ♬ Genesis – Grimes
Art was fascinated by the “liquid waves” one would create when paint mixes and incorporated it into his makeup looks. It would take him three months of practice before he could create masterful strokes on his face. “Eventually, that’s when I found my passion for [creating content]. Every time gumagawa ako ng content, excited ako (Every time I create content, I’m excited),” he shares.
As someone with a very “masculine” façade, putting on makeup was liberating for Art. It took time for him to embrace his more feminine side, often thinking about what would people think if they saw him wearing makeup in public in the past. “Right now, one of my advocacies is that you can love both worlds. You can be [masculine]; you can be feminine. Everybody has their own choice; you just have to respect it.” He adds, “Within the gay community, sobrang (it’s really) [relevant] ng topic na ‘Masc4Masc' or ‘Fem4Fem,' and I don’t get why you have to set them apart.”
He believes that there’s so much power in doing what you want without worrying about how others perceive you. “Sa totoo lang, nung nag-makeup ako, I embraced my feminine side, and sobra siyang liberating. At the same time, nagiging masculine pa naman ako…I still dress in a t-shirt and black pants. [On other days], I dress in a sheer pink top and I wear heels. You can do both.”
(“Honestly, when I put on makeup, I embraced my feminine side, and it’s so liberating. At the same time, I’m still masculine…I still dress in a t-shirt and black pants. [On other days], I dress in a sheer pink top and I wear heels. You can do both.”)
View this post on Instagram
Makeup has added a different layer to Art’s life as a creative. It’s also allowed him to embrace his most authentic self, regardless of what other people may think. After all, you’re never too much for the right people. “Honestly, when I put on makeup, it makes me feel confident—no joke…It’s for you, it’s for yourself. You feel good, you do it.”
Header Photos Alejandro Roberto Torrontegui on Instagram
Art Macky Arquilla
