From the first modern makeup artists to today’s digital trailblazers, LGBTQ+ creatives have been at the heart of the beauty industry’s evolution. They’ve redefined glamour, challenged gender norms, and proved that makeup is not about hiding who you are, but expressing it.
As Pride Month celebrates identity and visibility, these icons remind us that the beauty industry would not look the way it does today without queer brilliance.
Way Bandy, often described as one of the world’s first makeup artists, helped create the profession as we know it. In 1966, he taught makeup application at the first aesthetician school in the US, elevating the craft into a creative art form. When he died of AIDS-related causes in 1986, Bandy made a powerful decision to list his death as AIDS-related, an act of defiance and courage in a climate of secrecy and stigma.
Nikkie de Jager, known as NikkieTutorials, has been reshaping beauty since uploading her first YouTube video in 2008. Her viral 2015 video, “The Power of Makeup,” challenged the idea that makeup is about insecurity rather than creativity. In 2020, de Jager shared that she is a transgender woman, becoming a global role model for trans visibility in mainstream beauty.
Kevyn Aucoin redefined glamour in the 1990s, working with icons like Naomi Campbell and Cher. He brought a fresh, luminous approach to beauty that celebrated individuality over perfection, championing diversity long before it became an industry buzzword.
Mario Dedivanovic, best known as the architect of Kim Kardashian’s signature look, has changed how the world applies makeup. As an openly gay artist at the top of his field, Dedivanovic represents a generation of LGBTQ+ creatives who built global influence through skill, community, and digital connection.
Finally, there is no denying RuPaul’s impact on beauty, drag, and culture. In 1994, RuPaul became the first drag queen to front a major cosmetics campaign, and his show “RuPaul’s Drag Race” has given drag artists a global platform, celebrating makeup as performance, identity, and art.
These icons have not only reshaped the beauty industry, but also challenged societal norms and paved the way for greater representation and inclusivity. Their legacies continue to inspire and empower generations of LGBTQ+ creatives and beauty enthusiasts alike.
