The Makeup Siren makes Steampunk Go Bollywood
A recent photo titled “Bollywood Steampunk” has been making a huge splash on the Steampunk scene. The photo of a woman in an Indian-inspired Steampunk costume was photographed at Florida Supercon and quickly went viral, receiving countless shares. While the world was understandably admiring the costume some people wondered who the model was. It turns out she is not just a pretty face, she is, in fact, the designer and creator of the much admired costume.
The woman who lit up the internet with her original design is professional makeup artist Ariel Dixon aka The Makeup Siren. Known for creating custom makeup looks from the subtle to the fantastical, this multi-talented woman is also an enthusiastic Cosplayer. And while her art takes many forms she says that Steampunk is her favorite, “I have to say it’s been about 3 years now. I first got bitten by the Steampunk bug in 2010 when I went to an Outland Armour Steampunk panel. I was so fascinated and I’ve been hooked ever since.”
Steampunk is a very versatile genre with a little something for everyone, and for Makeup Siren it’s all about the fashion. “Fashion is my favorite aspect of the genre. There are so many looks to play with when it comes to Steampunk. The creations are endless with no limits in sight. The one piece I always have in all my Steampunk looks is a corset. I know a corset isn’t always need to created a Steampunk look, but i feel it give my looks that Victorian touch.”
Incorporating her love of makeup goes hand in hand with creating a costume, and Steampunk has as many opportunities for makeup as it does for clothes. “You can never go wrong with a smokey eye or a wing tip eyeliner, it’s a very popular look when it’s come to Steampunk makeup. But at the end of the day it’s all about experimentation. The best way to find the perfect Steampunk makeup is based on trial and error. I tried many looks before I found mine.”
Though she had always wanted to create the now iconic costume, she never dreamed the reaction to it would be so overwhelming. “I was very surprised. I knew I would get some kind of reaction, but never expected this many people. I am happy to see that people love this costume as much as i do. I’ve worked on this look for a while and was just happy with the fact that it came out exactly like how I envisioned it . It put a smile on my face to have all this positive reaction.”
Steampunk has traditionally existed in either Victorian England or The American Old West, but in recent years there has been a surge to represent other parts of the world and bring the fantasy of Steampunk to non-western countries. Books like Shanghai Steam, and sites like Steampunk India are just some examples of Steampunk’s growth as a genre. The enormous popularity of Siren’s costume surely fits with this growing trend.
Titled, “Bollywood Steampunk” in most press releases Siren’s use of Indian style was definitely intentional. “The idea of doing an Indian inspired Steampunk look came from my own interest in the culture. I have always loved Indian culture as well as Bollywood.”
This will not be The Makeup Siren’s last Steampunk costume and it looks like she’s already found inspiration at SteampunkGoggles.com, “I love the Riveted Silver Filigree Steampunk Goggles. I am planning a new Bollywood Steampunk look and it would be a great start!”
