Artist In Residency: Anete Salinieka Masters Colorful Goth

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.

For some artists, makeup is more than a calling — it’s a gravitational pull. Such is the case for Anete Salinieka. Born and raised in Latvia, she started art school at 16 with a focus on styling, but the endless creative power of makeup was a constant curiosity. It was only after graduating from the London College of Fashion did she finally decide to indulge in her growing passion. "I found makeup so exciting,” she says. “I started reconsidering why I wanted to be a stylist." She shifted gears and began assisting established artists like Isamaya Ffrench and Peter Phillips before going out on her own.

“Recently, I have been very inspired by the makeup of the late ‘60s to mid ‘80s, but I also think that it’s important to always aim to create something new that reflects our time today,” she says. “I often take elements from the makeup from those decades but I’ll always try to make it relevant for our time by using a fresh color or texture — some kind of modern twist.”

Today, the London-based artist works with brands like Byredo, Vivienne Westwood, and Dior, plus international publications like Glamour and Interview. Less than a decade into her career, her creative prowess continues to expand outward. To wit: Beyond just makeup, Salinieka also independently photographed, styled, and modeled through the forthcoming editorials. It’s for these reasons and more we are delighted to feature Salinieka as our July artist in residency.

Behind This Look:

To begin, Salinieka prepped her skin with Dior Perfect Skin Creator. “It has a great color-correcting tone and primes the skin for makeup,” she says. Then, for a smooth and even finish, she applied a layer of Dior Backstage Face & Body Foundation all over her face; the brand’s Forever Skin Correct Full Coverage Creamy Concealer where needed; and Diorskin Nude Air Loose Powder in Ivory to set her work.

Working with three shades of shadow from Byredo Prismic Palette, she first mapped out the shape of the eyes using a deep red called Clay Court. “Look straight in the mirror to sketch [the shape],” she says.“I dragged it up to create a lifted look, then I added some pink under my eyes and in the inner corners. The shade Flush has a little shimmer in it so it’s a great highlighting shade as well.” Finally, she outlined her bottom lashline with Medusa, a rich green. “If there are any mistakes you can correct it with a Q-tip,” she says. Byredo Eyeliner in Technical Black allowed her to carve a sharp cut-crease over the shadow and also defined her lashline.

“I used two shades for the cheeks to create a 3D effect,” Salinieka says about Dior Rouge Blush in 277 Osée Satin and 962 Poison Matte. “I used the bright pink more in the center of the cheeks and the dark red for contour.” Use a second, clean brush to blend the colors after application, the artist notes.

For a metallic lip look, she mixed the shade Venus from the same colorful palette with liquid to change the texture then used a small brush to apply. “The palette was the key product,” Salinieka says.“You just have to play around — good things happen when you experiment!”

Makeup, hair, photography, and modeling by Anete Salinieka. Written by Lexy Lebsack.