Creative Ali Hicks Treats Her Face as a Blank Canvas for her Art Form
For creative Ali Hicks, having a natural-born curiosity is the key to creating successful art. In her case, this art comes in the form of out-there makeup, which has already gotten them recognised by names like Solange and Rina Sawayama.
With over 158k followers on Instagram, 20-year-old beauty model and makeup artist Ali Hicks (better known as Sweetmutuals) has made a name for herself within the beauty industry for her creative makeup looks and skills.
By treating her face as a blank canvas, Hicks has allowed her imagination to transform her love for nature and art into her own beautiful rendition of the world, so much so that it’s gotten the attention of artists like Solange and Rina Sawayama, beauty brands such as Maybelline, and even Instagram for an interview on her craft.
“When I was a child, my mother had a subscription to Essence Magazine. Seeing all those beautiful, dark-skinned Black models, with bold eyeshadow and striking lipstick on, really inspired me,” says the artist. “Makeup made the models look like art, and if I love art so much, why not become the canvas? Growing up, I thought makeup was just part of becoming a woman. Now I see it as an art medium that can transform me into a fairy or a flower at any time.”
Was it always your goal to become a makeup artist?
At 16-years-old, I did not see makeup as my future. In the third grade, I knew that I was going to be successful in the beauty industry, but not as a makeup artist. My true goal is to be a signed model.
How has makeup allowed you to better express yourself and the messages behind your creations?
Since my face is a canvas, I am allowed such freedom to use my face as a way to send messages to the public. One look at my face literally says it all. I feel like it is less common to have a Black person create a call to action on their face. It is even more foreign to have that call to action actually be a part of a makeup look that is presentable.
Being able to use my craft to send messages is like having a superpower. I like having that "eye-catching" effect on people. Being a dark skin Black woman, my face and life is a message. I am just adding a little pizzazz to it.
Do you think a natural-born curiosity is important in order to thrive in the arts?
I feel like, without curiosity, we wouldn't have art. Art, to me, is simply experimenting creatively with the medium of your choosing. I like to use my curiosity as a way to motivate me to execute the look.
I can safely say that most, if not all, of my makeup looks, are the conclusion of me trying out an idea that happened to come into my mind. Without having that excited feeling in my stomach, I'm not sure if I'd even be typing this right now. Curiosity is such a part of my being. Having wonder and interest in the world around me has shaped me so much that I am now able to create “little worlds” on my face.
What inspires your creative process?
Everything. Clouds, the way a piece of clothing sways, a single colour – the world around me is really just an unfiltered source of inspiration. I like to literally stick nature on my face or try to mimic the colours of a flower that I took a picture of. Nature also influences my creative process by reminding me to let the process happen organically. When you are able to sit and really be one with your face and the products that you are using, you can truly create masterpieces.
How do go about executing your looks? Is it more of an experimental or planned process?
I can safely say that at least 95 per cent of my looks were me simply winging it. I would think of an element that would be interesting to place on my face or to recreate in some fashion, and simply see if it can be done. The Instagram Reels that I post are me testing out my hypothesis on camera. Sometimes, I am just as surprised to see the final look as my followers are.
You’ve built quite the community within the beauty industry. What’s the best part about having such an international network of like-minded individuals around you?
It is such a blessing to have such a tight-knit community of creatives to confide in. Being able to talk to other beauty creatives about problems within both the influencer and beauty communities really does help to ease the stress of being creative.
It is also nice to have people who have the same, if not a little more, experience as you and can point you in the right direction, whether it be the telling of a makeup company and their products or how to build up your engagement. The supportive community that surrounds me fills me with hope and reassurance that the beauty community can truly be a place of peace.
What are some of the opportunities you’ve been given because of your craft?
The opportunities seem to be endless. At the age of 17, I was flown to Marfa, Texas, to be a part of Solange's When I Get Home album. I also had the privilege to go to Mexico and teach Rina Sawayama how to do editorial makeup for Mercedes Benz and the Mercedes Fashion Week back in 2019.
As soon as Sweetmutuals' name started to gain traction, Instagram came down to my hometown in Columbus to interview me about my creative process. And more importantly, I am able to be an inspiration for the Black women in my family. My mother, grandmother, aunties, cousins, nieces – the list can go on.
Watching them gain confidence just by watching me go out and unapologetically express myself makes Sweetmutuals worthwhile. The biggest opportunity I am still waiting for is to be on the cover of a well-known magazine and see a little Black girl's eyes light up with confidence and wonder, just like mine did.
How has your experience with makeup and your platform shaped you into the person you are today?
Sweetmutuals has honestly been such a backbone in my process of transitioning from a teenager to a young adult. She has truly helped me see how beautiful I am – both with and without makeup. I am able to see my determination and perseverance every time I open Instagram.
Because of Sweetmutuals, I am able to go out in the world with confidence. The same confidence I use to go to the beauty supply store, looking like a clown, is the same confidence I use when having to go to an important meeting.
If anything, she has allowed me to walk in doors I could only have dreamed of, along with the experiences that shape me. Through her, I learned the importance of staying true to yourself and your art. To not back down no matter how hard it gets.
I feel like Sweetmutuals is an ongoing lesson for me on how to find beauty and stability in something (in this case, someone) that is forever changing. I love that I have no choice but to love my face and myself – because to love myself means that I love all that is me. I am curious, I am wonder, I am beautiful. I am revolutionary. Sweetmutuals is just a physical reminder of that.
