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PICS: Artist creates gory optical illusions using just make-up – and she’s self-taught!

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PHOTO: CATERS/WWW.MAGAZINEFEATURES.CO.ZA
PHOTO: CATERS/WWW.MAGAZINEFEATURES.CO.ZA

From mind-bending optical illusions to transforming herself into Miss Piggy, this make-up artist creates illusions that will have you falling off your seat!

Toma Skabeikyte (26), from Akmene in Lithuania, has loved art and specifically drawing from a young age, but her creativity rocketed when she realised her greatest canvas was her body.

After completing her studies in graphic design at a design college in Vilnius, the capital of Lithuania, Toma began her career in make-up artistry.

She quickly found out her true passion is visual effects and optical illusion styles.

PHOTO: CATERS/WWW.MAGAZINEFEATURES.CO.ZA

Toma’s first illusion makeover was a skull on her face back in 2016, and since then she’s completed many styles, including famous Muppet Show character Miss Piggy, a werewolf for Halloween and even the illusion that her face is being torn off.

“The very first time I tried special effects make-up was when I was bored and had nothing to do,”  Toma recalls.

“Make-up is my passion and definitely one of the best ways to express myself and show my creativity to other people.

“I have the opportunity to use my body and face as a canvas, and to create unique looks and share my work with people all around the world.

PHOTO: CATERS/WWW.MAGAZINEFEATURES.CO.ZA

Toma says she’s draws her inspiration from many things, including movies, videogames paintings, nature and even other make-up artists.

One of her longest illusions took her over 24 hours to create.

“Of course, I had to take short breaks for snacks in between.”

Toma is often swamped because of her busy career, which means she doesn’t get to research new styles as often as she’d like to and does most of her creations on the fly.

PHOTO: CATERS/WWW.MAGAZINEFEATURES.CO.ZA

The hardest part? After spending almost a full day on a makeover she has to wipe it off.

“Sometimes it’s very sad to wipe it off, so I leave it on for two to three hours to enjoy it. But most of the time I just take photos and videos of the look before wiping it off.”

Although currently working in the make-up artist industry, Toma hopes that one day her career will be more about special effects and illusion make-up instead.

“My job is to do day-to-day makeovers, but I love doing illusion makeovers equally as much.

“No one has ever asked me to do an illusion makeover style on them before. I just do those on my own face and body. It would be nice to try those on someone else though.

PHOTO: CATERS/WWW.MAGAZINEFEATURES.CO.ZA

“I’m on the way to making this a career because I really love doing makeovers, it’s my passion.

“At the moment illusion makeovers are my hobby, but one day I hope to make it my full-time career as well.”

 
PHOTO: CATERS/WWW.MAGAZINEFEATURES.CO.ZA

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