Some of us might think to ourselves, why would anyone like bugs, they’re icky, but you’d be surprised just how much there is to be fascinated about when it comes to insects in general.
Sure, Animal Crossing might have already helped change your perspective on bugs, but there are surely more ways than one to convince people bugs aren’t all that bad and are actually a beautiful and meaningful part of our ecosystem.
Meet Duran Jay, an artist who does eye makeup inspired by exotic bugs, insects, and anything that fits the invertebrate category. On her dedicated Instagram page, she posts side-by-side comparisons of her colorful eye makeup designs and the bugs that inspired them.
Scroll down to check out some of her best and most mesmerizing work to date, and while you’re down there, read up on our interview with Jay and why not vote and comment on the makeup designs, or the inspirations behind them, that you enjoyed the most!
More info: Instagram
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Metallic wood-boring beetle (Anthaxia suzannae).
Stink bug (Edessa rufomarginata).
Pamphobeteus sp. duran.
Duran Jay is a UK-based makeup artist who’s also an avid bug enthusiast. Put them together and you’ve got yourself a unique combination that is sure to draw an eye.
“I’ve had an interest in bugs for many years, but only somewhat recently grown to appreciate the true diversity they represent,” said Jay. “I think we’re conditioned from an early age to be afraid of insects or see them as pests, but there is beauty right beneath our feet if we only take a moment to look for it.”
She continued: “With my makeup, I try to showcase some of the most beautiful species like butterflies or jewel beetles, but also give a little appreciation to those that aren’t as pretty and typically evoke a bad response, like ants or silverfish. I’ve always enjoyed being creative with my personal style and Entomakeup really just started as a bit of fun and a bit of a challenge for myself during the boredom of lockdown. I never imagined that anybody would take any interest in it or that it’d have the incredible response it’s had so far!”
Finally, the highly-requested and long-awaited Picasso bug (Sphaerocoris annulus).
Peruvian grasshopper (Lophacris cristata).
Giant Peruvian silkmoth (Copaxa medea).
Green dragontail (Lamproptera meges).
The talented artist also elaborated on the process of how she goes about doing each makeup design: “Luckily for me, there are millions of insects out there, which means I’m never short of inspiration! I have a list on my phone that I add to whenever I see pictures online, or whenever my friends and followers send me new species they think look interesting.”
“From there I try to pick up on the key colours and textures that I think could translate to makeup, and I visualise an image in my head. Some are quicker to materialise than others—a couple of my looks have taken a matter of minutes to complete and the longest one has taken about 1.5 hours, from looking at a picture to posting the finished look.”
Purple-stained daggerwing (Marpesia marcella valetta).
Uraniid moth (Alcides aurora).
The Chilean tarantula (Grammostola porteri) belongs to the Grammostola genus, which contains 21 species of New World tarantula. New Worlds are those that are native to the Americas (in this case, South America) and are typically recommended as the best choice for beginner hobbyists due to their very mild venom that poses little threat to us humans.
Flower chafer (Gymnetis pudibunda).
The Antilles pink toe (Caribena versicolor, formerly Avicularia versicolor) has to be one of my favourite tarantulas. Although they’re readily available and pretty commonly kept as pets due to their docile nature (and pretty colours ofc), I still consider it a ‘dream T’ and hope to own one some day soon (when I find the space!).
Like any form of art, this one comes with its own challenges, as Jay explains:
“I only buy cruelty-free brands and work on a tight budget, so I’m pretty limited on my materials and typically only use a handful of products for all of my looks. I’m imaginative, but I’m not a professional makeup artist by any stretch of the imagination, so it can be quite challenging to make the ideas in my mind come to life.”
“It’s also a little daunting sometimes to post on a platform that is dominated by technically skilled and trained [makeup artists] (especially given the subject matter of my posts!). When the page started gaining a bit more traction, I expected to have to deal with hate about my lack of technical skill or about how ‘gross’ insects are, but people have generally been really positive and really supportive. It’s been a truly wonderful experience and I feel really lucky.”
Mirror spiders (Thwaitesia argentiopunctata) use reflective guanine to display their unique colouration, which is actually the same thing found in our shampoo that gives it that pearly iridescent sheen.
The saddleback caterpillar (Acharia stimulea) gains its name from its unique aposematic colouring, used primarily to alert potential predators that they are toxic (and basically wouldn’t make a very nice dinner).
