DARIAN DARLING is a Los Angeles–based makeup artist, illustrator, and creative consultant celebrated for her hyper-femme, retro-infused aesthetic and encyclopedic knowledge of beauty history and pop culture. She began her career assisting the world’s top makeup artists backstage at Fashion Week in New York and Europe, where she honed a discipline for precision. Known for creating bold looks that balance high-fashion editorial edge with enduring elegance, she elevates every project with wit and cultural perspective. Her work has been featured in Vogue, Interview, The Face, Lampoon, and Grazia, and she has collaborated with brands including SKIMS, Guess, Maybelline, Anastasia Beverly Hills, and Trixie Cosmetics.

In addition to her on-set artistry, Darian is recognized for her beauty illustration, specializing in bespoke face charts for leading cosmetic brands. A face chart is a visual blueprint that maps out a makeup look on paper. She not only illustrates makeup looks, but also designs the chart template itself, crafting a signature face tailored to each brand’s aesthetic vision. These charts, used for campaign direction, fashion shows, marketing collateral, packaging and product launches translate makeup shades and textures into striking visual narratives that are both functional and aspirational for brand storytelling.

Making a name for herself in New York City’s legendary downtown nightlife scene, Darian mastered the art of personal myth-making, cultivating a glamorous persona long before the word “influencer” entered the lexicon. Today, she draws on that legacy to guide clients in developing cohesive visual identities, from on-camera aesthetics to campaign storytelling. More than a makeup artist, Darian is a creative partner who understands how beauty, identity, and narrative come together to make an image, product or persona unforgettable.