“If Rihanna wants a new spokesmodel to incorporate empty tuna cans and an old pair of Crocs into her ad campaigns, have her people call my people!”
Vancouver-based makeup artist Lyle Reimer (@lylexox) is doing his part to reduce, reuse, recycleone beat-for-the-gods look at a time. Using his face as a blank canvas and random refuse as his paint, Reimer creates surreal makeup looks that have Instagram gagging on the reg.
His work has earned him collaborations with Gucci and Pepsi and shout-outs from Viktor and Rolf, and he’s just getting started. Check out our interview for more on Reimer’s must-have makeup products, his thoughts on Fenty, and his plans for the future.
Tell me a bit about yourself and where you come from?
I am currently based out of Vancouver, Canada and have lived here for the last 18 years. I was born in an insanely small town in the province of Saskatchewan, population of less than 100 peopleneedless to say I stuck out like a sore thumb for most of my life there.
I have always made art, and it was always very nurtured within my family as something that should be pursued. I have an aunt who was a makeup artist, and she would travel all over the globe doing amazing work. When I was growing up she would come visit us in our small town and I felt like I had died and gone to heaven. She brought so much culture and worldly experience to me, and I know that it is because of her that I pursued makeup later on in life.
Makeup is a rite of passage for girls, but not so much for boys. How did you get into the industry?
When I was 18 I lived in Cuba for a year on an exchange program, and I spent that time figuring out what I wanted to do as an artist. When I returned to Canada I began looking up makeup schools and decided to move to Vancouver and study. For me makeup on a face was just a change in canvas, and so it broadened the scope of my work.
I remember watching the girls in my class do makeup and I would marvel at how they applied eyeshadow and could do a perfect lip liner, but quickly realized that I would need to find my own voice in the makeup world and that there was no “right or wrong” way of applying product just a personal choice.
You turn trash and everyday objects into beautiful works of art that you apply to your face. How did you develop your signature aesthetic?
My style of art has been a labour of love. Exercising the ability to not edit the thoughts that come into my mind. It is about embracing the inspirations that come to mind and not questioning whether or not others may find beauty in it. I have always loved the randomness of trash and mundane objects of everyday life. Taking that as a jumping off point for looks, and breathing what i feel beauty is into them. I refer to my style of makeup as “facial sculpture” and use makeup not as the sole vehicle, but rather as a component to arrive at the destination.
Is there an intentional message about turning trash into wearable art?
There is not an intentional message that I am looking to put out into the universe, but perhaps it has become a way to have others question the status quo of beauty and what we deem as beautiful. Taking something “undesirable” and passing it off as high fashion is just something that truly resonates with me.
Can you talk us through your creative process of creating a look?
There really is not a process that i adhere to. I kind of work all over the map. I am constantly creating pieces that will be used in looks, whether it be a pair of earrings or some form of facial adornment, styling or cutting up wigs time is always dedicated to the craft. Then when I have a day off from my 9-5 work life and I’m not travelling somewhere for work, I’ll sit down in the studio to put the look together. I can then look around the studio and see if any of the pieces i have created speak to me on that day and begin.
I never know where the look is going to end up, I trust in what i am doing and that the choices I will make will be the right ones … (or at least “right” in my mind).
What are your must-have makeup products right now?
MAC Studio Fix Fluid, MAC Prep & Prime Pressed Powder, Anastasia Beverly Hills Waterproof Creme Color in Honey, false lashes from Sugarpill, MAC Lipmix, Korean sheet masks, Makeup Forever Flash Palette.
Thoughts on Fenty beauty?
I haven’t actually used any of the Fenty Beauty Products, truth be told. I am consistently amazed at the constantly changing beauty landscape. It seems like a new brand is popping up every other second! If Rihanna wants a new spokesmodel to incorporate empty tuna cans and an old pair of crocs into her ad campaigns, have her people call my people! Lol.
What opportunities have your skills brought you?
I have been fortunate enough to have my art take me all over the map. Traveling to Paris, New York, Amsterdam, Berlin, Tokyo, Taiwan, and working with some fantastic individuals. Having celebrities and industry giants who i have the utmost respect for contact me to either collaborate on a project or to shower me with their praises has been overwhelming, and many times I have sat back and just cried thinking about how honored i feel to have others celebrate all my crazy.
When Viktor & Rolf send you a personal email and say “we are such fans of your work. would love to meet you here in Amsterdam.” you have to do a double take to make sure you’re reading the email correctly. Collaborations with Gucci, Pepsi, and Bea Akerlund have certainly been a few of the more special career moments.
What artists inspired you growing up?
I didn’t grow up going to galleries or taking in typical art exhibitions. For me, inspiration came from a handful of people who lived in a nearby city whose style of dress was so different than anyone else I knew. They were several years older than I was, and I just admired their total disregard for rules and owning their look! The movie Mannequin was also a big inspiration for me a total 80’s classic filled with imagination that opened my eyes to what life could be like as a working artist. It was also in this film that I saw my first gay character and had someone to relate to! R.I.P. ”Hollywood”.
Much later on in life, inspiration came from (and continues to come from) artists like Wangechi Mutu, Judith Supine, Ray Caesar, Julie Verhoeven and Nick Georgiou, Mathias Augustyniak and Michael Amzalag (of M/M Paris).
What are you working on right now?
Currently working on a coffee table book of my work which is a dream of mine that I have had for so long. Also I’ll be doing a live transformation and art installation in Mexico City in the new year that have begun to prep for, along with other magazine editorials that I have lined up both in front of and behind the camera. Travels already booked for the near future include LA, Lisbon, London, and Italy. Never a dull moment, always working on something!
Don't forget to share:
Help make sure LGBTQ+ stories are being told...
We can't rely on mainstream media to tell our stories. That's why we don't lock our articles behind a paywall. Will you support our mission with a contribution today?
Cancel anytime · Proudly LGBTQ+ owned and operated
Read More in Culture
The Latest on INTO
Subscribe to get a twice-weekly dose of queer news, updates, and insights from the INTO team.
in Your Inbox
