This Gen-Z influencer is one of the established and breakout names informing beauty and, more importantly, culture today. More from the series →
After taking TikTok by storm with her viral clown makeup looks and rising to become one of the app’s top influencers, 18-year-old Avani Gregg launched her own makeup collection with Morphe in March. Originally from Indiana and now based in L.A., Gregg has drawn over 32 million followers on TikTok, thanks to her bold, colorful makeup artistry.
Looking back on this past year of your life, how have things changed?
“A year ago, I was doing makeup and filming content while living in a one-bedroom apartment with four people after having just moved to California with my family. I was kind of going with the flow back then, and because of that, I am who I am today. So much changes in a year.”
Do you now get recognized by fans when you go out?
“There are times when I go out in public that I don’t get noticed, but I often do. And when it does happen, it’s still weird to me because I haven’t gotten used to it. However, I do find it reassuring that there are people out there in the world who truly care about me and love the work that I do.”
What are your go-to makeup products right now?
“When it comes to day-to-day [makeup], I like using lip gloss. And I don’t use foundation every day. It’s more of a clean look.”
What TikTok makeup trend do you think could become the next clown look?
“There are so many trends nowadays that blow my mind. I feel like every time I do clown makeup, everyone goes crazy. So the next clown trend I’m going to try is something very cool with the cake liners from my Morphe For The Bebs palette. I think I can create something super cool, but very easy for anyone to recreate.”
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What is the secret to making a viral TikTok makeup video?
“Either trying to come up with a video idea that no one else has done — because it usually puts people in shock when they see it — or taking a trend that someone else made and then adding your own twist to it. [You’re not] fully following the trend, but making it crazier. Try to just make the content more creative, so people aren’t seeing the same things over and over again.”
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