To Ashnikko, Beauty Is a Tool for Constantly Reinventing Herself
“I love using free will to change my avatar.”
With her sophomore album Smoochies on the way this October and a newly released single “Sticky Fingers,” Ashnikko‘s carefully curated visual world has been a long time in the making. As an artist, Ashnikko’s identity heavily relies on the on-stage persona she’s created for herself — along with the whimsy visual cues she’s become synonymous with. While it may seem like she’s already landed on a distinguished signature aesthetic, the singer says she’ll never stop reinventing herself.
For the upcoming release of Smoochies, Ashnikko spent just as much time world building as she did creating music. Although the album is a big departure from her previous work, the artist quickly realized she’s been waiting her entire career to make it. Beyond being a platform for her to express herself narratively, Smoochies is a culmination of Ashnikko’s entire body of work. “I love Smoochies. She’s my favorite. It feels like an older sister to my Demidevil album — and that album was so important to me because it was me really carving out a musical identity for myself. This album brings out the same feeling in me,” she tells Hypebae.
Just like the rest of her discography, Smoochies is about conveying a feeling — one that’s illustrated through Ashnikko’s passion for dreaming up concepts and using beauty as a vehicle to do so. For the forthcoming album, the rapper found herself referencing Leonora Carrington paintings and vintage John Galliano collections to convey what she calls the “smoochy girl” aesthetic. “I wanted the songs to feel overstimulating. It’s like a collage of everything that I love, kind of just thrown on top of each other in a very chaotic way. I want the visual world to feel very chaotic,” she says.
View this post on Instagram
Since the start of her career, Ashnikko has always deeply understood the importance of identity. Drawing inspiration from the pop icons she idolized, the singer was inspired to craft a unique persona of her own. “I wanted to create a character for myself, a stage persona that feels powerful. Someone that I could step into, that felt like an older sister or a friend that I could have,” she tells Hypebae. While tapping in to all the different versions of herself, the songwriter discovered how much she enjoys a reinvention.
After years spent working with her makeup artist Erika Freedman, her hairstylist Claire Moore and her fashion stylist Suzie Walsh, Ashnikko meticulously created a smoochy girl bible — which serves as the main reference point for all of her visual work. Similarly to previous eras of her music, Smoochies became a chance for Ashnikko to create an entirely new persona. “Beauty is so integral to my career, because I have so many different characters in my music. I think being able to completely transform yourself, to become a new person, a new character — is gorgeous. You can do whatever you want to,” she says.
As someone that weaves careful intentionality into every hair and makeup look, Ashnikko realizes she’ll never settle on one beauty aesthetic. “I have spent so long trying to find a visual world that feels like me. The conclusion I’ve come to is that [beauty] is an ever-evolving and changing thing for me. I constantly ebb and flow back and forth between different worlds and different eras,” she says. For Ashnikko, beauty is more than just products, it’s the ability to completely transform into someone else — all while remaining fully grounded in yourself.
From ISAMAYA‘s cult-favorite color correctors to the tried-and-true Laneige Lip Mask — ahead, Ashnikko reveals all of her beauty essentials.
Orena Fragrances Caramel Vanilla Perfume Oil
“This perfume oil makes me smell like a little treat — a gorgeous little cupcake. When I wear this, people are like, ‘You smell so good.’ Every time I wear this, good things happen, and I wear it every day.”
ISAMAYA Color Correcting Serum
“I love ISAMAYA, her products are so good. The bottles are really cute. But this is special, because beauty starts from the base. Once you have good base, you can do anything you want.”
Laroche Posay Anthelios Ultra Light Fluid Facial Sunscreen SPF 60
“I hate an SPF that [feels heavy] on my skin, because I break out a lot. This one is very light, thin and watery. It sits on my skin really nicely. I have two of these in my bag, so I don’t run out.”
Laneige Lip Sleeping Mask in Berry
“I feel like everyone in the world has this in their bag. But Laneige is so good, and it’s popular for a reason. The berry one is just so good, I just think it’s sexy.”
Drowsy Silk Sleep Eye Mask
“I love this girl so much. I could honestly be tied to train tracks — if this is on my eyes, I would fall asleep with a smile on my face. I could fall asleep in the club with my head against the speaker. At this point, we have a very intimate relationship.”
While you’re here, check out our coverage of the rising sign makeup trend.
