Redefining Beauty: Anika on Turning Expired Makeup into Fine Art and Building a Platform for Creatives
Makeup is often seen as a temporary art form, something applied, worn, and washed away. But what if beauty didn’t have to be fleeting? What if the very products we discard could be repurposed into something permanent and meaningful?
For Anika, makeup isn’t just about transformation on the skin. It is a medium for artistic expression beyond its intended use. By working with expired beauty products, she challenges the disposable nature of the industry, turning once-forgotten products into captivating works of art.
But her creativity doesn’t stop at the canvas. She is also the founder of Pulld, a platform designed to connect creatives with real opportunities. Her goal is to eliminate the struggle of finding the right collaborators and shift the industry mindset toward valuing creative work.
We sat down with Anika to talk about her journey into unconventional materials, the intersection of beauty and fine art, and how she is helping creatives rewrite the rules of the industry.
From Makeup to Medium: The Journey of Using Expired Beauty Products in Art
Anika’s fascination with makeup started with its role in self-expression. But over time, she found herself questioning the temporary nature of beauty products and how much of it goes to waste.
“I started experimenting with expired makeup as a material, pushing beyond its intended use and redefining its value in an artistic context,” she explains. “It became a way to merge beauty, sustainability, and storytelling in a completely new way.”
The unpredictability of expired makeup makes it an exciting challenge to work with. Unlike traditional paints, it dries out, changes texture, and even shifts in color, meaning no two pieces will ever turn out exactly the same.
“Instead of controlling every detail, I let the materials guide the process,” she says. “Some brands work in a certain way and some brands work in others. It has also unlocked a new way of thinking about waste, seeing beauty in things that are considered ‘useless’ and giving them a second life.”
Beyond Aesthetics: A Statement on Sustainability
While Anika’s work is visually striking, it is also a conversation starter about sustainability and consumerism. She encourages people to think about the way they buy and discard beauty products.
“Sustainability is a core part of my work, but it’s also about pushing creative boundaries. I want people to question consumption—why do we buy so much, only for it to be discarded?”
Her pieces often surprise viewers when they realize what they are made of.
“People see a canvas and admire it for what it is, but when they find out it’s made of expired eyeshadow, lipstick, or foundation, it completely changes their perspective,” she says. “There’s usually this moment of realization, like, ‘Wait, I’ve used that before,’ or ‘I use that in my makeup routine every day.’ It makes the work more personal and relatable in a way traditional art materials might not.”
Pulld: A Platform Built for Creatives
Anika’s innovation extends beyond her artwork. Her personal experiences navigating the creative industry led her to develop Pulld, a platform designed to connect artists, designers, photographers, and other creatives with meaningful, paid opportunities.
“So many talented people struggle to make a living from their work because the industry isn’t set up to support them. There’s this idea that designers and artists should work for free or for exposure, but that’s not sustainable,” she explains. “I had to take on two full-time jobs just to support my creativity while affording a normal life. That experience made me realize there needs to be a better system, one that connects creatives with real opportunities without relying on social media algorithms or unpaid work.”
Pulld is designed to remove the randomness and frustration of finding collaborators, making the process more efficient and intentional.
“Right now, people spend hours scrolling through Instagram, DMing strangers, or relying on word-of-mouth to find someone to work with,” Anika says. “Pulld streamlines that process, whether you’re a photographer looking for a stylist, a designer looking for a model, or an artist looking for a fabricator. It’s about making connections happen faster, with people who are actually serious about working together.”
Changing the Industry’s Mindset on Creativity
Anika believes that creativity is work, and she wants the industry to recognize that.
“There’s this romanticized idea that artists and designers create purely out of passion, but passion doesn’t pay the bills. People don’t expect lawyers or doctors to work for free, so why is it different for creatives?”
Through Pulld, she hopes to shift this outdated mindset and create a more sustainable future for creative professionals.
The Future of Creativity: Breaking the Rules and Pushing Boundaries
Anika’s work challenges the traditional norms of both the beauty and art industries, and she sees this mindset as essential for future creatives.
“I think the most exciting work comes from people who question the norm,” she says. “Creativity isn’t about following the rules, it’s about rewriting them, bending them, or even breaking them completely. I truly think there needs to be a communal shift, and Pulld is here to do that. The future of creativity belongs to those who aren’t afraid to challenge what’s expected.”
For those looking to experiment with unconventional materials or explore new creative paths, her advice is simple:
“Start with what excites you. Look at everyday objects, things you might throw away, and ask yourself, how else could this be used? Be curious, be resourceful, and don’t be afraid to experiment.”
She encourages creatives to tap into what brought them joy as children and follow their instincts.
“Sometimes the best ideas come from the materials themselves, so let them surprise you. And sometimes a creative idea can come from doing something that feels completely ‘uncreative.’ But if it brings you joy, do it, and do it again and again. Most importantly, trust your vision, even if it doesn’t fit into traditional definitions of art or design.”
Through her artwork and her platform, Pulld, Anika is redefining what it means to be a creative in today’s world. She is proving that expired makeup doesn’t have to be waste, that beauty isn’t always fleeting, and that the industry needs to do better at valuing artistic work.
Her journey is a testament to breaking boundaries, pushing sustainability, and making space for creatives to thrive.
And if her work teaches us anything, it’s that art, like beauty, is never truly disposable—it’s just waiting to be seen in a new way.
