Inclusion in the beauty industry is becoming a hot topic in the makeup world. Since Rihanna released her Fenty Beauty line, which features 50 (Yep, you read that correctly!) foundation shades, brands and influencers have been racing to follow suit, and representation has been pushed to the forefront of the beauty community. Representation, however, encompasses much more than foundation shades, and there are some fresh faces emerging onto the makeup scene.

Zachary Domingo and Markevious Harris–aka Barbie Gutz and Poetic Drugs–are both influencers who boast Instagram followings well over 100 thousand and serve look after look with each post. These two faces are here to add what the beauty industry has been missing for so long: minority male representation.

Poetic Drugs

Q: When did your personal makeup journey begin?
A: I started off just taking pictures for my Instagram. People loved my makeup and so I told myself I should advance.

Q:  What inspired you to start doing makeup?
A: I love creative muses like David Bowie and Grace Jones.

Q: What makeup artist(s) inspire you the most and why?
A: My biggest woman makeup artist [inspiration] is Amrezy. She’s amazing and I see myself in her.

Q:  What obstacles have you faced in the beauty industry?
A: Sometimes I feel like my skin color can hold me back. There’s a lack of shades in most shade ranges and lack of POC artists.

Q: What advice would you give someone wanting to be a part of the beauty community?
A: Be yourself. Be patient and your rewards should follow.

Q: Why does representation in the beauty industry matter and what does representation mean to you?
A: It matters because every little girl and little boy should see themselves in someone.

Barbie Gutz

Q: When did your personal makeup journey begin?
A: My beauty journey began when I begged my parents to buy me an eyeshadow palette (that I still have to this day) from Victoria’s Secret, after a few months of sneaking into my mom’s makeup stash while she was at work and trying to apply it on my face.

Q: What inspired you to start doing makeup?
A: I think growing up and watching my mom do her hair and makeup every single day was definitely the start.

Q: What makeup artist(s) inspire you the most and why?
A: Definitely Pat McGrath! I’m really into fashion as well and watching these fashion shows from the early 2000s and to this day, her work is so creative and unique. You can tell she truly loves being a makeup artist.

Q: What obstacles have you faced in the beauty industry?
A: There’s a lot! I think my biggest obstacle I’ve had to face is just people. Whether that be people not accepting boys in makeup, especially people of color. Also, the beauty industry is a tough place behind the scenes. These people can steal your looks and concepts, show you fake support and just be fake in general. It’s really tough.

Q: What advice would you give someone wanting to be a part of the beauty community?
A: My biggest advice for someone wanting to be a part of this community and industry, and really any industry, is to be yourself. Being yourself is a sacrifice, but it will show in your work and people are going to be drawn to you.

Q: Why does representation in the beauty industry matter and what does representation mean to you?
A: You want to see yourself being represented, whether that be your culture, race or sexual orientation. Representation to me is slowly eliminating the shock factor of seeing someone like me in makeup, clothing and fashion campaigns. All of it. Being brown or queer is no longer taboo in society and I want to see that reflected in the entertainment world.

Be sure to follow Zachary and Markevious on Instagram: @BarbieGutz and @PoeticDrugs