Fresh Face: Anh Nguyaen
Storytelling through beauty and makeup
F&M’s Fresh Face is a series featuring young Southeast Asian fashion practitioners, where we speak with them about how they embarked on their careers and what propels them as creatives.
Growing up in a traditional Vietnamese household, Anh Nguyen discovered makeup as both a practical tool and a form of self-expression. Today, their practice unfolds between Amsterdam and Paris, shaped by that early intimacy. Their process often begins with clean, translucent skin, onto which texture and colour are layered to articulate character and narrative. Backstage at Paris and Milan Fashion Weeks, and in their role as beauty contributor at Numéro Netherlands, Anh extends this approach across runway and editorial settings, where makeup becomes a structured exploration of identity, culture, and transformation.
Anh Nguyaen.
To start, could you tell us about your background and how you first began your practice as a makeup artist?
I grew up in a traditional, academically focused Vietnamese family, with no exposure to creative careers. My childhood was centred on academic excellence, so in many ways my current path represents a sharp turn from what was originally expected of me.
Makeup initially entered my life in a practical way. Growing up without perfect skin, I used it to cover blemishes. Over time, it became a creative outlet and a form of therapy, and I realised that makeup artistry was what I wanted to pursue. That realisation led me to enrol at House of Orange makeup school in Amsterdam. I quickly fell in love with the city and decided to stay and build my career there.
Unseen Radiance, Numéro Netherlands, 2025. Photo by Philine van den Hul, makeup by Anh Nguyaen. Images courtesy of Anh Nguyaen.
What themes, experiences, or influences most shape your approach to makeup?
The vastly different life stages I have moved through have shaped my artistry almost like a mirror. My work reflects who I am at a specific moment in time, captured and held still.
My focus on flawless, undetectable skin comes from having to wear makeup while growing up as a boy and later as a man in a conservative environment. Makeup needed to be invisible. Even though I have moved beyond many of the social norms I was raised with, that instinct remains deeply embedded in my approach to skin. I am drawn to seamless base makeup because it feels more luxurious to me and, at the same time, technically more demanding.
Behind-the-scenes processes. Images courtesy of Anh Nguyaen.
Could you walk us through your creative and technical process when developing a look? Are there particular techniques, textures, or tools you especially enjoy working with or experimenting on?
It starts with the brief. When I look at a face, I see a story, and most of the time I want to tell that story through subtle cues. Whether I am working on a hopeless romantic in an art film, a rock star on a magazine cover, or a designer walking the red carpet, each character calls for a completely different approach. That range and transformation is what I love most about my job.
No matter the project, there is one constant in my process: a proper lymphatic face massage. It relaxes the talent, it relaxes me, and it prepares the skin for makeup. If you have not tried massaging your face before applying makeup, start now and thank me later.
“Whether I am working on a hopeless romantic in an art film, a rock star on a magazine cover, or a designer walking the red carpet, each character calls for a completely different approach.”
Having worked backstage at Paris and Milan Fashion Weeks, and as a regular beauty contributor at Numéro Netherlands, how have these experiences influenced your creative direction and evolution as a makeup artist?
Fashion Week is humbling in every sense. I get to meet and work alongside some of the best artists in the industry, and it constantly reminds me that the more you learn, the more you realise how much there is still to grow.
Being a beauty contributor has also shaped me beyond the technical side of makeup. It has taught me how to interact with people, manage pressure, and lead a team of creatives with confidence and empathy. Both sides of the industry are challenging in different ways, and through them I have learned a great deal about myself.
Editorial spread for Mirror Mirror Magazine x Cartier, 2022. Photo by Chris Philippo, makeup by Anh Nguyaen. Image courtesy of Anh Nguyaen.
Latent Space, Numéro Netherlands, 2025. Photo by Codrut Gaspar, makeup by Anh Nguyaen. Image courtesy of Anh Nguyaen.
Your approach to beauty often transcends gender and cultural boundaries. How do these ideas inform your work, and why is it important for you to create beauty that feels inclusive and fluid?
I often joke that my childhood struggles and moving across the world shaped this perspective, but in truth they did. My philosophy of beauty is that no matter someone’s size, colour, or shape, somewhere in the world and at some point in history, they were, are, or will be the beauty standard.
Makeup itself has constantly shifted in meaning. It was once primarily worn by men, and colours like pink and blue were assigned to the opposite genders of what we know today. All of that makes me question the idea that there is only one way to look or be beautiful. To me, beauty is fluid, cultural, and evolving.
“To me, beauty is fluid, cultural, and evolving.”
You work across beauty, fashion, editorial, and commercial projects. How do you adapt your approach depending on the context while maintaining a consistent identity?
That is what excites me most about my work. Every day looks different, which means I am constantly learning and do not feel bored or stagnant.
While I do have my own perspective on beauty, when I am working with a client, I understand that it is not about my personal taste. It is about bringing strong technical skills, understanding their vision, and delivering what the project calls for. When I direct my own projects, however, I have the freedom to express my artistic identity more freely.
Camiel Fortgens AW 2026 collection runway at Paris Fashion Week. Makeup by Anh Nguyaen. Images courtesy of Anh Nguyaen.
As a Southeast Asian makeup artist working in Europe, what challenges have you encountered within the industry, and how have those experiences shaped your professional path? At the same time, what opportunities have emerged from working across different cultural and creative environments?
Working across different cultures is not easy, though I feel fortunate that the fashion and beauty industry is generally more diverse than a typical nine-to-five environment. Of course, there have been moments where I felt excluded for not fitting into a certain mould, and that can be alienating. Unfortunately, that experience is quite universal across gender, ethnicity, and even political perspectives.
At the same time, there are just as many people who know what it feels like to be on the outside and are now actively shaping the industry for the better. I am grateful to have found the people I have in my life today through all the struggles and hardship. My focus is on continuing to build spaces that feel more inclusive, supportive, and fair.
Soap Opera, Numéro Netherlands, 2024. Photo by Suus Waijers, makeup and art direction by Anh Nguyaen. Image courtesy of Anh Nguyaen.
Finally, what’s next for your practice? Are there any upcoming projects you have been working on that you can share with us?
What is next feels incredibly exciting. I have just led my first fashion show in Paris, which was a major milestone for me. 2026 is already off to a strong start, with several upcoming projects I am not quite able to share yet.
For now, I would say follow along on my journey. I will be keeping my socials updated as everything unfolds.
See more of Anh’s work on her website and on Instagram at @anhnguyaen.