Michelle Moé
Michelle Moé is the queen of ethereal fairy make-up on Instagram and YouTube with over 170k followers. Her looks are equal parts sexy and kawaii. And if you’ve ever been on Instagram, you’re sure to have seen Michelle Moé or Michelle Moé-inspired looks on your explore feed. But who exactly is Michelle Moé?
Michelle began her Instagram journey in 2012. Her fairytale-esque make-up style paired pastel hair with matching brows framed by blossoms and glitter. White freckles, pillow soft lips, and coloured contacts added a kawaii fantasy vibe to her style. But whether it was a touch of serial killer or anthropomorphic cat-girl, Michelle’s looks always had a dark side. Her angular features exuded a feline mystique, while her twisted take on the soft girl aesthetic (ethereal, anime-like, and sometimes downright creepy make-up) set her apart from the scores of beauty-focussed instagrammers.
Nowadays, makeup looks on Instagram are far more adventurous than they were even five years ago. Michelle has inspired a lot of us to don flower headbands, and break out the eyelash glue to stick petals to our faces! The shift towards whimsy proves that Michelle was way ahead of the curve when she emerged on Instagram. Soft makeup looks are very much on trend now, but Michelle really made it her own.
While Michelle has since moved away from this style of makeup—becoming more muted and mature—her audience has stayed with her. You can learn how to create a Michelle Moé look on her YouTube channel. But don’t just go there for the looks! Behind those freckles is a great personality, and people are desperate to hear her opinions on a variety of topics! Michelle has become that girl you go to when you want an unfiltered take on things. The leap from beauty guru to social commentator came about because of K-pop, surprisingly enough. A massive fan of BTS, Michelle’s opinions about the pop group frequently tapped into debates on cultural appropriation and toxic Twitter fans, for example. The K-pop community is well-known for being a hostile environment to those who end up on the “wrong” side of public opinion, but people love how brave Michelle is. If she doesn’t like something, she’s not afraid to call someone out on it. She’s seen as a role model for those who believe in speaking their mind, even if it rocks the boat.
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Michelle Moé isn’t just talented, she’s down-to-earth, has a brilliant sense of humour and is a great ambassador for the community.
Written by Kay.
Featured image courtesy of @michellemoe via Instagram.