# Surreal Colorful Cosmetic Stills These Cosmetic Still Life Photos Turn Eye Shadow into Art By Lacey-Jane Walsh | Published 2013-06-04 | Art & Design Source: Trend Hunter, https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/still-life-photos References: [featureshoot](http://www.featureshoot.com/2013/05/still-life-photos-of-cosmetics-conjure-the-spirit-of-surrealist-jean-arp/) & [mikegarten](http://www.mikegarten.com/) This creative [cosmetics art series](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/il-pranzo-campaign) turns vibrant makeup products into [stunning still life photos](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/miami-art-week). Photographer Mike Garten teamed up with painter Ashley Zangle to put together this clever cosmetics-focused art project. The backgrounds in these intriguing makeup captures are kept simple. Black and white backgrounds help these bold make up stills look more dramatic. These funky still life photos feature [all shades of lipstick, eye shadows](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/eye-stylus-shadow-stick), colored liquid liners and more. These stills actually look similar to the color splotches you'd expect to find on a painters palette. This brightly colored captures smear, smudge and splatter makeup to create interesting still life subject matter. It's interesting to see a series focused on makeup that doesn't include models, or use cosmetics in the traditional fashion. ## Trend Insights (Trend Hunter) - Score: 3.0/10 - Popularity: 61% | Activity: 21% | Freshness: 8% - Audience gender: 10% men, 90% women - Primary generations: Gen Z, Millennial - Top markets: North America, Europe ## Categories [Trend Hunter](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends) > [Art & Design](https://www.trendhunter.com/artdesign) > [Design](https://www.trendhunter.com/design) ## Key Themes ### What's Driving This Trend - **Creative Cosmetic Art:** Utilizing vibrant makeup products for still life photography can create a unique and visually appealing art form. - **Minimalist Backgrounds:** Using black and white backgrounds in makeup photography can enhance the drama and focus on the products. - **Makeup as Paint:** Exploring makeup as an artistic medium opens up opportunities for innovative and unconventional creations. ### Who This Affects Most - **Photography:** Photographers can explore new ways to showcase makeup products as art through still life photography. - **Cosmetics:** Cosmetic brands can leverage the concept of makeup as art to create visually stunning advertising campaigns. - **Art:** Artists can experiment with incorporating makeup into their creative process, blurring the lines between traditional painting and cosmetic application. ## Related on Trend Hunter - [Surrealist Beauty Lines](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/toiletpaper-magazine.md) - [Sculptural Beauty Palettes](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/contour-and-highlight-palettes.md) - [Photography Project Series](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/still-life-1.md) - [Comedic Horror Cosmetics](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/nyx-x-beetlejuice.md) - [Grungy Movie-Inspired Cosmetics](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/half-magic-beauty.md) - [Playful Cosmetic Collections](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/clinique-x-crayola.md) - [Makeup Water Brand Collections](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/corpse-paint-makeup.md) - [Restyled Cinematic Makeup Campaigns](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/il-pranzo-campaign.md) - [Painterly Eyeshadow Sticks](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/eye-stylus-shadow-stick.md)