It's easy to fall down a YouTube hole watching makeup artists transform themselves into unicorns, celebrities or even just airbrushed versions of themselves. Most of this beauty content is pretty harmless (although there are, of course, questions around makeup and gender roles), but every now and then a makeup artist gets it seriously, criminally wrong.
Enter Percem Akin, a Turkish makeup artist who has sparked justifiable outrage with a recent Halloween makeup tutorial. The "look" in question? A slave-inspired "black beauty" transformation, complete with blackface, fake scars and a headscarf, Babe reported. It's so offensive and misjudged, you couldn't make it up.
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Upon sharing the video on YouTube, Akin promoted it on her Instagram (@percemakin) using various hashtags, including the abhorrent #slave sandwiched between #blackwomen and #sadmakeup. Akin has since deleted both the video and Instagram post and has made her Instagram account private following the backlash – but not before critics were able to take screenshots.
People have posted the evidence to social media and slammed the makeup artist for her tone-deaf "transformation", with many highlighting that no, it wouldn't be an acceptable look for a party, and actually it's racist, disturbing and highly offensive.
DONT SUPPORT PERCEMAKIN ON INSTAGRAM CAUSE THEY THINK BLACKFACE AND HASHTAGGING SLAVE IS OKAY ?
— ? Madison Anne ? (@MadisonnnAnne_) September 24, 2017
So why u private now, sis?
Just wanna talk ? pic.twitter.com/XBq8fnbQIz
YALL WHAT THE FUCK IS THIS??? #BLACKFACE @percemakin on insta hashtag #slave???? Color and pain??? #racist bullshit. pic.twitter.com/0vNCaQ2RyI
— GamerBoo° XB1 (@Booskerz) September 25, 2017
Way to make it even worse !! SLAVE
— Ｙａｙａ (@yxsdii__) September 24, 2017
This is highly offensive ! This is hurtful, disturbing. this is not okay !Ig @percemakin pic.twitter.com/CWmuEsSFur
Others have called on makeup brand NYX Cosmetics, which is affiliated with Akin, to cut all ties and release a statement condemning her actions. The Sun contacted Akin for comment but she has yet to address the controversy. May we recommend that Akin gives "cultural appropriation" and "racism" a quick google?
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