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Backlash after white make-up artist shares slave-inspired beauty look

Turkish make-up artist Percem Akin has caused controversy after posting a slave-inspired tutorial [Photo: Instagram/percemakin]
Turkish make-up artist Percem Akin has caused controversy after posting a slave-inspired tutorial [Photo: Instagram/percemakin]

When it comes to being a make-up artist, you can be experimental and innovative – but you can’t appropriate other cultures or be racist. Nor should you want to be.

Unfortunately, one Turkish MUA has ticked both of those boxes with a truly shocking make-up tutorial.

Percem Akin posted a video to YouTube showing how to dress as a slave this Halloween.

Unsurprisingly, people were outraged [Photo: Instagram/percemakin]
Unsurprisingly, people were outraged [Photo: Instagram/percemakin]

Plastering herself in blackface and giving herself a few nasty-looking scars, the white vlogger donned a headscarf to give those real authentic slave vibes before uploading photos to Instagram, using the hashtags #slave, #blackwoman and #sadmakeup.

Understandably, plenty of people were outraged.

Following a huge amount of backlash, the make-up artist deleted the photo (but not before a large amount of outraged followers got a screenshot) and blocked comments before finally making her Instagram private. The video has also been deleted, too.

Percem is affiliated with make-up brand NYX Cosmetics, leading a lot of beauty fans to urge the brand to stop working with the artist immediately.

“I wouldn’t choose such an ignorant person for a brand,” commented one person.

We have reached out to NYX Cosmetics for further comment.

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