How did an insecure teen with acne become an inspirational make-up artist and Instagram influencer?
In just two years, Sydney Sikes went from a girl with an acne problem experimenting with make-up to an Instagram influencer who brands pay to promote their products
Sydney Sikes slurps down the last of her Capri Sun juice pouch, and in that moment, I am reminded that just two months earlier she turned 15.
If you watch Sikes in the make-up tutorial videos she posts on Instagram under the name “SydMarie” – some of which have drawn tens of thousands of views – it’s easy to forget or even doubt her age. She moves with an easy confidence, and when her face is highlighted and contoured to her satisfaction, she could easily pass for 25.
I worked really hard for what I can do now, and there is a lot of learning that goes on behind it
But if you could see beyond what those videos show, if that tiny camera on her iPhone could pan out and around her as she sweeps sunset shades across her lids, you would see glimpses of her teenage life in northern Virginia. You would see she is sitting in a bedroom decorated with hot pink and black wall hangings. You would see a picture on her desk that shows her on a cheerleading team and a full-length mirror that holds a white sash that reads, “Homecoming Court”.
You would see a girl who, in the middle of filming one recent afternoon, calls out to her father:
“Hey, dad, can you do me a favour? Bring me a Lunchables?”
He brings the juice pouch with it. Sikes snacks and drinks, stopping occasionally to talk, while spending two hours doing her make-up for a video that she will edit down to about a minute and then post for her 31,700 Instagram followers to see.
If you have ever wondered how a person becomes an “influencer”, that modern-day title reserved for those who have become so popular on social media that people want to buy what they buy and do what they do, Sikes can tell you.
In just two years, she went from a girl who started experimenting with make-up because she felt insecure about her cystic acne to a make-up artist with an enviable resume.
She is sponsored by several cosmetic brands, her name and face have appeared on a limited edition make-up collection and people pay her to make them look beautiful on days when they need to look their best. She has done make-up for three brides. She has worked at a fashion show. And among her repeat customers is fitness coach Brooklyn Hillenbrand, who is also an influencer with 279 000 Instagram followers. Sikes has done her make-up for body building competitions.