POP interviews: Alice Venturi, the makeup artist who conquered everyone

Alice Venturi is super popular on social media, her nickname is alicelikeaudrey, she wears great makeup and is a white fly: nice and humble, she told us what she thinks about some issues that are particularly close to our heart. Known by the general public for its participation in Beijing Express paired with Guglielmo Scilla, today he lives in Milan and fills the web with positivity. We interviewed her for you and here’s what she told us!

Alice, the first question that comes to you is this: when was your passion for make-up born and what made you understand that it would become your job?

My passion for make-up, contrary to what one might think, was born late. I have never been a child who loved make-up, perhaps following her mother’s example. I went to high school, I was in the fourth grade precisely, and I followed the American youtubers. So, one day I wanted to participate in a competition held by one of them by making a makeup tutorial in English – so super embarrassing! – to be able to win products that did not exist in Italy at the time. The Italian girls then seeing the video started asking me for advice and from there it all started. It was all a coincidence; my studies, however, have always been of an artistic nature and in fact I consider make-up as an aspect of creativity, a way of expressing myself too. So maybe I’ve always had the passion, but it was hidden who knows where!

Three beauty products that you cannot give up?

Definitely mascara, concealer and skincare in general. The latter I have discovered in recent years and it has really changed my life. Many times a perfect make-up is nothing without a good foundation and the right skincare!

Have you ever thought that starting from scratch you would be able to find your size thanks to make-up?

Absolutely not, it wasn’t planned. It was something I did for passion and I enjoyed it very much! Creating and thinking about videos was something that made me spend my time in peace, instead of spending hours playing on the playstation I just shot tutorials. I just liked it, I didn’t think it could become a job and indeed, at the time there wasn’t even this possibility! Maybe in America at that time they were starting to monetize these things, so the answer is definitely no, I wasn’t expecting that.

But nowadays it must be said that being in the right place at the right time is really lucky; understanding where you can go on your own is gratifying. I live a lot in the day, so I don’t know exactly what it will be like in the future… and this is the only way to face this job well; otherwise you live it really badly! I am happy with what I do, I wake up in the morning and I am happy with what I create every day.

You are very popular and many rely on you for advice on make-up and on the look in general. Inspiring people is beautiful and we believe it is for you too: can you tell us a positive and a negative experience that has happened to you since you became so famous on the web?

It must be said that already finding in everyday life people who thank me for the advice I give, for changing his life by revealing a trick that I studied at school and that they did not know and had never adopted is extraordinary. I always try to answer all the messages that come to me, I absolutely want the contact with my community to be direct and I seem to know them all for a lifetime! Even when I meet them on the street we look like old friends and it’s beautiful and rewarding to the max.

This is certainly the best thing: the opportunity to share something with people who maybe in “normal” life you would not have the opportunity to know. The downside is that the web is free and gives a voice to everyone and you are always exposed to the opinions of others. People feel they have the opportunity to tell you what they want, things that maybe they wouldn’t even say to a friend of theirs … the web destroys that filter that you could have if you found a person in front of you. It must be said, however, that I have a very nice and united community; so when someone comes to say things out of place, there is always someone who intervenes and silences everything. It’s a self-regulating community and it’s beautiful!

Aside from makeup, we know you also have other interests that led you to get involved in Beijing Express together with Guglielmo Scilla and to lead Girl Solving along with Camihawke. Would you like to tell us about these two experiences?

Beijing Express is a great experience. I always say that it is an experience that was worth a lifetime: it is so strong and profound that it changes you; if you can get it right it’s really priceless and it really teaches you a lot. For example, the Filipinas taught me a lot: they had nothing and yet they were always ready to give, it was crazy. Until we had finished eating and were full they didn’t eat any food… absurd. How much we cried I can’t even tell you, really an experience out of the imagination. It is such a strong experience that if I went back I would absolutely do it again, but if they told me “Ok, let’s do another edition” I would immediately say no because it was too strong on a human level. I have seen things that have marked me a lot and deeply.

Well, it is certainly different from the classic holiday …

Absolutely yes. It is absolutely not comparable. Guglielmo was a lifeline, we shielded each other and if he hadn’t been there I would have been completely lost. It was also the first trip undertaken together …

Then it was also a great test of friendship!

Absolutely yes, exactly! He thinks we’re still friends, so luckily everything went well. As for Girl Solving, on the other hand, it was one of the most beautiful experiences I have had the opportunity to face in life because radio in my opinion is the most beautiful medium we have, in addition to the web. I find it the right middle ground between the web – which is totally real – and television – which is hardly real; the radio in this sense is complete and brings you closer to people. Also I was with Camilla, who today is one of the most important people in my life and I find her very good at what she does, so it was really nice to find a way to work together and we had a lot of fun.

Completely changing the subject: if you were a city which one would you be and why.

I’d tell you St. Petersburg, even though I’ve never seen it in person. It is a city that makes me dream a lot and I swear it will be one of my next trips; maybe it will be because as a child I looked at Anastasia many times, but these incredible domes, these bright colors that contrast with the snow. It is the city of contrasts, but I also find it very elegant and I love it!

Today we show virtually everything about our life on social media. Do you think you are different from what you show on social media, do you think you have some kind of filter or are you exactly how we see you?

I am 100% myself, exactly as seen on video and on social media. One of my principles that I have always carried forward is precisely that of not being a constructed person, of being true. It’s one thing to play a part, maybe for work, but to play it every day of my life on social media just to look better no, it’s not part of me. Indeed, a nice thing that happens to me when I meet boys and girls who follow me is that everyone always tells me “But you are just like in video!”, Which is not at all obvious especially nowadays and makes me very pleased, even if for me it is a right thing. I also feel bad when I meet someone I only knew through the web and it looks completely different to me.

Point blank: against or in favor of cosmetic surgery?

I am absolutely in favor. Obviously with a whole series of tricks and with the right vision of this. For example, all the filters we see on Instagram honestly for me are a bit of alarm bells, the concept of plastic surgery is spreading a bit. In my opinion the important thing is not to give in too soon, too young. I see a lot of girls, maybe as young as 16, who get their first surgery as a gift; it is important instead to get to the point of awareness of ourselves because, let’s face it, it is normal that at 16 we don’t like us, but then some time passes and you start making peace with the sides of you that maybe you don’t like and that’s right Like this. However, in general, as I said, I am absolutely in favor; especially if cosmetic surgery can help people overcome important complexes.

If you could become the best friend of any show character, Italian or foreign, it doesn’t matter, who would it be?

So … not Italian I would say absolutely Arielle. I love her madly! Friend of Aaron Paul, ex of Alex Turner… she really is in the right circle! But above all she is very nice and brings to the web an absurd irony that never hurts. As for Italy, on the other hand, I can’t really say. More than anything else because here it seems to me that they are all a little more built up, especially on social networks. It happened to me with Camilla: the first time I met her in person I said “She is a cut above all others” and it really struck me immediately and a lot on a human level, but I think it is mutual. So I would say that yes, there is Camilla, there is Guglielmo and there is Michele. But I always hope to meet other people who can amaze me on a human level, I am always ready for this.

We always end our interviews with this question: we call ourselves Digital Global Times, and for us the term POP represents something attractive, captivating, trendy. What is POP for you?

For me POP is being very honest with yourself and showing it to others; and that’s what I appreciate so much in other people. I love the availability and being down-to-earth, because I find that in some cases – especially on social media – popularity is giving a little to the head. Being down to earth is the most POP thing there is in the world, if I find a person like this I immediately say “Damn! How cool is this person! ”.