Ever since I can remember, the colorful characters of Sailor Moon have been my ultimate beauty inspiration. Now we’re in the midst of a terrifying and anxiety-producing pandemic—and I’ve found that revisiting some of my favorite looks from the series has become a creative, productive escape for me.
When I first encountered Sailor Moon (Usagi) as a kid, I was particularly obsessed with her hair. Super long and full of gems, it projected a mystical quality that I hoped to one day have. But it wasn’t just Usagi who had me daydreaming about hair—the entire cast of characters had a range of interesting hairstyles and, most important, high-impact hair color. Sailor Moon characters have blue, green, purple, and pink hair, which becomes only more magical after their iconic crystal-powered transformations to their Sailor Scout alter-egos. After each character’s jewel encrusted makeup compacts open, the characters transform with tiaras, jewels, and even a manicure.
The character who always stood out to me—and who inspired my personal approach to beauty more than any other—is Chibiusa. With perfectly pastel pink hair, she made me dream of having the hue in my own hair. I was overjoyed when I was 11 and my mom sprayed some temporary pink hair color on my ends for Wacky Hair Day at school. Today I’ve rotated through a range of platinum blondes, which I change to lilac, green, and baby blue, but the one color I constantly come back to is Chibiusa pink. It’s my happy place because it’s easy, flattering, and an instant mood-lifter for me.
I’ve also always been a huge fan of nail art that pushes things to the next level. Right before quarantine, I had the most extreme nails ever, with mini teacups and Starbucks drinks attached to them. I’m rarely seen without some kind of nail posh on my nails (I feel naked without it), and I think part of my nail obsession stems from seeing Sailor Moon’s aforementioned magical nail transformations.
Today most of the world (and our beauty routines) are on hold. I’ve been thinking a lot about Sailor Moon as a beauty icon, and how the looks of the show’s eclectic cast have been inspiring my quarantine looks. It feels like an escape, for example, to get playful with colorful hair when traveling is off-limits. In fact, I recently had my entire head dyed rainbow (above). I’ve also been experimenting with extensions—from glitter tinsel pieces to clip-in ponytails that give me Sailor Moon-like length. Inspired by Sailor Moon’s gem-covered hair, I’ve also been playing with stick-on gems over my eye shadow—even when no one else but myself is going to see it.
There’s also something incredibly powerful to me about the fact that, in the show, Sailor Moon and her friends metaphorically call on the power of makeup—through gem-encrusted compacts—to save the day. (The characters literally shout, “Make up!” after calling on their specific power.) In a world where tensions and anxieties are a major everyday occurrence, Sailor Moon and the Sailor Scouts have been serving as my beauty inspiration and, above all else, helping me cope. Clipping in an extra-look ponytail, or applying a little bit more color or blush, makes me feel calmer—and reminds me that, somehow, the day will be saved.
Below, check out a few of the beauty products I’ve been using to help me experiment with Sailor Moon–inspired looks.
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