At Milk Makeup, we believe it’s not just how you create your look; it’s what you do in it that matters. That’s what our motto Live Your Look is all about. It means forgetting the rules. Having the freedom to show up as you every day, whether that’s with graphic liner or a glossed lip. Being seen and celebrated for living your truth. And there's no better way for us to show what that looks like than passing the mic to our Milk Fam.
In this series, we're opening it up to our community to share their inspirations, self-expression, beauty routines, and so much more. Get to know the faces behind our campaigns who are as inspiring off camera as they are on. This week, we're getting to know Imani, a model who thrives on excursions to the Angelika theater.
Meet Imani, who recently starred in our summer beauty shoot. While her off-camera aesthetic usually involves a juicy flush and sculpted brow, she put the spotlight on her bare skin in her first look, which featured a makeup-free moisturized glow. In her personal journey with acne and hyperpigmentation, it signaled a personal milestone, a realization she hopes will resonate with others.
Imani, who’s in a constant state of evolution, is one of our favorite sources of fashion inspiration. “In terms of fashion specifically, I feel like I can style anything,” she says of her always on-point outfits. Her instinctive approach to personal styling aligns perfectly with her astrological placement: Scorpio, the water sign that’s deeply in touch with intuition and under-the-surface emotions.
“I do identify with Scorpio characteristics,” says Imani. “Both happily and begrudgingly because I don’t know, Scorpios are a lot, I’m a lot. I appreciate how loyal we are but I also think loyalty could spread into jealousy which is not the best trait, but it’s one I do know.”
Read on to find out how this insightful Scorpio embraces style, skincare, and deep dives into film.
How would you describe your personal style?
I feel like I’ve been going through a style evolution lately. Not to toot my own horn but in terms of fashion specifically, I feel like I can style anything. These days, my style is a little darker than it used to be. I wore a lot of color, and now I’m trying to reign in the color palette more. Definitely a little sportier, depending on what I’m doing. I love a sexy look too, but on the day-to-day, I prefer playing with different proportions.
What’s your daily relationship with beauty?
As I’ve gotten older, I’ve learned to prioritize skincare and realize that it’s something that takes time and consistency, which are not my strong suits. Learning to stay with it has been a good and rewarding lesson for me. I do wear makeup, not every day, but whenever I go out. It makes me feel more confident to have a seamless look that still feels natural. I like my skin to still look like skin; I’m not a super matte kind of girl. I love a juicy cheek and a flush—and a good highlight.
If I’m trying to take pictures or a TikTok, then I’ll do a fun eye look. I’m more into abstract eye looks, nothing that requires too much blending. I’m definitely not a makeup expert, but I love my makeup playful and impactful.
Is there a beauty product you swear by?
These days, I’m all about the eyebrow gel. I don’t have naturally strong brows, but I use the KUSH Fiber Brow Gel to really sculpt the shape and bring my whole face together. Creating a strong, dynamic brow shape brings it all together for me. I definitely need to have the eyebrows done all day.
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Can you talk about what you’re wearing for our summer beauty shoot?The first look was with no makeup and just focusing on skincare, which was really fun. My skin felt so moisturized and plush! But it was also a very big moment for me personally because ever since I went through puberty and had acne, I’ve really struggled with hyperpigmentation. Having dark spots, and an imperfect complexion is something I know really well, and that felt like a big hurdle for me getting into modeling. Having a shoot where I’m wearing no makeup was scary but exciting to see how far I’ve come—accepting that I’m not perfect. I know that will resonate with others too, so that was a really fun thing to shoot. And then I also shot a makeup component with a very fierce eye look. What do you do when you’re not modeling?I’m super into film and television. If I’m not shooting, I’m going to the Angelika or Metrograph in the Lower East Side. I also love discussing; I’m that person that wants to go through every single detail of what happened and be like, “Did you notice that? And how that part connected to that part at the end?” I like digging out the special little hidden gems that are present in that art form. |
What did you think of the Oscars frontrunners this year? Did you see Licorice Pizza?
I feel like it was interesting—Alaina Haim, she did a really great job. It was a seamless transition from seeing her as a musical artist to seeing her as an actor. There were just little things that rubbed me the wrong way, like weird jokes related to the Asian community that I thought were not ok ever. The movie is set in the ‘70s so it’s a different time, but what’s the point of bringing that into the time that we’re in now? I feel like the movie could have stood on its own without those elements.
It’s also interesting because in our culture, we’re so accustomed to seeing the dynamic between an older man and a younger woman, which I think is very strange. Seeing that turned on its head with an older woman and younger man made me go off with some questions. It was a good movie. It was very well done.
Do you work on film in your free time?
I’ve been thinking about it more and more. I do want to try and take an acting class, but I’m also super aware of how it’s been such a thing to blend your passions and your work. It’s great when your passions can be your work, but it’s also nice to keep things separate. Because you can start to lose the joy you got out of something. So maybe I should just leave this—enjoying TV and film—as something I enjoy in my free time, rather than partaking in a professional way.
Follow Imani on Instagram @champagnemani.
This interview has been edited and condensed for clarity. Additional reporting by Robert Quick and Brooke Hannel.
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