Sydney Morgan @sydney.morgan
Photographer: Dylan Perlot @dylanperlot
Wardrobe Stylist: Sky JT Naval @sky_is_dlimit
Make Up Artist: @makeupbyashsimmons
Hair Stylist: Synphony Ward @signaturestylesbysynphony
PR: @icon_pr
Fashion Credits:
Pinstripe Suit - The Tailory
Black Studded Jacket - The Tailory
Leather Top - Heiress
Earrings - Natalie Mills
Ouch! Editor: Rhonda McKnight
Congratulations on being an Ouch! Magazine cover we usually do not have digital creators on our covers. You are a special person with a special cause. Tell the world more about the Crohn's & Colitis Foundation.
The Crohn’s & Colitis Foundation is truly a great organization. It is dedicated to funding research aimed at finding new treatments and ultimately a cure for Crohn’s & Colitis. For me, my local chapter was how I met a group of young women my own age who were also battling these diseases and helped me come to terms with a lot of the issues that come along with that. Now they are some of my closest friends.
What was the transition from east coast to west coast living like? What was the biggest difference from Pittsburgh to LA?
It was a fairly easy transition I had met a lot of creator friends in the area that helped me a lot with the move. The biggest difference in LA is it never stops. Everything moves so fast and everyone is working all the time. Being surrounded by other people doing the same things that I’m doing was very new and exciting with so many opportunities and events in LA.
What are some of the things you miss from your hometown and why? What are some things you love about Los Angeles?
I miss how peaceful it is in Pennsylvania. I love going outside and listening to the birds, bugs and leaves. There’s this trail that runs alongside a river near my house that I would walk/run a few times every week and I miss that a lot. Growing up I used to complain about they're being nothing to do there but now when I go back and visit, I can appreciate it and relax. Los Angeles is polar opposite. I love palm trees. I always associated palm trees with good vibes and happiness because the only time I ever saw them was when I would go on vacation, so now seeing them every day is a small thing that makes me smile. I’m never lacking on things to do in LA and I love being so close to the beaches. Being surrounded by hardworking creative people is something I like about LA as well. I was kind of an outlier in PA so I feel like I’ve found my people here in LA.
You are a very artistic person so do you think this helps you with TikTok? How did you even get started on TikTok?
“Being artistic helps a ton with social media. If someone compliments me with “you’re so creative” that’s my favorite thing to hear. At the end of the day people will follow you and come back to your channel for content that they can’t get anywhere else, so my creativity helps me come up with original artistic content.”
I started posting makeup on a small Instagram account as a portfolio that had maybe 300 followers. After quarantine I heard about tiktok and started seeing makeup videos on there and figured I might as well share my content on that platform as well. It quickly started getting views and followers and I was having so much fun being creative and making videos so I never stopped.
What is a make-up video post preparation day like? How many hours do you plan your post or do you just go for it?
I usually have some sort of theme with my makeup looks. I grab my sketch book and write key words or colors related to that theme. Next, I start drawing face charts and designs until I get something that I’m happy with. Then I go on TikTok and plan out what sounds I’m going to use that correlates to the look or see what’s trending. Then I gather supplies. Sometimes I’ll have to go buy certain props, wigs, contacts, prosthetics, etc. and FINALLY I can start the look and film. My longest makeup video day has taken 16 hours alone to do the look and film, not including prep time.
What are 5 tips you can tell others who would love to do what you do for a living?
Make original content that people can’t find anywhere else. Following trends is important but not as important as starting trends.
Make content that is authentic to you and do something you’re passionate about. Art and makeup make me happy and are my creative outlets so that passion is what keeps me going.
Be consistent. Uploading videos daily and staying consistent is a huge factor on all platforms and will give you a much better chance of getting pushed out by the algorithm and getting that viral video. It takes dedication and patience.
Do it for the right reasons. Make content because you enjoy it and are passionate about it. If your main driving factor is that you want to be famous or have followers that’s probably not the best reason and you will likely give up after a while. You need that reason to be something sustainable. You have to fall in love with the process and not value your content based on views/followers.
Identify your niche and keep up with big creators in the space and current trends. It’s like studying but for content creators. If you see that there’s a huge trend within the beauty community, chances are the algorithm is more likely to push out your video if you hop on that trend as well.
What is your day to day beauty routine like? Any tips for the female fans?
I wash my face every morning and evening. It’s so important to be getting off all of your makeup at the end of the day. Some brands I love for skincare are Cocokind, Neutrogena, and Sonya Dakar. Make sure to change your pillow cases and face towels often.
Who's on your music favorite list? What was your very first live concert?
I’m on a Conan Gray kick right now. His album Superache just came out and I’ve been listening to that nonstop. My first concert was Hannah Montana when I was about 6 years old. My cheer team rented a limo and all of us drove in it to the concert. It was a lot of fun.
How do you consider your own personal style?
I always ask my friends if I have a style because I feel like I really don’t have anything too specific. I enjoy trying out different aesthetics and will pretty much wear anything and everything. My favorite things to wear are bright colors.
Lastly, do you have any projects you care to share with fans? How can they reach out to you via social media?
All I am going to say is that there may be a fun beauty back to school drop coming and I am back on set toward the end of the summer! Stay tuned on my IG @sydney_morgan and TikTok @sydney_art.