We discovered Mariana’s work on Instagram and it was love at first sight. Minimalist colourful shapes combined with delicate pastel tones and glowing lights effects, her beauty and skincare illustrations are refreshing and modern. Kosame Beauty champions creativity and we commissioned Mariana to create an illustration for our new postcard which comes with each order. The postcards are printed in limited quantities and will be seasonal, so there will be many more to collect.
What is The Creamglow and how did you start it?
The Creamglow started during a time where I was feeling lost about what I wanted to pursue. It was actually when I started listening to podcasts about creating your dream life and personal development and discovered that our purpose usually has a lot to do with what came naturally to us when we were children. I have always been a creative kid, always doodling, and loved expressing myself via many types of art, even personalizing my clothing (usually ruining it with drawings and experimenting) and I also always used these forms to channel my emotions and share what I loved. Although I never considered becoming a freelancer or a full-time illustrator, I do know that I am doing it with passion and it makes other people happy, so that is what I like to focus on.
What is your background, tell us more about you.
I knew from a young age that I wanted to study graphic design and surround myself with inspiring and creative people, and even though I had been distracted in the past about my career, I knew at the right time that I had to go back to my roots because it’s what comes naturally to me and makes me feel good. I am from Mexico, I love trying out new things and apart from doing digital illustration, I recently I got into oil painting and ceramics. The fact that people support what I do just proves that I am on the right path.
When did you start drawing and what is the inspiration behind The Creamglow?
I don’t remember a time in my life where I wasn’t either drawing, doodling, painting, or even making silly crafts. My mom is also very creative, so I got it from her, as well as patience (and art in any form requires a lot of patience). I think the inspiration behind The Creamglow started from my roots, when I was younger I used to admire this type of cute illustrations, super colorful and focusing on pretty branding. When I opened this account, I started illustrating genuinely what made me happy and wanted to share, I’m so grateful that people have been supportive and enjoy what I do.
Who inspires you the most?
I think I am constantly inspired by people in general, I love curating what I see on my social media, the type of people I surround myself with and I am very fascinated by seeing everyone’s journey and where they came from. I am a super empath person, lover of seeing passionate people doing what drives them the most, and this is why I finally came to a place where I am happy with what I put out there.
Where is your favourite place to draw from?
My favorite place lately has been where I have been sitting for the last 3 months! It sounds silly, but I have been making my desk area in my room a more inspiring place, I see it every day so I thought, it’s worth adding things that make me happy and make my days a little bit better, even when I have to be here most of the time and work. I love having lots of plants around, I collect notebooks and writing utensils. I try to have everything organized and have lots of light. It really has become my sacred space.
Do you have any projects lined up with The CreamGlow?
I was asked to do some illustrations for Instyle Mexico and La Gaceta, magazines from my home country, and it felt very unreal. It may sound cheesy, but I sent the work over and when I saw them in the magazine I couldn’t believe it. To me, it feels like I have achieved something huge, and the fact that also many brands trust me to add magic to their products, feels so weird to me, yet I do it because it honestly makes me happy. They even added a small paragraph about me and it seems so incredible!
What are your 3 favourite products from Kosame Beauty?
I have been seeing a lot of good reviews on the brand Sioris, we don’t really have a lot of clean Korean beauty where I live but I love the simple ingredients they have. I love everything about hydration, I really want to try the Time is Running Out mist. I’m also a serum girl, I recently discovered the magic and I’m obsessed with trying out new ones when I can. Cosrx has an essence that I’ve been seeing everywhere and want to give it a try when I can. You also can never go wrong with sheet masks, I try to stock up on them and once a week give myself an at-home spa, the Benton Goodbye Redness Centella Mask has been a favorite.
Check out Mariana's work on Instagram:
The Cream Glow