Alondra Excene: The Art of Pretty Monsters
When you first meet Alondra Excene, it’s clear she doesn’t just do makeup, she builds worlds. Based in Long Beach, Alondra is a professional makeup artist with a deep love for special effects, color, and transformation. Her work often blends beauty and horror, creating creatures that are as striking as they are unsettling.
“I love making pretty creatures that are still a little intimidating,” she says. “My brand is beautiful, but I also want you to be a little afraid of them.”
Model : Brett Barletta
That balance of allure and unease runs through everything she does, from her creature-inspired editorial work to CREATURAS, an art zine she co-created with fashion stylist Gabby Lovazzano. The project began as a personal experiment, a way to showcase their creative visions without waiting for permission or big budgets. But it quickly evolved into something bigger.
“It started when [photographer] Vico Vélez and I were doing creature shoots together,” Alondra recalls. “We had a lot of fun doing it, so we started doing shoots every Halloween. And then she was like, ‘Hey, let’s make a publication.’ And I was like, ‘Let’s do it!’”
The first edition of CREATURAS focused on reimagined monsters and classic horror tropes. Over time, each issue developed its own theme: mythological deities, extraterrestrials, and now, the Intergalactic Underground, a visual ode to underground warehouse culture. Through it all, Alondra and her team have kept inclusivity and collaboration at the heart of the project.
“At the end of the day, we created an art collective and its own little community,” she says. “Now I’ll see some of my artists working together that met on the show. It’s created community, which is really important to me.”
Alondra’s creative process often begins underwater. “I love sea creatures,” she explains. “That’s honestly where a lot of the color schemes for my work come from, slugs and cuttlefish. I love cuttlefish.” It’s a fitting inspiration for someone whose artistry feels fluid, constantly shifting between worlds of fantasy, fashion, and film.
Since graduating from E.I. School of Professional Makeup in Los Angeles, she’s worked on productions like Sharknado, Zombie Tidal Wave, and Freak Out, along with music videos for artists such as Smashing Pumpkins, Rob Zombie, and 2 Chainz. Still, some of her most meaningful work happens far from a film set.
“I’ve had so many of my assistants and models reach out the next day and be like, ‘Oh my God, I felt so relaxed. I felt so comfortable when I was in the makeup,’” she says. “Through CREATURAS, I’m helping people feel seen in a way, even though I’m making them look like someone completely different.”
It’s that sense of transformation, of turning imagination into identity, that defines her art. Whether she’s painting a metallic highlight across a model’s skin or sculpting prosthetics into a new face, her goal is the same: to create something that feels alive.
“I just want people to enjoy my work environment,” she says. “I don’t need to be the best makeup artist. I just want people to feel safe and seen.”
For Alondra, monsters aren’t meant to frighten, they’re meant to free.
Follow Alondra’s work at alondraexcene.com and on Instagram at @alondraexcene.
This story was created by Making Waves Project as part of 13 Days of Strange, our series spotlighting the beautifully unusual people and projects shaping culture in ways big and small. By sharing these stories, we aim to honor the creativity, resilience, and vision behind the work and amplify voices that thrive in the strange, the bold, and the unforgettable.
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Photography by Robiee Ziegler
Produced by Katie Caro
