welcome

Carrie Esser

Based in Phoenix, Arizona, Carrie is a dedicated full-time artist whose journey as a self-taught creative has flourished over the past decade. Specializing in creative makeup and body painting, Carrie offers a range of services including custom artwork, body paint and makeup services, creative sessions and is available for events.

Carrie believes in the transformative power of creativity as a means of self-expression and healing. Inspired by the wisdom and beauty of nature, she infuses her work with these influences aiming to reconnect the inner child and spark imagination in others.

the artist

original artwork

check out more

@makeupmadhouse

thank you for the beautiful set @madisonpark_2010 🌿💚✨

link in my bio + code immp20

#MadisonPark #MadisonParkHome #Madisonparksince2010
#MadisonParkBedding

before moving into a season of body painting and makeup, here is another look at one of my favorite photos from this shoot with @photos.by.mikael

bringing this energy into the painting season and on🎨🧚‍♀️✨

#bodypaint #bodypainting #arizonabodypaint #phoenixbodypainter #arizonamakeupartist #phoenixmakeupartist

my first cyanotype! what an experience!! some reflections shared on the last slides

i will be turning these into prints in the near future for those interested 💙

looks like @thewalterhive is having another intro to cyanotype session at the end of september … highly recommend!!

#cyanotype #cyanotypeprint #natureart #phoenixartist #arizonaartist

what’s your favorite medium to use when you just want to play and make unserious art?

i love water color pencils for how they touch on drawing and also the water element that brings in a painting feeling

thank you @luckyartcrayonology for gifting me some supplies! looking forward to trying out the body paints next 🎨✨

#watercolorpencils #luckyartcrayonology #gifted

timelapse view of the dust storm from our balcony 8/25/25
i’m so glad i grabbed the tripod in time to capture this
the power of the wind was truly incredible

ran inside at the end of timelapse just as dust was really beginning to hit (realized after it would have been best to go in sooner because of valley fever… noted for next time)

i spent the evening present with the storm by listening to the wind, observing the sudden change from natural light to darkness and enjoying rain by the end
all while doing some journaling and drawing with what light there was!

song choice thanks to @aj.lundstrom 👏
🎵Dust in the wind
All we are is dust in the wind 🎻

#phoenix #duststorm #haboob #phoenixweather #naturejournaling

i’ve had visions of body painting in nature
what a gift it is to slowly be able to bring that idea to life

this is at Hume Lake in Sequoia National Forest

i am excited to see what this grows into as i continue developing the ties between my love for nature and the art of body painting

some extra special moments at the end frolicking in the grass, hearing the bats fly under the moon and the crackling of a campfire

🧚🌲🎨

eeek i was way excited for this package 📦 @pelacase has been my favorite for eco-friendly, durable protection for my phone and i love it even more now having used their customization feature to get my art printed on my cases! it’s like having a mini traveling gallery and it brings me lots of joy!! thank you #PelaCase

so much magic can happen when you let things flow

it is helpful to finally feel comfortable knowing what creative supplies to bring with me on adventures
~ in a way where it is paired down and simplified
~ easy for travel and hiking around
~ making creative expression accessible as i feel called

i have always been drawn to creating with many mediums and i’m in a place where i am choosing to allow and embrace that
when im away from studio and all of my supplies, i do my best to visualize what i might want to use

those choices went incredibly well this trip and i flowed through lots of journaling and drawing sessions 🏕️🌲🧚

Oh! Also, sharing creative space with friends is even more magical and special !! fills my heart 🥺❤️

making art in nature is one of my happiest spaces to be in

where do you find you are most creative? what inspires you the most?

thanks for being here!!<3

#natureart #naturejournaling

~ quantity over quality ~
does not feel authentic
it doesn’t fill me up
while there is a lot of good stuff in what i’ve been resharing, it isn’t being shared with the full hearted intention of serving
i could keep going and going on all of this as it’s been on my heart a lot the past couple weeks - i think i got my main thoughts in the post 💛

also!! i have rediscovered my love for photography
i forgot that i really enjoy it and that im decent at it!
all of the background images are from leading up to this past full moon 🌝

last photo is what i look like hunched over while creating this post on the balcony
this morning air is cool and has that rainy smell that i love so much
grateful for a cool morning during phoenix summer

💛

what a joy it is creating from a place of flow and simplicity

the plan was to have a henna style body paint for @alightmodel to model for an online portrait session where artists would then draw from his poses

coming into this paint session with a simplistic approach to the design and colors really allowed me to flow with it!

i have some experience with henna designs, so i essentially just mapped out areas we wanted to cover, then painted the flowers and lines to connect it all together throughout

until the next one @alightmodel ✨

#bodypaint #hennabodypaint #hennadesign #arizonaartist #arizonabodypaint #phoenixartist #phoenixbodypaint

taking a step back from the way i’ve been integrating social media in my creative practice

coming back to what’s really important which is the actual art making 🎨✨

as we change and social media changes, it’s important to check in a reevaluate the relationships we have with it
continuing to ask ~ what am i posting and why ~

excited to have already had some space from it and to keep exploring how i want to use it for now 💛

PS … the moon is extra BEAUTIFUL this week!! if you think of it, take a moment to enjoy her! 🌝🌝🌝

#WixPartnership did you know that i have a whole online home on the web for your to browse and explore? i have been with @wix for 5 years now!

i have remade my website many, many times. each time telling myself that finallllly it is now great and there shouldn’t be much more to do with it in the future

time and time again i am reminded - it is okay for my website and the visual representation of my business to change!
it makes sense for it to reshape as i shift and grow

to be fully honest, i intended to do a sweep through my site before posting this, and to make changes and fixes that have been floating around my mind
this hasn’t quite happened yet, and i know that is okay!

i’m so happy having a website where i feel like the energy of it really does reflect me and my business quite well

while i have some listings and service offerings to update soon, i hope you’ll enjoy searching around the space!
and when you decide to take a look again in the future, there’s a good chance you may experience some changes ~ it really is like an extension of my ever evolving art!

thanks for watching and reading ❤️
have a beautiful day 🦋

i am finding more time to make low pressure art
free flowing
small sketches and drawings

a part of that is keeping supplies with me to make the possibility of creating more accessible and available

whether i’m on a small hike and bringing a pocket notebook and a pen, or a week long adventure to a national park with a whole supplies kit - bringing supplies on the go has become an essential part of my life and creative practice

#natureart #artonthego #creativity #bodymarker #bodyart

i let myself do some free painting today
just letting it happen

it actually “felt wrong” to just be painting. not having it be focused on a certain project and also not focusing my time and energy toward other work tasks

this session showed me a lot of things, one of them being, there is almost always going to be something else we “should” be doing and remembering that this sort of work is necessary is important

it’s exciting to see what came out of it and i definitely didn’t expect to have worked on 3 different paintings ~ on the table and 2 on paper ~

i had the “painting on the table” idea a long while back and have continued to have the urge to do it
i was feeling a little anxious today and this helped a ton with that

i’m also really surprised with how the two paper pieces turned out
i actually really like them!!
i truly had no idea where any of this would end up going

lastly, what initiated a lot of the ochre color - i had a pretty full tube of ochre that had hardened pretty well toward where you squeeze it out. i decided to just cut the pouch open and squeeze out all the paint since it wasn’t really functional anymore

welp, i hope you are having a wonderful day and if you’re having a tough day, i hope it gets a little lighter

SnAiLs🐌✨ 20 of these little guys left and then they’re gone (unless we preorder again some day 😉)
you can find them on my website or if you’re local and want one (or many) let me know and we can coordinate :)

shared this up on my story and was like … hmm let’s get this on the feed!!
this is one of my favorite items i’ve ever made! i spent a lot … A LOT … of time designing it. mostly with the color choices. lots of revisions!

may they bring you as much joy and even more than they bring me ~ which is a whoooole lot ~

#enamelpin #slowdown #smallbusinesslove #supportartists #arizonaartist #snailart #snails

do you recognize this game?

within the first few times seeing it i’ve had many body paint designs come to mind

i’m beginning to explore further on paper before moving to the body paint design phase

sketching and writing ideas is a first major step in bringing a really detailed body paint to life

playing with water color has been incredibly freeing for me lately

i’m so happy to have taken them out and to continue exploring them

follow along for updates on this journey :)

thank you @juliaastoll for introducing me to this game - Gris - from @nomadastudiobcn

#gris #grisgame #grief #nintendoswitch #watercolor #watercolorart #arttimelapse #satisfyingart #relaxingart

swipe to add color 🎨

collaborating with @photos.by.mikael was such an organic process and i feel like the photos reflect that

i got to learn about how much you can play with light and posing together and so much more!

there’s a lot more to share from this creative day and i hope you continue to enjoy the results ❤️✨

#arizonaartist #phoenixartist #bodypaint #bodypainting #bodyart

this is the only video recorded during this makeup!

it’s such an interesting balance documenting the creative process

i’m definitely rediscovering the importance of creating without recording and making sure to have those opportunities!

~ as i’m about to post this, i just noticed the caption i wrote about how makeup FORCES me to get the art done in one session

lately i have been resonating a lot on “create out of flow and not force”

so noticing that i wrote that brought my attention to it
i think in this instance, i do really appreciate that i have to get a body paint or makeup done in one sitting
i think that is a beautiful part of this art form
within the practice, you can create out of flow
and that is actually necessary
often when i am forcing the next steps is when i begin adding things i don’t like and then it is time to take a step back, recenter and follow where i am supposed to go next
does this make sense?
have a beautiful day friend 🧚‍♀️❤️

#creativemakeup #bodypaint #arizonaartist #bodypainting #phoenixartist #slowart #paintingdetails

when i am spending the majority of time indoors during the Phoenix summer season, getting outside when i can is really important to me - and it can be challenging at times with the heat 🌞

time outdoors and with nature really helps center me
i feel present
i feel alive

i’m telling you … sensory walks! they’re great!!!

a couple weekend camping trips away from the heat during the summer seasons help a lot, too

also, paying attention to the weather and making sure to get outside in the morning or evening on cooler or cloudy days is really helpful

~ i just need to actually look at the weather app so these cooler days don’t sneak up on me! ~

this is from @juliaastoll and my camping trip before hiking Humphrey’s Peak the next day!⛰️

DRINK SOME WATER!
cheers ✨❤️🌞

#drawinginnature #artinnature #artistsoninstagram #travelart #campingadventures

calling in more free flowing, low pressure creative moments

🧚‍♀️🌃🌜🎨✨

#creativemakeup #makeupart #creativeflow #bodypaint #mehronmakeup

each piece of art made is practice for the next
I believe this is true when dancing between mediums as well

I was shown a lot of reminders during this session as it’s been quite some time since I’ve done 3 full body paints and led my own photo shoot on location

I’m looking forward to taking everything I’ve learned and being able to be more detailed and thorough for the next project

~

here are a few more photos from our Spring Equinox project taken on my camera

we were running behind schedule and missed the sun setting… I will be determined to make it for golden hour next time around : )

#natureart #bodypainting #bodyart #creativemakeupartist #phoenixmakeupartist #arizonamakeupartist #arizonaart

i love having body markers with me on nature trips
they provide a quick way to easily follow creative energy on the go

while AJ was driving the steep, winding roads of Sequoia National Park, my fear of heights kicked in many times

on one of the trips driving up to the park, i decided to draw a design on my arm
it kept me incredibly occupied and focused on drawing and the fear of falling off the side of the road subsided 😂

need to remember this as a tool for future road trips up the sides of mountains 🚙⛰️

PS - i am posting more from the Sequoia trip over on snap (search makeupmadhouse and you can add me to follow along!)

#sequoia #sequoianationalpark #kingscanyon #kingscanyonnationalpark #bodymarkers #floralart #floralbodyart

what better time to share this 2021 paint than on the special birthday of @juliaastoll 🥳✨ this will always be one of my favorites and i’m so glad we got to do it together!

finishing the paint at night, getting dinner then the paint having to be showered right off was heartbreaking for both of us 💔🥲 guess we’ll just have to do another sometime?!

this is the very first photo that @photos.by.mikael captured this day and I immediately fell in love with this photo, especially because it was a test shot

this moment marked the beginning of an incredibly beautiful, collaborative day of creating

we have much more to share from this day :)

#arizonaartist #phoenixartist #bodypaint #creativecollaboration

any @noahcyrus fans out here with me?

I’ve always known how selective I am with the music I listen to, but I think it really hit me more recently!

there really is a small number of artists I enjoy listening to - especially while painting
i basically put the same artists and songs on repeat and it makes me happy 🥰

#painting #singing #artistsoninstagram #peacefulart #relaxingart

what brings you joy?

this painting was born from joy and connecting back to my inner child (she is bursting with joy!)

it’s important to acknowledge that young light within you!

joy has the power to help heal the world

shine your light 💛✨

thank you @by.amalia.rachel for leading a workshop that initiated the spark for this piece!!

#joy #journalpage #creativeinspiration

I was originally thinking to name this piece ��“an ode to my inner child”
After receiving multiple messages from mothers sharing that they became emotional seeing this piece and expressed how deeply it resonated with them I decided to make the title “i love you to the moon and back” and I feel this is exactly what it was supposed to be!

This painting holds a special place in my heart as it recognizes the imagination, kindness, joy, playfulness and love that I held as a young artist many years ago bringing me to who I am today! … I am going to need to get a print of this one for myself : )

practicing potential techniques and color palette to use for a body painting event 🎨

💭i decided to keep this video in real time

while many videos are cut down to fast clips to retain attention span, i think it’s important to remind that art is slow and there is a whole lot of beauty in slowing down

#bodypaint #bodypainting #slowdown #slowart

taking moments like this one - getting mascara on my skin - as a reminder to slow down

sometimes it feels frustrating, walking into the edge of a piece of furniture or spilling something
I have found it to be so helpful to look at these moments as a reminder to slow down 🐌❤️
#makeup #coloredmascara #mascara #grwm

@phoenixfanfusion Body Painting Extravaganza is one of my favorite events each year! I am honored to have created on this panel for 4 years now alongside crazy talented artists and incredible humans. Always grateful to @mark.greenawalt for hosting this epic event.
— you can attend next year and see models body painted LIVE! Seriously, it’s an awesome opportunity to witness this live art making!

Photos by @mark.greenawalt 📸

artists and models:

@mark.greenawalt and @model.elleycat

@bodyartbrandon @apollo.anarchy @rydrr_dye and model @dodobird919

@rainbowlickd and violetspixie

@papimiranda64official and @_yayahn

@makeupmadhouse and @n.w_modeling_

#bodypaintingextravaganza #phoenixfanfusion2025

1 hour to get ready before a body painting event and some moments and thoughts from the process

I clearly didn’t learn from last year that i should give myself more time to do my own makeup 😅 … it ended up working out okay though thankfully with the time i had!

#grwm

Some behind the scenes footage of our collab — a collaboration that transpired so organically from beginning to end within TWO months (!!!) over various FaceTime calls & texts.

Thanks to @kattyshack_ for helping us link up — sounds like from both ends, any time she would mentioned her other artist friend we would both get excited 🥹

the more I learn about what makeup I feel good in, the better my relationship with it grows

crazy to think I’ve been working and creating with makeup for over ten years and am at a place where I am really beginning to understand how I feel about the art form and how I like to use it

#makeup #coloredmascara #mascara #grwm

@mark.greenawalt on camera and @n.w_modeling_ modeling … what a dream seeing my paint paired with your mastery of work!! Thank you for getting creative together!
HEY so these photos are incredibly brilliant?! I can’t get over them (and there is no reason to do so!)

#bodypainting #bodypaint #bodypaintmodeling #bodypaintingextravaganza #phoenixfanfusion2025 #phoenixfanfusion

a little evening drawing ✍️🌲🌜🌌⛰️
some of my favorite subjects these days - trees / moon / stars / mountains

as i sketched the makeup design for this project, i set the intention for this collaboration to be fun, free flowing and experimental

the collaboration between my body painting and @artby.mich_ oil painting was sparked by michelle’s original painting “Moon River”

i was drawn to the energetic play in the colors of the piece and knew it would be the perfect foundation for the beginning of our collaboration

i enjoyed working outside of usual products and techniques i typically use and instead chose to create with cream based makeup, paint with my fingers and work with different tools than i often default to when body painting

this collaborative project has so many beautiful layers to it - this makeup being one small piece to the whole

#creativemakeup #bodypainting #creativecollaboration

🐌 slowing it down with this sunday post 🌞

the process of putting on makeup is an experience that brings you into the present moment >> with yourself <<

spending this time with yourself
is a beautiful gift

often, i find myself rushing while applying my makeup
sometimes i don’t plan enough time for myself to sit down and really enjoy the process

i intend to try my best to slow down
and really enjoy the creative process of it
when i next find myself seated to play with makeup

#slowdown #slowingdown
#fakefreckles #makeup #summermakeup

At what point do you say “that’s enough, I’m done stopping myself, I’m just going to do it”

There are so many techniques for getting the right setup, a clean background to minimize distraction, having good lighting or perfecting sharing the story from A to Z
These are all great for creating quality content, but it can definitely slow us down and keep us from sharing what is actually important

I’m at a point where I feel open to changing my processes and letting them be more free flowing
It’s exciting feeling more open to sharing thoughts and ideas as they come in rather than holding onto them and “saving them for when the time is right” or for when I’m ready

> Creating simpler processes for myself so I can easily hit the record button when an idea comes in

> How can you simplify the process in order to more quickly get to the Creating?

> It’s important as creatives to remember we can rewrite the rules we create at any time

Does any of this resonate with you?

Thanks for reading and watching ❤️

#arizonaartist #perfection #perfectionism

more on color melting
this was a test run of a technique i was thinking about using for a recent body paint project

i didn’t end up using the technique in that paint
but i’ve used it in others and will continue to in future projects!

acknowledging the part of me asking - is it weird posting a video of paint running down my leg?
…
i don’t know and it doesn’t matter

thank u for being here 🦋

#bodypaint #bodypainting #bodypainttechniques #arttechniques #artexploration

on Perfectionism ~ releasing perfection to stop blocking myself from sharing my thoughts, feelings and creations 💭🗣️🎨

I feel like coming on to say this helps me give myself permission to post whatever I want whenever I want

social media is an art form in itself, and it’s an extension of my creative practice

I enjoy some of the beautiful things social media has to offer
and i acknowledge the challenges and downsides of it

#perfectionism #perfectionisminart #releaseperfection

body paint design process and moments leading up to the show 🎨✨

#bodypainting #phoenixfanfusion2025 #phoenixfanfusion #bodypaintingextravaganza #bodypaintdesign #bodyart #makeupdesign

Over the last couple months we have been collaborating on bringing together Carrie’s body painting with Michelle’s oil painting.

Through many messages, face times and shared notes, the process developed organically, from choosing a direction to move in to bringing new art pieces to life.

The journey started with Carrie looking through Michelle’s paintings and seeing which artworks resonated with her and could potentially inspire a makeup / body art look.

After that, Carrie created a digital drawing used as reference for the body painting process, and then set the intention for the session to be playful, fun and to allow the inspiration to guide her.

Michelle then used Carrie’s body painting as a muse and reference for her oil painting, titled “Chromatic Solarcurrents”.

This collaboration allowed the artists to learn from each other, illuminate each other’s strengths, and push each other in a new direction.

#creativecollaboration #artistcollaboration #oilpainting #mixedmedia #bodypaint #makeupart

does anyone else get super excited about the light?! especially golden sunlight 🥹

#goldenhour #goldenlight #sunlight

“May I stand unshaken
Amidst, amidst a crash of worlds”

this song feels fitting for this moment

if you’re reading this, hi, I hope you are okay. I hope you’re able to see glimmers of light in this dark world.
keep creating, shining your light and sharing yourself. we all need one another 💛

this drawing has lived on my sketchbook cover for some time
when this song came on, adding the deeper blue tears to this piece just felt right

do you consider what products you’re putting in / on your skin? this has become a more important conversation for myself in recent years and I’m working little by little to better what goes on my body!

started this video as a casual chat for stories and figured why not have her stay on the page! more casual chats like this?!

this is not toward cerave in a positive or negative way - opening this package just sparked the conversation for me
also I am loving their green color packaging (which I recognize how powerful color is in marketing and green helps people think environmentally friendly and clean ingredients as well)

#skincareingredients #makeupingredients #cleanskincareproducts #skincareproducts

photo sneak peek at the end 📸✨ After giving my all for two hours painting Natalie from head to toe, seeing her absolutely rock it wearing my paint in front of the camera was a magical freaking moment

I love the pace of the music and the camera flash in this video
I wanted to share this raw clip because I feel like it really represents her talent and energy that led to so many incredible photos

Also represented and a big thank you @mark.greenawalt for putting on the Body Painting Extravaganza and for capturing our creations at the end of the show
Walking away with images of pieces that we put our hearts into is so greatly appreciated!

more to come!! ❤️

#bodypaint #arizonaartist #bodypainting #phoenixartist #arizonabodypaint #phoenixfanfusion2025

follow me on snapchat through the link in my bio! #ad

this is one of my favorite days ever and i am excited to revisit it

feel free to send me questions about it over on snap, too!

first photo by @mark.greenawalt

stand by … lots of new work coming your way soon!

I’ve had so many recent projects and am going to make a plan to share them over the coming weeks. My goal is to get a lot scheduled out so I can work on other areas of my business behind the scenes :)
I hope seeing these new creations is just as exciting for you as it is for me to revisit them!

Mostly popping in to say hello and share a preview of this photo shoot that was done in collaboration with @photos.by.mikael

Thanks @aj.lundstrom for BTS and all of your help!!!

#bodypaint #bodypainter #natureart #phoenixart
#arizonaartist

life lately
It’s crazy to think about the number of larger scale creative projects and adventures that have taken place from the end of April until now

Here are some previews from many of these experiences

I’m looking forward to diving into each one and sharing more of the journey from each … what are you most excited to see more from?!

💛🎨 I do have Phoenix Fan Fusion Body Painting Extravaganza beginning to go live today on my Snapchat page and uploading in segments over the next week! Lots of behind the scenes - designing the paint, getting ready, lots of photos and tales from the 2 hour paint on stage, runway and final photos!!
Search “makeupmadhouse” and add me on there to see the PFF journey and see more behind the scenes in my life : )

#lifelately #artistlife #bodypaint

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welcome

new

this release is all about slowing down, taking a breath and coming back to yourself

following your energy by listening to it, allowing it and embracing it as it is

may these treasures remind you to find moments of peace and stillness
amidst this fast-paced world

apparel

art prints

Carrie Esser

original artwork

check out more

🌿 let's connect 🌿

🌛subscribe🌜

welcome

new

this release is all about slowing down, taking a breath and coming back to yourself following your energy by listening to it, allowing it and embracing it as it is may these treasures remind you to find moments of peace and stillness amidst this fast-paced world

apparel

art prints

Carrie Esser

original artwork

check out more

​

🌿 let's connect 🌿

🌛subscribe🌜

this release is all about slowing down, taking a breath and coming back to yourself

following your energy by listening to it, allowing it and embracing it as it is

may these treasures remind you to find moments of peace and stillness
amidst this fast-paced world