Diajah Moore Stuns with Makeup Skills

Diajah Moore in zombie makeup at the USC Union Halloween Bash

Did you know that we have Hollywood level talent right here on our campus? Freshman Diajah Moore was a standout at the Halloween Bash on Oct. 25, wearing a “zombie pirate” costume complete with a special effects zombie make-up look that Moore created herself. This is just the latest of Moore’s many makeup concepts and cosplays, in which she brings various designs and characters to life with her artistic ability. Her talents also extend to studio art. Her pencil and charcoal drawing won first prize in the adult category at the Union County Fair Art Show this year.

A Studio Art major and graduate of Union County High School, Moore says that much of her art and cosplay is inspired by the horror genre, and that she had to conquer her own fears to recreate images and character looks from scary video games and movies. “I was terrified when I was younger,” she said, recalling how she used to watch streams of other people playing scary video games so she did not feel like she was watching alone. She later discovered cosplay makeup through TikTok and other social media.

Now, Moore transforms herself into her favorite characters whenever she wants. She especially loves to create cosplays from the Five Nights at Freddy’s games. She says that the looks are time consuming and require attention to detail. Moore often searches through thrift shops and bin stores to find specific clothing items, and she said that her Halloween costume took two and a half hours for makeup alone. “I am just winging it most of the time,” she said. “I never watch tutorials anymore, unless I am trying to do something specific.”

Moore is very proud of her first prize win in the fair, recalling that she was very “surprised” because she found out through a friend who saw her first-place ribbon before she got a chance to go. “It felt good, I worked really hard on the drawing,” she said. “I definitely got out of my comfort zone because I am not used to drawing at that scale.” She eventually hopes to recreate this award-winning drawing as a painting. She has also started to venture into digital art. She is currently taking commissions for artwork; her portfolio of work and links to her contact information and social media can be found at https://celestialbluesoul.carrd.co/. Moore hopes to become a studio artist.

Above: Moore’s award-winning drawing