Graffiti Gorgeous

Abandoned warehouses, crumbling brick buildings, barren street poles—these urban canvases are home to some of the most electrifying, delightful, and interesting graffiti art. The street-cool form spans back to Greek and Roman ages, but the visual culture of modern graffiti is marked by its characteristically tagged typography, clashing color palettes, and textural finishes. And while street artists like Banksy and Shepard Fairey have positively popularized the “vandalistic” genre, we’re even more excited about a phenomenon right on Beautylish: Graffiti beauty. Wielding a brush in lieu of a spray can, these Beauties prove that the writing on the wall just got a whole lot more gorgeous.

Pigment goes Pollock with these speckled creations! Beauty Kristiana Z. layers tertiary tones of green, violet, and orange in splotches (right), while Beauty Stephanie B.’s nails (below) embrace the organic nature of randomly-thrown paint.

Manicures from a nozzle? Looks like it! Beauty Noor S. showcases spray paint in action with a neon gradient of bubblegum pink and teal (left). Beauty Emmie S. decided to replicate the toxic, acid-wash effect of rusted paint on concrete (right).

Graphic, polychromatic forms are signature graffiti style. Beauty Julia C.’s sharp, color-blocked eye contrasts the curvilinear—almost surrealist—shape from Beauty Jameelah B.