Interview by Carol Wright | Photographer: Tim Schaeffer at Cellar Door Studios @cellardoorstudios.la | Hair and Makeup: Allison Noelle @allisonnoellemakeup
During quarantine, Emma Norton took her creativity and passion for storytelling to TikTok and soon found herself going viral. We chatted with Norton about working with special-effects makeup and the work she does with Charity Water.
Did you grow up in a creative household?
My great aunt, Lillian Norton (AKA Madame Nordica), was a diva with the Metropolitan Opera and the first spokesmodel for Coca-Cola. She was the most famous! Other family members are musicians, artists, and big fans of Broadway. More than anything I inherited, my family encouraged and supported my development in the arts from the start.
You’re interested in acting and dance. Is acting something you hope to pursue professionally or is it more of a creative outlet?
Without a doubt, my number one career goal is to act in films and TV. I’ve been working toward that goal for a long time!
When did you start experimenting with special effects makeup?
If it isn’t obvious: Halloween is my favorite holiday. I started playing with special effects make-up when I decided buying Halloween costumes off the shelf was not good enough. TikTok became an excellent platform to put my spin on well-known characters and create some of my looks!
What was your first-ever look you tried with special effects makeup and how does that compare to the intricate looks you do now?
The Harley Quinn character was my first on TikTok and my first video to go viral. Though her make-up isn’t as complicated, Harley Quinn is one of my favorites. With extra inspiration from Halloween, I’ve created more complex looks – some of which take up to six to seven hours to complete.
TikTok is a great platform for creatives. What motivated you to start creating content for the app?
A friend encouraged me to post on TikTok in January of this year. I received positive feedback and ended up enjoying the process and community. When the COVID-19 lockdown took over, TikTok became my primary creative outlet.
Tell us about the work you do with Charity Water and Brought to Reality. How could our readers get involved?
Now that I’ve established a platform, one of my goals is to bring more good into the world, whether through directly partnering with organizations or bringing more attention to their work.
Charity Water is a brand that focuses on providing clean water to millions of people around the world who do not have access to this basic human necessity. On multiple occasions, I’ve used my platform to bring attention to their movement. You can visit charitywater.org to learn how you can help.
BTR is a brand that started to promote teens’ mental health awareness and support. Because of the importance I place on mental health myself, I’ve used my platform to spread the word about their brand. You can visit broughttoreality.com to learn more.