Story By: Basant Essam, Sub-Editor: Marija Stojkoska, Agency: Newsflash

This young Egyptian makeup artist uses everyday household items to create impressive horror face-paintings.

Rawda Hassan, better known as Rua, 17, is a tourism student who hails from the north-eastern Egyptian city of Suez.

Rua creates “fantasy makeup” using everyday cosmetic products found in most homes as well as products such as flour and Vaseline to produce scars and bumps.

Her passion for graphic design and cinematography gave her the inspiration to create optical illusions and horror images that appear as good as makeup used on big-budget Hollywood films.

Rua told Newsflash in an exclusive interview that her sister was the first one to encourage her, adding: “Drawing has been my hobby since I was a kid but the idea of producing horror makeup was not available to study.

“For two years I followed Egyptian makeup designers and foreign websites to teach myself.”

Rua told Newsflash: “I use everyday makeup and when I need to make some scars I use dough from flour, starch and Vaseline.”

Rua added: “At first, my family found my designs disgusting but after a while they realised I have a unique talent so they started supporting me.

“It was hard in the beginning, but I learned how to take photos and also edit them myself.”

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