by Angelo Ragaza - January 2023
Michael Pepito (@themichaelpepito)
“When I started posting makeup looks on Instagram, a lot of my following was from the competitive dance world. But I think a good 30-40 percent didn’t really vibe with it. They unfollowed me…I chose to stick with it. It really sorted out who will actually vibe with me, the actual, real me…”
Could you tell us a little about yourself? I am a digital content creator from Orange County, California.
How did you get into content creation? From the time I was 12 or 13, I danced with competitive dance crews, like you’d see on the MTV show America’s Best Dance Crew, and competed in the World of Dance circuit. I did see myself pursuing dance as a career. I was choreographing, teaching classes in dance studios around Southern California, San Diego and the Bay Area. I would make conceptual dance videos that I would upload to YouTube or Instagram. That was a huge passion of mine. But I was getting really burned out with the competition aspect of dancing. In the midst of it all, I did discover a whole new world: content creating and the influencer realm which was budding at the time. So it was like a tradeoff moment.
How did you start wearing makeup? When I was 10 or 11 years old, I would see my sister do makeup. When she would leave, I would take one of her products and try it on. I started with brows, and then liners. It wasn’t until 2017, when I was a sophomore in college, I was mesmerized by unboxing videos and tutorials on YouTube. Rihanna launched her Fenty beauty brand. When I saw a couple of men wearing makeup in their campaigns, I was like, wow. I went to Sephora and did a full haul on Fenty Beauty. I got shade matched. I bought a bunch of their stuff. It was my first time doing a full face of makeup. It felt so good. As I’ve grown more comfortable with myself, I identify more femininely in my gender presentation. Even with clothing, last year, I started wearing more cropped clothing. It’s fairly recent.
How did friends and family react when you started wearing makeup and posting pictures? When I started posting makeup looks on Instagram, a lot of my following was from the competitive dance world. But I think a good 30-40 percent didn’t really vibe with it. They unfollowed me. At first it stung. I was like, should I not be doing this? But one of my main values in life is freedom. Especially as a gay person, and with regard to gender expression, the way I express myself with fashion, it allows me to feel free and be myself. I chose to stick with it. It really sorted out who will actually vibe with me, the actual, real me, and who doesn’t. With family, it did take them a while. But then over time, they see that I’ve made a name for myself, and have also made money on social media because I express myself in a genuine way. My family is definitely more open to me.
Has your look impacted your love life? When I started dating around the ages of 17, 18, I had a very large dating pool, for sure. I had more bottom energy, but was more “masculine-presenting.” In my early 20s when I started doing makeup, I immediately saw the difference on dating apps. The dating pool for feminine-presenting gay men is much smaller. On Grindr, “no femmes,” “masc for masc,” those sayings hardwire our brains to demonize femininity and not see it as desirable. My personal intersectionality of being Asian, feminine and gay, I’m either extremely fetishized or massively ostracized. The in-between is almost non-existent. On dating apps, I come across men who don’t see me as human, just as a sexual experience or a kink, only existing to please them. I’ve been on dates where they expect me to wake up fully glammed. That’s not humanly possible. So at first, I did regret expressing my gender that way. But there is a silver lining. This year, I’ve been on really good dates with nice guys. Even though the dating scene for someone like me is vastly more intricate to maneuver, I do think you get those people that are genuine and are attracted to femininity and who respect you. It’s a breath of fresh air. I can be my full self when somebody treats me like a human being. Now in my mid-20s, I’ve experienced the good, the bad and the ugly. The good, in terms of dating, still exists. I still believe in love. All I have to do is be myself.
In a lot of your Instagram posts, you’re glowing. How do you achieve this? I love to keep my skin looking glowy but healthy. I use a lot of primers that have a glowy, pearlescent finish. So, when I put on the makeup, there’s an underlying sheen, especially in the light. I take a lot of golden hour (early morning or sunset) pictures for Instagram. It helps to make the face look more alive and three dimensional. When I go out to influencer brand events, I tend to do more a glam, matte look. you’re out and about, sweating. Matte products really soak it in. More recently, a “no makeup” makeup look is the thing, and it’s more important for me to have healthy skin. But since the beginning, I’ve always loved a glow.
Angelo Ragaza has written for Vogue, the New York Times, Newsweek and other outlets and lives in New York City.