Over the next couple of weeks, we will be featuring the content creator and artist finalists from the Then I Met You™ Art Show to learn more about what inspired their artwork and their thoughts and tips on Korean skin care. First up, we’re excited to feature the winning creator, Juan Cazares. Read on to meet Juan and discover his skin care secrets.
In the past two months, we [Then I Met You] hosted our very first Then I Met You Art Show. We were absolutely amazed by each submission and the immense talent, creativity and passion within our community.
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Art can be extremely cathartic, and through the Art Show, we wanted to encourage our community to reconnect with themselves through a creative zen. Sometimes, it’s hard to take the jump and create something from scratch, so it was a fun exercise to extend to our community to see what they could create that’s inspired by our products, colors, and jeong.
We are delighted to showcase the finalists of the Art Show over the next few weeks on The Klog. In doing so, we hope you’ll learn more about our community, their skin care rituals, and hear advice that they have to share with aspiring artists and other creatives!
Introducing Juan Cazares, first place winner of the Then I Met You Art Show!
Juan is a U.S-based, self taught product photographer, content creator, beauty enthusiast and digital artist. In his free time he enjoys experimenting with new ways to create cool photography, and occasionally likes to browse home decor trends. Ever since quarantine started, he’s been getting into interior design, which is something he’s always wanted to do since very early on, but didn’t think he was passionate enough to pursue it full time. He’s since then remodeled his entire room and a few spaces throughout his home!
What inspired you to participate in the Then I Met You Art Show?
I personally love Then I Met You products and the Living Cleansing Balm has been my all time favorite since the first time I tried it! I thought it was the perfect opportunity to challenge my creativity and do something I’ve never done before, which is a live action water shot with the products being the main focus.
What’s your creative process like? Is there a ritual you prepare with when getting ready to create something?
When creating new content, I like to write down all my ideas on my notes app, although very little of them actually make it to the creation stage. I try to acquire all of the props I’d need for a shoot beforehand, and I’ll sometimes even make a drawing of the picture I want to create so I know how I want to have everything styled.
At Then I Met You, our mission is to inspire people to cultivate jeong — the Korean concept describing a deep, emotional connection you can build over time with people, places and things — through our products. The collection is meant to remind you to slow down and make time for the things that matter most, which for people like us, include the ritual of skincare. Tell us about your skin care routine.
My skincare routine changes depending on how my skin is feeling at the moment and what I feel needs improvement. Some steps that never change are double cleansing, toner, serum, moisturizer and sunscreen. I like to keep my morning routine as simple as possible and go all out in the evening. I have combo and oily acne prone skin, and I’ve learned a lot about which ingredients my skin reacts well to as well as those which don’t.
What is your favorite Then I Met You product and why?
My favorite Then I Met You product is the Living Cleansing Balm! The texture and the way it melts into the skin and dissolves makeup and sunscreen that you’ve had on your face all day is unlike any other. It’s a very gentle yet effective cleansing balm that I think everyone will enjoy!
RELATED: Why The Living Cleansing Balm Is My Holy Grail Cleanser
Any final tips you want to give aspiring artists or those who want to get into photography?
I say just go for it! When I first started my account I didn’t know anything about photography or editing. I learned 90% of what I do now by experimenting and looking up any questions I had online. I’ve only been doing photography as a part time job for about two months now but it’s never too late to start! If it’s something you’re passionate about or want to learn more about — go for it and don’t give up. I would’ve never expected a side passion of mine to turn into a job so it’s surreal to think about it.
Congratulations Juan!
Stay up to date with Juan on Instagram by following him at @juanskindiary. You can view all of the submissions for the Then I Met You Art Show by checking the hashtag #ThenIMetYouArtShow.
