I know I’ve found something special when I am have a terrible time choosing what NOT to include in my post. This is perhaps the best example of that I have ever encountered.

These are the self portraits of photographer, makeup, and visual artist Ryan Burke. I spent so much time gorging myself on his pictures last night, I’m amazed (and a little disappointed) he didn’t appear in my dreams. His creations are beautiful and disturbing and haunting (and the main reason I’m a bit sleep deprived today). I came across Burke thanks to a great post by fellow blogger AlienAndrogyny.

Burke’s makeup creations remind me more than a little of the fabulous club-kid era I was a part of in the early eighties, though we were working mostly with pencils and powders which didn’t have the staying power of the air brush makeup he uses. And of course, I didn’t know anyone nearly as talented as he is!

You don’t need me to tell you what’s awesome about them. I’ll let them speak for themselves. If you love them as much as I do, I strongly recommend you go explore his website. There are hundreds more glorious images where these came from, both of himself and of others!