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  • Kevyn Aucoin | Painkiller-Related Kidney & Liver Failure

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    Kevyn Aucoin | Painkiller-Related Kidney & Liver Failure

    Kevyn Aucoin was known as one of the most influential and celebrated makeup artists of the 20th century. He worked with some of the biggest names in Hollywood, fashion, and music. 

    Aucoin is largely if not entirely responsible for the iconic, sculpted, contoured look of such figures as Whitney Houston, Cher, Madonna, Cindy Crawford, Liza Minnelli, Courtney Love, Tina Turner, Janet Jackson, Naomi Campbell, and others.

    However, Aucoin struggled throughout his life with bullying, physical and mental health issues, and ultimately with painkiller misuse and addiction that directly contributed to his overdose-related death at age 40.

    About Kevyn Aucoin

    Aucoin was born in Shreveport, Louisiana, in 1962 and was adopted as an infant by his parents Isidore and Thelma Aucoin along with his three siblings. 

    He privately identified as gay from as young as age six and faced constant and severe bullying and homophobia throughout his childhood and adolescence. 

    Dropping out of high school, Aucoin enrolled in cosmetology school and found that his talent and self-teaching with makeup already placed him at a near-professional level.

    In 1982, Aucoin moved to Baton Rouge to pursue his dream of becoming a makeup artist. However, in the face of further discrimination and violence, he opted to move to New York City in 1983 with his then-boyfriend Jed Root and only $300 in his pocket.

    Vogue Cover

    In New York, living in an apartment without heat and starting his career from scratch, Aucoin offered free makeup services for test models to build his portfolio, with great results.

    His talent and charisma quickly caught the attention of the fashion and beauty industry and Aucoin was featured in his first Vogue cover at age 21. 

    Following this, he worked daily with Vogue magazine photographer Steven Meisel on photoshoots and soon became one of the most sought-after makeup artists in the world. 

    High-Profile Makeup Artist

    Aucoin also worked with other legendary photographers and became friends with celebrities and supermodels across industries who admired him for his work and personality.

    Some of his most notable collaborators included Gwyneth Paltrow, Barbra Streisand, Kate Moss, Tiffany Bartok, Linda Evangelista, Linda Wells, and Christy Turlington, to name a few.

    Aucoin’s professional philosophy was that every woman is beautiful on the inside, and all makeup was simply his tool for helping women discover and bring out that beauty. 

    In the face of an industry with some of the “meanest people who have ever walked the face of the earth,” in Aucoin’s words, he strove to bring kindness, respect, and conscience to all of his work, often refusing to do makeup on models he felt were too young.

    Accolades & Accomplishments

    Aucoin featured in numerous fashion magazines, would pen a regular column in Allure magazine, and authored several best-selling books including Making Faces, The Art of Makeup, and Face Forward, which popularized facial contouring for a wide audience. 

    He is recognized as one of this technique’s true pioneers, and it was often said that his work was decades ahead of his peers.

    At various points he also featured on Good Morning America, The Oprah Winfrey Show, Sex and the City, and Will & Grace.

    Personal Struggles

    While Aucoin kept up a positive public and professional image, he was privately struggling in a variety of ways.

    He suffered from the condition known as acromegaly, a rare hormonal disorder, and experienced back pain, headaches, and changes in his appearance which he attempted to correct with cosmetic surgeries, though he was never satisfied with the result. 

    He also had a pituitary brain tumor removed, though this did not relieve his pain.

    Use Of Painkillers

    With time, Aucoin’s use of painkillers (prescription and non-prescription) to address his pain and mental distress became problematic and compulsive. 

    He would eventually begin to mix this combination of drugs with alcohol and other substances to increase their effect, despite the effect this had on his health, relationships, and professional obligations.

    How Kevyn Aucoin Died

    Aucoin’s escalating prescription drug and alcohol abuse contributed to mood changes and severe problems with his behavioral health, personal relationships, interest in work, and mental health overall. 

    Aucoin would eventually grow paranoid, depressed, angry, and isolated from his loved ones and professional responsibilities.  

    In 2002, a year after his brain tumor was removed, Aucoin’s husband, Jeremy Antunes, went to Paris for a week to be alone. In this absence, Aucoin’s health deteriorated rapidly. 

    He was hospitalized for kidney and liver failure due to acetaminophen toxicity from prolonged combination painkiller misuse and, on May 7th, 2002, died in his sleep at Westchester Medical Center in Valhalla, New York.

    Recovery Is Possible

    If you or someone you love is abusing painkillers or any other substances of abuse, don’t wait for the worst-case scenario to develop. To learn how we make recovery possible for anyone willing to try, please contact us today.

    Written by Ark Behavioral Health Editorial Team
    ©2024 Ark National Holdings, LLC. | All Rights Reserved.
    This page does not provide medical advice.
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