18-year-old Kevin Kodra wanted to feel glamorous in his grade 12 yearbook photo, and glamorous he was.

The Toronto student is graduating from Bishop Allen Academy in Etobicoke this spring. He told Business Insider that he was tired of “not feeling attractive” in his yearbook photos. “Throughout my high school career, my yearbook photos were always the ones that kids would laugh at when we would get the final yearbook at the end of the semester,” Kodra said.

So this year, Kodra did something different. When it came time to take his grad photo, the young makeup artist spent four hours perfecting his “bronzy, glowy look,” which he says makes him feel the most glamorous.

The result was right out of a professional makeup campaign, TBH:

https://www.instagram.com/p/BiNq8KRgR49/?taken-by=kevikodra

“I love using cream products for photos as it gives you a very skin-like look, but with maximum coverage,” Kodra told Business Insider of his technique. “Honestly, this may sound ridiculous but I consider this my natural look. For me, this is quite normal and basic.”

The teen has close to 70 thousand Instagram followers, often receiving more than two thousand comments on any photo he posts—each seemingly more glam than the last.

https://www.instagram.com/p/Bh2VVjAgjLB/?taken-by=kevikodra

Kodra’s grad photo went viral over the last few days, and in that time, he’s participated in interviews with major publications such as Cosmopolitan. On Thursday, he tweeted the cutest video of his best friends reacting to hearing their names on the radio:

https://twitter.com/kevikodra/status/992195815308378112

“My main goal was to use my platform to encourage younger kids,” Kodra said in conversation with Cosmopolitan. “A man in makeup is normal. I want my positive experience with my identity to become normal and break the stigma against not only men in makeup but also one’s sexuality and identity. And I wanted to have my final hurrah in high school. I wanted to have my makeup on full-glam so that I could [send the message to] people to do whatever you want. No matter what obstacle you have throughout your four years, it’s not going to matter later on. It’s whatever you do that’s going to set your path.”

When asked if he had any advice for fellow high school grads, the sweet Kodra said, “Be who you want to be… If you’re a 6-foot-1-inch, Albanian, bearded man who wants to wear lashes, do it. Trust me, it’s exhilarating.”

 

Filed under: grad photo, Kevin Kodra, kissmornings, Toronto, viral