There are beauty icons, and then there’s Rachel Hunter—an artist, a visionary, and a woman who isn’t afraid to blend ink with elegance. From gracing the fashion world as a model to wielding a tattoo machine with precision, she’s redefining self-expression one brow stroke at a time.
If beauty were a language, Rachel would be fluent in every dialect. She started modeling as a child, but instead of just being the face of brands, she carved her own space in the industry—literally, with a tattoo needle. Today, she’s a cosmetic tattoo artist helping people embrace their features, whether it’s restoring the confidence of cancer survivors or giving someone the perfect brows that make them feel unstoppable. In this exclusive chat, Rachel lets us in on her journey, her philosophy on beauty (spoiler: kindness is the real glow-up), and why the younger version of herself would probably high-five her today. Grab a coffee, because this conversation is as bold and refreshing as the woman herself.
Hi Rachel. Welcome to L’Officiel India. Your work bridges two powerful forms of self-expression—tattoo artistry and beauty. How did your journey into these worlds begin, and what drew you to them?
My modeling journey started when I was 10 years old. I got to model for brands like H&M. Back then, I didn’t know much about the industry; I just had fun doing it. I started cosmetic tattooing 6 years ago with the love of drawing and art. I thought getting my license to tattoo eyebrows would help women feel more confident and happy with themselves. A bonus has been working with cancer patients who lost their eyebrows due to cancer treatments.
You’ve spent years mastering your craft—what’s the most valuable lesson you’ve learned about self-expression through beauty and ink?
Self-expression is the most valuable lesson I have learned through my jobs over the years. Discovering that you choose your own happiness has made me feel “lighter” in many ways. Physical changes don’t change your heart. They may change your looks, but your heart and what you value in life is what is most important. No matter what you add to yourself, whether it is eyebrows, lip color, hair, makeup….your value still comes from within, and that is how self-esteem builds. How well you treat others and what your values are adds to your beauty, inside and out.
How do you define beauty beyond traditional standards, and how do you hope to inspire others to see it differently?
I define traditional beauty standards first by what we are exposed to growing up and then reshaping that vision into how we perceive ourselves. Fine-tuning your vision of who you are once you develop into your person is the main beauty standard by which all women should define themselves. Whether you add eyebrows, lip color, hair, makeup, you cannot obtain extra self-esteem just from those things. Self-esteem and confidence come when your character inside matches your physical beauty.
Many people use makeup or tattoos as armor, a way to empower themselves. What’s been your most transformative moment with either?
My most empowering, transformative cosmetic moment came when I had my first dance competition as a little girl. It was my first time playing with makeup and wearing gold eyeshadow and dark lipstick. I felt like I could play a new character each time I did that makeup, and it felt so freeing. Feeling like a new character was a way for me to escape my anxieties as a child, and it made it fun.
What’s a conspiracy theory you secretly (or not so secretly) believe in?
A conspiracy theory I have thought about a lot is that certain high fashion brands deliberately create “ugly” designs to maintain exclusivity and make their more classic pieces seem more desirable when comparing. It’s interesting how trends are molded in the community. Even if the pieces are not everyone’s taste in fashion, people still buy into them because it is what is most desired at that time due to these brands trying to make a complete change in style with the “not so cute” pieces.
If you could create a universal beauty philosophy that everyone should live by, what would it be?
Treat people how you want to be treated. That would be my universal beauty philosophy. The world can feel so big, fast moving, and lonely. Everyone is trying to make it day to day. We forget that kindness is our best beauty secret. The best thing we can do together as a society is to treat each other with kindness, patience, and respect. If we all go about our days with that in mind, the world will be a better place.
How do you personally embrace imperfection, both in your work and in your own self-expression?
Embracing imperfections has been something I have struggled with my whole life. Being in front of cameras and teams of people constantly watching and putting myself in environments to be judged can cause me to over-analyze myself. Through the years, I’ve realized that it does not matter if someone is not pleased with one part of me. It matters that I love that part of me and that I am happy with it. If someone isn’t, my life and happiness with who I am still stays the same. I am in my happy place, and nobody can change that.
Confidence isn’t always natural—it’s often built. What’s been your defining moment in embracing your power?
My defining moment in embracing my power came once I began self-advocating. Throughout my life, I have come across obstacles, struggles, and misconceptions about me. Once I started to defend myself to people who have a false narrative about who I am and move through life with my head up, I truly started feeling more in control. Being too understanding or accepting of poor treatment from others took a toll. Now, my outlook on others is to treat others with such unkindness, it was probably how they were feeling about themselves.
If you could go back and give younger Rachel one piece of advice about self-expression, what would it be?
I think often about younger Rachel these days. What are the things or experiences that would have helped her feel happy and safe? One piece of advice about self-expression I would have given myself back then would be not to be scared. Be the most authentic version of yourself. Your quirks that were looked down upon are the things that make you beautiful. Don’t be scared if someone doesn’t like you or approve of you. In the long run, it just doesn’t matter. No person in the world can fill your mission in life. Be the reason someone feels welcomed, seen, heard, valued, loved, and supported. Focus on what makes you truly happy, and all of the right things will peacefully fall into your lap! I know this from firsthand experience. I believe everyone should live with that mindset.
Lastly, tell us about your upcoming projects or any future plans you’re excited about.
An upcoming project I am excited about is launching my tattoo site. More travel opportunities in modeling are happening as well. I love to see the world and embrace every culture. One amazing thing modeling has brought me, the opportunity to do that, and I learn the most when I take on those opportunities.
