"Zombie Boy" Rick Genest "Covers" Up For Dermablend

Rick Genest has quickly become the world's most popular male model.  Since appearing in designer Thierry Mugler's menswear show in January, he was instantly recognizable.  It's easy to see why...

In the following months, Rick has gained notoriety as an inspiration of sorts to Lady Gaga, making a featured appearance in her 'Born This Way' video.

It appears that "Zombie Boy" is branching out in his modeling endeavors lately.  A video has surfaced in the last week starring Genest, that is a departure from his normal modeling work.  In fact, if you didn't know any better, you would initially think that this commercial was filmed before he had any tattoos.  Take a look.

What an ad.

The brand is called Dermablend.  They currently offer three products:  a leg and body primer, a leg and body cover and a setting powder.  It appears to be a three step/layered process.  Each piece of the puzzle costs between $22 and $27.  Altogether for the set, you're looking at about $74.

In 2011, everyone has a tattoo.  Some people are able to hide them.  Others of us simply can't due to the size or location of their artwork.  While many of us cringe at the notion of having to cover up at work, we all know too well how difficult it is to find a decent paying job in today's economy.  

Other cosmetic companies have attempted to market their own "tattoo concealer", and have had little success.    Two years ago, Sephora introduced a product that was modeled by Kat Von D.  Photos later surfaced of Kat wearing the makeup, without a substantial amount of Photoshopping.  

This is how Sephora's ad campaign wanted you to believe their product worked:

This is what it really did to your skin:

Those aren't chemical burns.

On the surface (no pun intended), Dermablend seems to be the real deal.  According to Dermablend's site, their team used four 3.4 ounce tubes of leg and body cover to conceal his artwork.  The entire process was filmed in one take. 

Genest is taking advantage of the avenues that this cosmetic process is affording him.  Earlier this month, using the Dermablend products, makeup artists were able to create a "Zombie Boy 2.0" if you will, for a layout in Schön! Magazine.  The results were stunning.

Going beyond the cover, indeed.  What a beautiful man.

Lady Gaga Premieres 'Government Hooker' At Mugler Show

Lady Gaga has padded her resume' quite a bit over the last couple of years.  Grammy Award winning singer, activist, philanthropist.  As of yesterday, you can add runway model to the list.  The "mother monster" herself walked the catwalk at Thierry Mugler's Paris women's collection.

The catwalk layout was impressive, to say the least, featuring an immense network of gothic wooden archways.  The models criss crossed each other, back and forth, as they made their way toward those in attendance.  The soundtrack was provided by Gaga, featuring a new track entitled 'Government Hooker', reportedly recorded specifically for the event.  It was then followed by a remix of 'Born This Way'.  Toward the end of the show, even "Zombie Boy", Rick Genest made an appearance on the catwalk.



In the last few weeks, one thing has become abundantly clear in the fashion industry:  Thierry Mugler and designer Nicola Formichetti know how to put on one hell of a show.

Who Is Lady Gaga's New Tattooed Muse?

Who is this man?

That is a question that has been floating around the internet for the last six weeks.  He first achieved notoriety when he was featured in Gaga's remix video for 'Scheiße', in collaboration with Thierry Mugler's recent men's fashion show (in which he was also a featured model).  As many of us of seen the video for 'Born This Way', he's prominently featured in what may possibly be the most popular video of the year, if not, the era.  Not only has this individual become an obvious muse for both Gaga and Mugler, but at the moment, he is the most in demand and most talked about male model in the fashion industry.  Who is he.

His name is Rick Genest.  The tattoo/body modification world knows him as "Zombie Boy".  He has actually been somewhat of a celebrity within body mod circles for the last five or six years, garnering press in practically every tattoo magazine and body modification blog on earth.  By many, he is considered the most tattooed man on the planet.

He keeps his personal information pretty close to the chest.  Though many articles and interviews have been written in the last 5 years on Rick, chronicling the progress of his artwork, not much has been written about Rick himself.  Numerous pieces are quoted to call him "twenty something", although at this time, he looks like he could pass for 30.  Earlier articles refer to him as "Rick from Montreal", but nothing is said about where he hails from currently.  He is an enigma.  Perhaps that is how he prefers it.  To think that someone that so obviously stands out can have such a personal life.  This is one of the only pictures know to exist of Rick Genest before his amazing transformation.  He is the gentleman on the left.

The tattoo world really started to take notice of Rick in the later part of 2006.  His artist at the time, Frank, at Derm FX Tattoo, in Montreal, submitted a couple photos of Mr. Genest to BME, a body modification blog and e-zine.  They immediately posted a piece about what they saw:

"Damn!!!! I really think this is the most intense facial tattoo I’ve ever seen in terms of radically transforming a person’s interaction with the rest of the world… and speaking as someone with a facial tattoo, I definitely feel like this is going to be a shock to his system. Very, very intense; I’m seriously impressed at the size of his FTW balls… Turning your face into a death mask is, just… wow…"

At the time, I don't think BME, or the rest of the world for that matter, understood the extent of the journey that Rick had in mind.  This was going to become more than just a facial tattoo.  This was a transformation.  He was becoming a new identity; an evolved form of the modern man.  By June 2008, it was reported that he had spent nearly $4,100 dollars Canadian on tattoos and over 24 hours in the artists chair.

Since then, it is apparent that he has still had extensive artwork done to complete the vision of himself.  I read in an interview that was done with Bizarre Magazine in 2008, that his mom cried when he first received tattoos on the tops of his hands.  She was afraid that he would never be able to find a job.  He is currently the most recognizable male fashion model on earth, and likely to be sign a multi-million dollar modeling contract by year's end.

 Rick Genest is truly one of the most unique and most beautiful men I have ever had the privilege of seeing in my 35 years of life.  He is an outstanding example that "different" can be extraordinary, and that, what one perceives as "ugly", others can see as sublime.  Every time I see a photo of him, I have to stop to take him in. He is more than human at this point.  He has become a piece of art.  He is a combination of everything that makes him grotesque, resplendent, shocking, poetic, and grand.  He is Rick Genest.

Lady Gaga Releases 'Born This Way' Music Video

Clocking in at a full seven minutes and twenty seconds, the video for Gaga's 'Born This Way' can only be described as "epic".  The opening graphic starts off with a pink triangle and a unicorn (I'm assuming to symbolize the gay community).  Then, there is a two minute introduction/narrative explaining the origins of good and evil.  It really doesn't make any sense, and could have honestly been left out of the video.

The rest of the video is the standard Lady Gaga type of video.  It's pretty good.  It features that really tatted up male model from the Thierry Mugler 'Scheiße' video that Gaga did about a month back.  The guy is tattooed like a skeleton from head to toe.  He's really freaky looking, but hot at the same time.

The only thing I didn't get, or didn't want to get, was the "egg" thing.  The "good" half of Gaga is laying eggs throughout the video.  It reminded me of the Alien Queen in the Alien movies.  I didn't have to see that.  On the lighter side, there are some videos where Lady Gaga is dressed up in elaborate costumes, like 'Telephone', or 'Alejandro', the video looks more "artistic" than "sexy".  Then there are videos like 'Bad Romance", where she comes across as sexy as hell.  Well, 'Born This Way' is a sexy video.

Have a look:

Lady Gaga - Scheiße (Remix)

This remix premiered at Thierry Mugler's menswear show in Paris, Wednesday.  The track is on Gaga's album, 'Born This Way'.  The album is due in stores in May.  The show looked amazing, BTW.