Why Makeup Is A Powerful Tool To Shift Your Aura, According To An Aura Reader

For some, a lipstick is just a lipstick. But for others, it’s a source of strength, creativity, and expression. In our series Power Faces, we’ll explore the relationship between strong women and the makeup they choose to wear — or not. In partnership with NYX, our latest subject is Susanna Merrick, an aura reader and founder of Aura Wear. This story was told to Andrea Cheng and edited for length and clarity.

I was six years old when I told my dad I could see colors around people. “That’s an aura,” he told me — and he was very matter-of-fact about it, explaining that angels have halos, which are essentially auras. He didn’t say anything else, other than that he couldn’t see them himself — and that’s when I knew I was different.  

As an analytical person — even a skeptic at times — there was a part of me that thought I was crazy (my mom once took me to an eye doctor to get my eyes checked, and his only explanation was that I may have more cones or receptors in my eyes). I felt like my ability to see auras wouldn’t necessarily be accepted, so I never really talked about it. And for the most part, I could ignore them, even if the colors were there, always in my peripheral. 

My first understanding of auras was when I was around 10. We were taking a Greyhound bus and there was a man behind us who had a terrible gray-ish aura. Really not nice energy. And I remember he was eventually escorted off because he did something bad. For me, as a child, it served as confirmation that there’s information in people’s auras. 

Of course, I’ve experienced really beautiful colors around people, which means they’re safe, they have good energy. One memory sticks out: When I was a freshman in high school, I went on a school trip to New York where we saw a play starring this one celebrity, and his aura onstage was just captivating. I remember thinking, Wow, his aura is cool. It’s so dynamic and colorful. After the play, we went outside to see the cast leave the theater and when he stepped out, he came up to me — out of everyone in the crowd — and said: “You’re a pretty woman inside and out.” I thought that was so strange, because…did our energies connect? I’ve had similar experiences where I’m drawn to certain people. It’s magnetic. 

When people discovered my aura-seeing ability in college, it made me want to hide it even more. I didn’t want people to think that I was self-aggrandizing, that I was more special. But during parties, I would “read” people and they’d say: “That’s actually really helpful. Thank you.” I realized then that I could help people. I experience auras in intense moments: when a person’s giving me a really strong energy or when I’m doing a one-on-one session. 

When I “read” people, I use color as the catalyst for information. So, a color would come through, I tap into that energy, and I would share that information. People want to be understood; they want to feel seen. They may already know these things about themselves, but I’m seeing them on a deeper level — I’m mirroring it back to them and validating what they’re experiencing or feeling. 

But I had no idea I could use this to carve out a career path. I had been a performer for years doing Broadway shows and going on national tours, and in between performances, I did some fashion editorial work. But in 2018, a series of unfortunate events occurred, and I felt like I hit rock bottom. I was at a loss, not knowing what my purpose was. That year, in June, I was struck with this massive download — this impulse to lay out everything in a notebook, and I filled it with ideas, concepts, and all the “weird” things about me. I was able to connect the dots, and the result was the blueprint for Aura Wear, my business that I launched a month later, which blends aura reading with personal style.

We all speak color. Everybody has a basic, innate understanding of colors (red, for example, often symbolizes passion and love) and how it affects them, but when you start to dig deeper, it takes on a whole other meaning. What is this color providing you right now? Is it giving you confidence? Is it giving you the ability to feel seen and stand out? Is it making you feel feminine? Or powerful? And I draw the connection between color and expression. The more you learn about yourself, the more you have a say in your own energy and how you show up in the world.  

A big misconception is that you are always one color — when in fact your aura won’t be the same color every time. People often think your aura is your personality trait, and I’m trying to shift that perception: You have the power to define who you are, and by working with color, you have the ability to do that. 

I’ve been able to help thousands and thousands of women connect to color. And for myself, too. My aura has a lot of magenta, which means I tend to march to the beat of my own drum, but I also have a lot of green — very good-girl energy. I associate green with being in alignment and creating balance. So when I’m thinking about 2025, I’m focusing on green energy — it’s about new beginnings, it’s about growth, it’s about abundance, it’s about doing things outside your comfort zone, it’s about trusting your gut. 

Color magic is all about the practice of using colors intentionally to influence your mood, energy, and environment. It’s always about the intention. When you understand how colors affect you, your energy shifts when you make choices that lead you to a special moment. And I’m doing that through makeup, which is a powerful tool to help manifest your dreams and desires. So for me, I’m using green (specifically NYX’s Vivid Rich eyeliner in the “It’s Giving Jade” shade) to usher in growth and prosperity. By being intentional with it, I’m using that color to influence me consciously *and* subconsciously. So by putting it on my face, it’s all about the ritual, the practice of using that color, and the visualization oof my goals.

Let me be clear: You can’t just put on a color and think, Now this is going to happen. I’m always making sure I’m very clear on what it is I’m manifesting, what I’m healing, what I’m focusing on at the time, and how that color is going to support my energy.

I love auras because they’re not only beautiful to look at, but because they’re beautiful inside and out. I love the information that’s in colors — the parts that express something really specific about someone or myself. And at the end of the day, whether you believe in auras or not, there’s something beautiful about the collective experience — whether it’s physical or emotional — we all have with colors.

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This article was originally published on refinery29.com.