Celebrity makeup artist Laney Chantal, of ‘Face Off’ fame, dead at 33

Celebrity makeup artist and former reality TV star Laney Chantal died this week of an accidental drug overdose. She was 33.

Chantal, whose real name is Alaina Chantal Parkhurst, died Monday in Milford, Michigan, her family confirmed in a public obituary, writing that she had “struggled with various mental illnesses throughout her adult life.”

A prominent FX makeup artist and mask designer, Chantal came into the spotlight after appearing on the SyFy Network’s “Face Off” competition show in 2013 for its fifth season. She voluntarily withdrew from the reality show, about special-effects makeup artists, earning the fifth-place spot.

Chantal worked with several big-name stars following her appearance on the show, including Bella Thorne and Marilyn Manson. She even created the “Head FX Makeup” for rapper Lil Nas X for his controversial music video “Montero (Call Me By Your Name)” in 2021, which won the Video of the Year award at MTV’s VMAs.

Fellow makeup artist Gabriella Accarino remembered Chantal as her “sister and soulmate.”

“She was a genuine, sensitive, talented, and beautiful soul,” Accarino wrote. “Laney’s art and her spirit are irreplaceable, and she made the world a better place. She was truly one of a kind.”

According to her family, Chantal moved from Michigan to Los Angeles after graduating high school in 2007 to attend the Cinema Makeup School, where she earned a certification to become a special effects makeup artist.

“Alaina put her whole self; body, mind and soul into her jobs, no matter the size,” her obituary said. “Her artistic ability and visions quickly set her apart from other artists in her field and her portfolio blossomed.”

Her family did not provide additional details on her death other than it was due to “an accidental drug overdose.”

Six months before her death, Chantal posted a photo to Instagram of a pink coffin being buried.

The Parkhurst family asked for donations to be made to The Brain & Behavior Research Foundation, noting the struggles its daughter experienced with mental health throughout her life.