[5] His parents were unaware of their son's sexual orientation; his mother later said, "I didn't think Kevyn was a sissy; I just thought he was a gentle child.

"[2] In 1982, Aucoin moved to Baton Rouge, Louisiana, thinking a larger city could help build his career as a makeup artist.

Fearing for his life if he stayed in Louisiana, he moved to New York City with his then-boyfriend Jed Root, who sometimes posed as his manager.

A comment he made in a 2000 column, calling members of the National Rifle Association of America (NRA) "morons", drew a record amount of mail and a few death threats.

[8] In 1983, Revlon hired Aucoin, at the age of 21, as Creative Director for their prestige Ultima II line of cosmetics.

"[9][10] The New Nakeds embraced a radically different aesthetic than the norm of the time: foundations that featured a yellow undertone, instead of pink or peach; eyeshadows, lipstick and blushes were brown-based, neutral tones that were free of the pastel, vivid, or sparkly colors.

The colors, textures and finishes Aucoin created in the New Nakeds would serve as the most influential direction of the latter part of the century, and visible as brands MAC, Bobbi Brown, and Laura Mercier all launched with their version of the products Aucoin created years earlier.

[12] Aucoin worked with hundreds of celebrities, including Madonna, Whitney Houston, Cher, Tori Amos, Jewel, Julianne Moore, Sharon Stone, Brooke Shields, Christina Ricci, Isabella Rossellini, Winona Ryder, Demi Moore, Kim Basinger, Liza Minnelli,[13] Janet Jackson[13] Tina Turner,[13] Gwyneth Paltrow,[14] Lisa Marie Presley,[15] Courtney Love,[16] and Vanessa L. Williams.

[8] Face Forward was widely noted for introducing makeup sculpting and contouring to the general public for the first time.

In 1999 he received an honorary diploma from Harvey Milk High School for his support of gay and transgender youth.

[2] In September 2001, after increasing amounts of back pain and headaches, Aucoin was diagnosed with a rare pituitary tumor.

Aucoin began taking increasing amounts of prescription and non-prescription painkillers to ease his physical and mental suffering.

[2] Aucoin died on May 7, 2002, at Westchester Medical Center in Valhalla, New York of kidney and liver failure due to acetaminophen toxicity, caused by prescription painkillers.

The book was edited by Kerry Diamond and reviewed Aucoin's career through celebrity interviews, his beauty tips and techniques, and over 250 photographs.

[20] Larger Than Life: The Kevyn Aucoin Story is feature-length documentary directed by Tiffany Bartok.

The film also highlights Aucoin's LGBTQ activism,[22] from his struggle to live openly as a young gay man in his hometown, to marrying his partner and creating a family of his own.

The Tori Amos song "Taxi Ride" from her 2002 album Scarlet's Walk is a partial homage to Aucoin.