This TikTok makeup artist transforms herself into characters from movies and TV with freakish realism
- Lucy Cook has nearly 900,000 followers on TikTok.
- She has gained popularity through her amazing artistry and makeup skills.
- Cook has turned herself in Chandler Bing, Olaf from "Frozen," and almost every character in "Shrek" in her videos.
- Cook told Insider she's completely self-taught and loves seeing how people react to the finished characters.
- The hardest part is washing it all off at the end, she said, because it's hard to say goodbye to her creations.
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Lucy Cook started doing amazing makeup looks on her TikTok about a year ago because she had the time to dedicate to it once her youngest child started preschool.
Now, she has nearly 900,000 followers on her account @makeupmetamorphos who can't get enough of her hilarious, mind-boggling illusions that can turn her into everyone from Chandler Bing to Shrek.
She told Insider she decided to create a Disney series one day, morphing into Ariel and Ursula from "The Little Mermaid." Her creativity has only grown from there.
"I've always had a huge love for Disney and movies in general and always idolized artists who did transformation makeup," she said. "And I always wished I could do that but never thought I could, until I tried and practised more and more."
Cook is completely self-taught and has come up with her own, unique style. Many of her works don't look like they can possibly be painted on a human face. Her Donkey from "Shrek," for instance, really bends the mind because she's nailed the three-dimensional technique.
"I think people enjoy the aspect of surrealism," she said. "A lot of people when stumbling onto my videos start thinking it's a drawing or a painting, and then I move and it gives that shock factor."
Another thing that sets Cook apart is how she keeps up with all the latest trends and sounds on TikTok. She doesn't just show the steps leading up to each look, she also has fun with them. For example, she made Olaf from "Frozen" dance and twerk to "If I Back It Up."
"It takes a fair while of scrolling through TikTok to see what trends and audios would suit each character," Cook said. "But it's totally worth it for the end result! I also have a notepad on my phone where I jot down any ideas that pop into my head."
Cook said one of her favorite looks was when she transformed into Jessica Rabbit.
"One that I'm most proud of is my Joe Exotic as I feel it's the closest I've got to really looking like the person I'm transforming into," she said. "And my Vanellope [from Wreck-It Ralph] look. I feel like it's the most realistic animation style I've been able to produce."
The best part, she said, is seeing the final finished character.
"After sitting for so long creating each one it's so fulfilling when its finally done," she said. "Also seeing everybody's reaction to each character is amazing. I'm still so overwhelmed at the lovely reactions and support from everyone."
The hardest part, though, is the consequence of having her own face as the canvas. Cook can only keep the memories of her masterpieces in photos and videos because she has to wash it all off at the end.
"It's hard for me to say goodbye, but also actually really hard to take off," she said. "I always end up somewhat still stained the next day! But again, totally worth it."
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