A dab of mascara, a hint of blush, and you’re ready to roll with that homemade makeup look. Most often, it’s stunning as it is, but in the world of makeup, god is in the details. And one Russian make-up artist Julia Ismailova is showing what a day and night difference a little subtlety can make.
From adding a touch of bronzer on the cheeks for a sun-kissed look to simply smudging bold eyeliner to make eyes look bigger, Julia’s transformations are all about little details that go a long way. In a series of Instagram posts, she has put side-by-side pictures of makeup done by her and the girls themselves, and the result is truly surprising. Check out the looks down below and let us know which ones you like better!
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Bored Panda reached out to Julia Ismailova, Moscow-based professional makeup artist and the founder of the beauty studio Makeup Cultura.
She told us that the idea of recreating women’s makeup came naturally after she realized that most of her clients who came to Julia’s individualized makeup classes would wear heavy makeup. “It didn’t complement these girls at all,” she said.
Julia then took a picture of her client before the lesson while she was wearing her go-to homemade makeup and compared it with the "after" look that was done under Julia’s guidance. After posting the picture on Instagram, “I received outstanding feedback from my audience—they loved it!”
The makeup artist said that usually, “Women see the tiniest flaws on their faces, but do not realize how beautiful and unique they truly are.”
That’s why so many of them use makeup to hide and cover up their flaws, but “this is so wrong,” Julia said. But makeup is an opportunity to "let yourself shine and show the world what’s unique about your appearance.”
Julia never does the transformations according to her personal tastes. “The result of all my clients’ transformations is our joint effort and creativity,” and she calls it “a co-creation.” As a result, she never tries to break habits, but rather “corrects them.”
Chances are, there are a few more face creams and lipsticks right there in your bathroom cabinet than there used to be, like two years ago. But it’s not just you. In fact, the beauty industry has been among the fastest-growing in the past 5 years and it’s nowhere near ready to stop.
As of 2019, the global beauty industry was valued for $532 billion with the US being the world’s largest beauty market. Meanwhile, the cosmetic products market keeps growing in an upright direction. Zion Market Research has shown that it will reach a whopping $863 billion in 2024.
Forbes reports that the beauty consumer, aka you and me, is also changing alongside the booming market. We now “define beauty” and demand an “inclusive and authentic image” to which we can relate. In the past, beauty adverts used to communicate aspirational ideas and unattainable standards, but these days, more than ever, brands celebrate real and natural beauty.
I like the before pic better, the makeup pic makes her look like a real doll.
Girl on the right looks like she had a couple of rough nights! I'm all for the girl on the left here...
The hairstyle on the right suits her better than the one on the left. It's not just makeup.
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She looks beautiful on the left. I would prefer a more casual look.
I'm not a fan of the right photo. That black smokeybeyeliner under her eyes actually enhances her bags under her eyes... sucks cause shes a gorgeous girl. It's just the makeup isnt done well
I don't like either, she should ditch the black eyeliner, it makes her look older than she is.
omfg thats scary, leave these poor women a lone, they are beautiful...Seriously who is this professional. Is this modern makeup, just I miss a decade or so where this became the new professional makeup?
In the before, only needed change, just eyebrows, the after has too much makeup, pretty girl !!!
I LOVE LOVE LOVE how this girl looks in the BEFORE PHOTO. She is lovely and has a lot of 'personality' in her look. In the AFTER PHOTO you've taken away her personality. Her eye make in the AFTER PHOTO looks terrible !! Bad make-over.
No way!!! She completely changed her vibe!! She was rocking the dark lipstick cat eye look and she made her face look so plain which completely throws off her look and takes away from it!! I live for punk style how dare you dampen it down like that!!
Before is better. Don't obliterate her personality. Don't cover up her beautiful skin. Don't make her blush and lips TOO PINK !!
BEFORE is better. Just take away the green eye-shadow and she's all set. AFTER PHOTO - you made her TOO PINK !!! You've got an obsession with PINK FACES !!
Note: this post originally had 37 images. It’s been shortened to the top 29 images based on user votes.
I like how the artist didn’t choose only models, so most of these women look like actual people, which is unusual for these kind of posts. I also like how the artist chose not to change their looks drastically, and mostly kept their styles.
The artist only did things that they can do easily themselves at home. That's the only kind of makeover most people want. A lot of people use the wrong colors, too. All she did was set them straight.
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I am so pleased to see that the most of the make up was more on the natural side rather than the bright or dark eye shadows, ridiculous amounts of contouring, fake eyelashes etc. The make up was done nicely and gave most of these women a fresher look.
Kind of depends for me. I normally go with natural looks, but every now and then I just want to do kind of creepy, dramatic looks. Like going for a gothic look or a dead girl kind of look. Sometimes it isn't about making myself look pretty as much as it about me wanting to look drastically different. Weird makeup was the reason why I got into makeup in the first place, but I do agree people look better when the makeup looks more natural.
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it's great that make up artist chose very subtle make up, unlike those cartoonish make up that looks kinda acceptable only in photos. It's very subtle make up which only just brings up good features in these women. Tutorial, please!
didn't read any text and could tell in an instant these women are Russian
Such beautiful women. A bit like gilding the lilies. They started out gorgeous, and ended up gorgeous.
I was coming here to say this sentiment but not as eloquently as this - What a lovely way of putting it!
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The lighting changes dramatically between photos, it makes quite a difference
It really does! My two bathrooms have different bulbs—one a white fluorescent and the other a yellow incandescent bulb. I’ve taken pictures of myself in both bathrooms with the same makeup and I look completely different in both. The fluorescent shows EVERY line & spot on my face... think mugshot. The other bulb has more natural type light and doesn’t make me look washed out or haggard.
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There's hardly any difference for me in most of them. In some, the women have chosen not to wear any makeup and then have had some put on, so obviously that's different. There's only a couple where I would say the woman looks "better" afterwards. People should look however makes them happy, regardless of what we think.
Comments under these photos are so annoying. Most people obviously dont know anything about makeup. A hint is, if you cant even spot a difference in makeup because eyeshadow stayed the same, dont comment on thing like that
I’d rather do my makeup than pay to have it done. It looks just as good and I won’t lose money. But I’ve been doing it since I was 4 years old. I’m now 35
For the most part, it was refreshing, nothing so drastic, girls were already pretty, just a few positive changes, perhaps a few tips !!!
It wasn't just the makeup, every woman had their hair styled differently as well and that added to the updated look.
Consensous: Most of us don't have correct color foundation, lipsticks are to heavy, ditch the dark eyeliner.
The pro seemed to go for a lighter hand, and a fresher, more natural and subtle look. Many, many women go 'way overboard with makeup.
I think overall the artist showed these ladies how to make themselves look great in a much softer manner. Some of the "before" photos were really harsh.
I went back to the intro to confirm it but I could tell these were by a Russian makeup artist. I think that different cultures have tastes that are specific to them. The choice of pink blusher seems to be popular there.
So much more than just a professional makeup job... there's obviously hair, lighting changes are super important as are the slight shifts in the poses.... in many after shots the model has lowered their chin and jutted out their forehead, ever so slightly... it really illustrates how powerful even subtle changes in angle can transform an image. Kind of irritating that the post is pretending we BP's wouldn't notice.... lol we didn't just fall off the turnip truck!
The second picture is what a professional make-up artist with training and a full kit of make-up and tools can do. The first picture is what the woman in question can do with limited tools, at 7 am, and with three kids yelling for breakfast. I really like the understated make-overs since they are very nice, but they are still pro.
I always think less is more, and I’m not really into makeup as much my sister does, but sometimes I prefer to just a little. Everyday I’m going out am not wearing any makeup at all and still feeling confident. 😊 Also I prefer skin care routine than makeup looks thought.
For an example of how women's faces are manipulated to meet an unobtainable standard, go to YouTube and search for the Dove Evolution video.
The side-by-side photos should be of the woman with the same haircut. Sometimes, the different haircut makes more of a positive difference than the makeup.
So remember guys and gals that beauty is only deep as the numbers of layers that are put on the face. The rest of the body need no makeup.
actually quite a nice (albeit fluffy) coffee break article. The "makeover" didn't dramatically change any of the ladies, as they didn't need changing, just gave an example of a different way they could style themselves. The make up artist is very good at styling eyes with their less is more approach though. Thank you for a few ideas!
They aren't even doing to much to their makeup. It's their hair styles as well that give them smaller foreheads, that makes them look younger, that cast shadows on their face. It makes a difference
I love my winged black eyeliner. You can do it correctly and look great some overdo it
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Some of these women weren't wearing make-up that I could determine... Does that even count? ... And, frankly, I really hope a professional can do better than I would! ;-D
As a Make-up Artist myself, I was a bit underwhelmed. I love the idea/concept of having the person do their own make-up, then showing the talents of the Artist, in bringing out their best features. There were too many that I could not tell whose was the Model's and whose was the Artist's. I actually like to see a more dramatic After result. A lot of women are afraid to experiment with make-up and color. The amount of or heaviness of make-up can be irrelevant, as long as it is applied & blended properly. Teaching someone the Basics of Make-up Application can be fun and educational. Anyhoo, that's my personal opinion, & I'm sticking to it. 😁
Two different lenses are used to also alter their looks. Slightly longer focal lengths (on the Rt.) have less distortion, while closer focal lengths (Left), warp the bone structure. The photos are also slightly narrowed. Small changes, big difference. Anybody making money from this style claim (makeup only change) is committing criminal fraud.
All of the ones on the right were the best. Except for the last one .....eewww
It's nice to see make up being done to accentuate the natural features and not just painting a new face on.
I like how the artist didn’t choose only models, so most of these women look like actual people, which is unusual for these kind of posts. I also like how the artist chose not to change their looks drastically, and mostly kept their styles.
The artist only did things that they can do easily themselves at home. That's the only kind of makeover most people want. A lot of people use the wrong colors, too. All she did was set them straight.
Load More Replies... I am so pleased to see that the most of the make up was more on the natural side rather than the bright or dark eye shadows, ridiculous amounts of contouring, fake eyelashes etc. The make up was done nicely and gave most of these women a fresher look.
Kind of depends for me. I normally go with natural looks, but every now and then I just want to do kind of creepy, dramatic looks. Like going for a gothic look or a dead girl kind of look. Sometimes it isn't about making myself look pretty as much as it about me wanting to look drastically different. Weird makeup was the reason why I got into makeup in the first place, but I do agree people look better when the makeup looks more natural.
Load More Replies... it's great that make up artist chose very subtle make up, unlike those cartoonish make up that looks kinda acceptable only in photos. It's very subtle make up which only just brings up good features in these women. Tutorial, please!
didn't read any text and could tell in an instant these women are Russian
Such beautiful women. A bit like gilding the lilies. They started out gorgeous, and ended up gorgeous.
I was coming here to say this sentiment but not as eloquently as this - What a lovely way of putting it!
Load More Replies... The lighting changes dramatically between photos, it makes quite a difference
It really does! My two bathrooms have different bulbs—one a white fluorescent and the other a yellow incandescent bulb. I’ve taken pictures of myself in both bathrooms with the same makeup and I look completely different in both. The fluorescent shows EVERY line & spot on my face... think mugshot. The other bulb has more natural type light and doesn’t make me look washed out or haggard.
Load More Replies... There's hardly any difference for me in most of them. In some, the women have chosen not to wear any makeup and then have had some put on, so obviously that's different. There's only a couple where I would say the woman looks "better" afterwards. People should look however makes them happy, regardless of what we think.
Comments under these photos are so annoying. Most people obviously dont know anything about makeup. A hint is, if you cant even spot a difference in makeup because eyeshadow stayed the same, dont comment on thing like that
I’d rather do my makeup than pay to have it done. It looks just as good and I won’t lose money. But I’ve been doing it since I was 4 years old. I’m now 35
For the most part, it was refreshing, nothing so drastic, girls were already pretty, just a few positive changes, perhaps a few tips !!!
It wasn't just the makeup, every woman had their hair styled differently as well and that added to the updated look.
Consensous: Most of us don't have correct color foundation, lipsticks are to heavy, ditch the dark eyeliner.
The pro seemed to go for a lighter hand, and a fresher, more natural and subtle look. Many, many women go 'way overboard with makeup.
I think overall the artist showed these ladies how to make themselves look great in a much softer manner. Some of the "before" photos were really harsh.
I went back to the intro to confirm it but I could tell these were by a Russian makeup artist. I think that different cultures have tastes that are specific to them. The choice of pink blusher seems to be popular there.
So much more than just a professional makeup job... there's obviously hair, lighting changes are super important as are the slight shifts in the poses.... in many after shots the model has lowered their chin and jutted out their forehead, ever so slightly... it really illustrates how powerful even subtle changes in angle can transform an image. Kind of irritating that the post is pretending we BP's wouldn't notice.... lol we didn't just fall off the turnip truck!
The second picture is what a professional make-up artist with training and a full kit of make-up and tools can do. The first picture is what the woman in question can do with limited tools, at 7 am, and with three kids yelling for breakfast. I really like the understated make-overs since they are very nice, but they are still pro.
I always think less is more, and I’m not really into makeup as much my sister does, but sometimes I prefer to just a little. Everyday I’m going out am not wearing any makeup at all and still feeling confident. 😊 Also I prefer skin care routine than makeup looks thought.
For an example of how women's faces are manipulated to meet an unobtainable standard, go to YouTube and search for the Dove Evolution video.
The side-by-side photos should be of the woman with the same haircut. Sometimes, the different haircut makes more of a positive difference than the makeup.
So remember guys and gals that beauty is only deep as the numbers of layers that are put on the face. The rest of the body need no makeup.
actually quite a nice (albeit fluffy) coffee break article. The "makeover" didn't dramatically change any of the ladies, as they didn't need changing, just gave an example of a different way they could style themselves. The make up artist is very good at styling eyes with their less is more approach though. Thank you for a few ideas!
They aren't even doing to much to their makeup. It's their hair styles as well that give them smaller foreheads, that makes them look younger, that cast shadows on their face. It makes a difference
I love my winged black eyeliner. You can do it correctly and look great some overdo it
Load More Replies... Some of these women weren't wearing make-up that I could determine... Does that even count? ... And, frankly, I really hope a professional can do better than I would! ;-D
As a Make-up Artist myself, I was a bit underwhelmed. I love the idea/concept of having the person do their own make-up, then showing the talents of the Artist, in bringing out their best features. There were too many that I could not tell whose was the Model's and whose was the Artist's. I actually like to see a more dramatic After result. A lot of women are afraid to experiment with make-up and color. The amount of or heaviness of make-up can be irrelevant, as long as it is applied & blended properly. Teaching someone the Basics of Make-up Application can be fun and educational. Anyhoo, that's my personal opinion, & I'm sticking to it. 😁
Two different lenses are used to also alter their looks. Slightly longer focal lengths (on the Rt.) have less distortion, while closer focal lengths (Left), warp the bone structure. The photos are also slightly narrowed. Small changes, big difference. Anybody making money from this style claim (makeup only change) is committing criminal fraud.
All of the ones on the right were the best. Except for the last one .....eewww
It's nice to see make up being done to accentuate the natural features and not just painting a new face on.
