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30 People Who Revealed How They Normally Look Vs. How They Make Themselves Look When ‘Catfishing’
Social media often makes us believe the impossible, from enviable lives to polished looks. Many Insta selfies posted out there have that dreamy, kinda “too good to be true” quality…
Call it a deception game or mad makeup skills applied at the right place, right time, but some influencers have surely left us scratching our heads. So this time, we are taking a look at some of the most hard-to-believe “catfish” makeup transformations as revealed by the TikTokers themselves.
#CatfishChallenge was initiated a couple of months back by Australian TikToker @moldogaa, who amassed a whopping 409.3M views. She got others to share their unrecognizable faces too, but many people are not convinced catfishing is the most appropriate way to use the art of makeup. What are your thoughts, dear Pandas? Let us know in the comment section!
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Social media often makes us believe the impossible, from enviable lives to polished looks. Many Insta selfies posted out there have that dreamy, kinda “too good to be true” quality…
Two months ago, the #CatfishChallenge was all over the headlines as the big TikTok challenge for women comparing their super glammed-up looks to what they look like underneath the makeup. The bare-faced TikTokers asked their followers to judge whether they could be considered “catfish” or not.
The hashtag #CatfishChallenge alone had 409 million views on the app, and it still remains one of TikTok’s most popular trends.
Yet the whole concept for the challenge started all the way back in April 2020, when a TikToker @mzznofilter uploaded a video where she compared a photo on Snapchat to what she looked like in reality.
The TikToker was seen laughing while saying “I just took this photo on Snapchat. I don’t look like that. Catfish… MEOW!” The video blew up on social media eight months later and amassed 2.1 million views.
Essentially, a TikTok video trend emerged, aimed at debunking a common myth that everyone looks perfect in their daily lives. By revealing their genuine faces behind the makeup and photo editing, the TikTokers made a point that the picture and reality don’t always coincide. And often, the difference is extreme.
#5
rabbitsrabbit 3 years ago
It will be so much more satisfying if the before after photos are taken at the same angle.
Previously, Bored Panda reached out to social media influencer Shanae Thompson, who goes by the TikTok handle @itsyagirlshaeee. Shanae also joined #CatfishChallenge and her video went viral, amassing 163.6k likes two months ago.
The TikToker said that she enjoys doing challenges on the platform, but this one she made at random. “I didn’t plan that video at all, that content was taken after a single take and it ended up getting a lot more attention than I ever expected!”
Shanae also said that she enjoyed being able to “play with makeup and change my look.” However, she stressed that by the end of the day, “taking all that off and relaxing is the best part of the day.”
#12
Roland Gosselin 3 years ago
So... silly faces notwithstanding, they pretty much all look better before? Social media is messing up peoples' beauty standards in a major way...
The TikToker wanted “to remind everyone to love themselves for who they are.” Especially in the moments when you don’t look your best. “Be comfortable and confident in your skin,” she said.
And while the #CatfishChallenge grew widely popular, many people felt like it promoted online deception. The internet is a perfect place to facilitate deception through the manipulation of identity by using makeup and filters and to create an unreal representation of self.
Some say it thus sends a wrong message to others, making them believe a person is someone they really aren’t.
#15
#19
Little Dino 3 years ago
Is it just me, or does she look kinda like Sophie Turner? Either way, she's gorgeous :)
#20
Jayson Hammer 3 years ago
Might as well just have a completely white screen if you're going to overexpose so much
#23
#29
Arctic Fox Lover 3 years ago
You can see her forcing her chin back so much--anyone can do that and have a double chin lol
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What do you think ?
Doggo Froggo 3 years ago
I kinda find it annoying how the person pulls a face/ takes a deliberately unflattering photo in the first but not in the second.... I think it would be nicer if both photos were the same bar the makeup. That's just my opinion though.
Alethia Nyx 3 years ago
Not sure how this is catfishing... It's just glammed up vs not glammed up (often taken at a deliberately unflattering angle).
Kimberley McMillan 3 years ago
Oh wow. Makeup washes off and angles change how a face looks. News at 11!
Seabeast 3 years ago
I thought "catfishing" was when you pretended to be someone else online to extort money from people?
NMN 3 years ago
Yep, or just for "fun" or some other weird reasons. I guess whoever did this doesn't understand that
Load More Replies... 
Kate 3 years ago
@Alan or perhaps consider that most women wear makeup for themselves so your opinion on whether or not you like the natural look is a moot point? (Not to mention the number of articles that have been done about people mistaking a ton of, but very natural makeup for "no makeup.")
Load More Replies...
Casey McAlister 3 years ago
Most of them aren't really "catfish". They intentionally pull silly faces and take photos from really bad angles, and you clearly can see it's the same person.
Katerina Huskova 3 years ago
So someone is "suprised" what make-up can do? Like realy? After IDK years of YT tutorials?
Bepina 3 years ago
almost every one of the 'before' photos is taken form an unflattering angle and with chin pulled close; the 'after' photos almost all look like cartoon characters, fake, unnatural and plastic; people tend to mock the way women did their make up in the 2000s and while there have been some trends (like silver eye shadow everywhere) which are not to be repeated at least women looked like themselves, not some spooky dolls. Half the 'after' photos give me creeps.
Joyce Blodgett 1 year ago
Seems as if it would be a huge problem when the time inevitably arrives that the makeup, wig, fake breasts, fake butt, fake nails, all comes off and the poor person who believed they were getting one person gets someone else entirely. Why I'll never go on a dating app. Wouldn't trust that anyone was real.
Matthew Smith 3 years ago
Amazing what a facetune app can do, I've tried it on myself, as a 54 year old bloke I can look like a 21 year old girl EASY!
Sylvia Clark 3 years ago
Holy cow y would people do that? Because they plan on never meeting in person? That is so sad!
Celtic Pirate Queen 3 years ago
Curious? Do the dudes make it clear that they're not female? Or is it a tootsie roll surprise?
Naomi Cline 3 years ago
Do you really consider a before picture without makeup and a profile picture with full makeup “cat fishing”? I guess there are differing definitions ?
TheReader19 3 years ago
So basically in 50% of these photos you take your glasses off like some 90's movie and transform into the secret beautiful girl
StrawberryParfait 3 years ago
The absence of good lighting and proper angles and makeup is not "catfishing". Catfishing is when you pretend to be a person you actually aren't. Words actually mean things.
Moisturized Elbows 3 years ago
I feel like some of these he/she looks better in the left are lies just to get upvotes. I don't think anyone is ugly but some people like makeup because it enhances their beauty so most look better with makeup otherwise why bother
Thenatural 3 years ago
I'm a bit confused here...looks to me like they've all just applied a f**k load of make up....and I thought cat fishing was a bad thing??
Bender Bending Rodríguez 3 years ago
These are just girls with makeup!!! I thought catfishing meant completely different but apparent I was wrong.
Luisa Vasconcelos 3 years ago
And that's why beauty competition should have a part that the people show their face without makeup. This was very eye opening.
Leeh Colorada 3 years ago
Do people thing these are catfishing? LMAO People don't born with clear skin, colored eyes, colorful hair
KiwiBubbles 3 years ago
I hope there aren't many people who need this article to explain this concept to them, but it's probably more common than would be ideal... The fact that profile pics are going to be the person making the most effort they can on their appearance, and most people are NOT going to do that much work on a regular basis. The fact that EVERYONE is beautiful, but of course everyone looks even more beautiful when they make more effort on their appearance. Someone's dating profile pic is rarely going to be what they look like daily, and I think that's what the title means by "catfishing," but that was just my interpretation.
King Joffrey 3 years ago
If this is supposed to make any sense, you need the same angle for the before and after photo.
ka7ie is mad 3 years ago
why are these comments so negative. This is literally just women showing off their talent at makeup? yes maybe the use of 'catfish' in the title was a bit of an exaggeration but for Christs sake we are on a magazine website where LITERALLY ALL THE TITLES ARE EXAGGERATED, THAT IS HOW YOU GET PEOPLE TO SEE YOUR WORK. All of the comments in articles specifically about make up are the same. "You look prettier without make up!" "This is not a glow up, they just put on make up and got a different angle." The point of these Tik Tok trends is to allow women to show off their skills with make up, you purposely make yourself look 'bad' in the before to push the point that you look better in the after? Do you people not understand this?
Corinne Frankenhoff 3 years ago
This is a bit degrading. Calling people who have facial insecurities and decide to cover them up, "cat fishing", is insensitive. Makayla has suffered with horrific acne for years and has a TikTok page that started out with her sharing how she covered up her scars. This has helped so many. There is a difference between putting on makeup like an artist and enhancing what you have, and representing yourself as someone that you are not. This is pretty embarrassing as a story on this app that promotes body positivity, to share one that shames. "Amazing transformations" or even "The Magic of a Makeup Artist", but "cat fishing"? Rude.
Luca Giordano 3 years ago
I find the whole concept of not wanting to look like yourself quite disturbing. I know it is of all ages and truly I can imagine that if you have some severely deformed feature that really undermines your self confidence and self worth, you would want to change or hide it.... but a lot of these people look just lovely the way they do but still feel the need to conform to an impossible ideal that is often created via photoshop or filters. These particular people should not be on Tik Tok, they should be in therapy.
Lion's Stare 3 years ago (edited)
I often wonder if these people look bad without makeup because of the bad skin they get from using makeup in the first place. I mean it cant be good to cake one's face in a substance that nature did not intend to be there. If they do it again and again it must have a a bad effect
ka7ie is mad 3 years ago
You know that acne is a natural thing right.... makeup does not often make skin go bad, unless it is really s**t quality..... acne is literally genetics
Load More Replies... Doggo Froggo 3 years ago
I kinda find it annoying how the person pulls a face/ takes a deliberately unflattering photo in the first but not in the second.... I think it would be nicer if both photos were the same bar the makeup. That's just my opinion though.
Alethia Nyx 3 years ago
Not sure how this is catfishing... It's just glammed up vs not glammed up (often taken at a deliberately unflattering angle).
Kimberley McMillan 3 years ago
Oh wow. Makeup washes off and angles change how a face looks. News at 11!
Seabeast 3 years ago
I thought "catfishing" was when you pretended to be someone else online to extort money from people?
NMN 3 years ago
Yep, or just for "fun" or some other weird reasons. I guess whoever did this doesn't understand that
Load More Replies... Kate 3 years ago
@Alan or perhaps consider that most women wear makeup for themselves so your opinion on whether or not you like the natural look is a moot point? (Not to mention the number of articles that have been done about people mistaking a ton of, but very natural makeup for "no makeup.")
Load More Replies... Casey McAlister 3 years ago
Most of them aren't really "catfish". They intentionally pull silly faces and take photos from really bad angles, and you clearly can see it's the same person.
Katerina Huskova 3 years ago
So someone is "suprised" what make-up can do? Like realy? After IDK years of YT tutorials?
Bepina 3 years ago
almost every one of the 'before' photos is taken form an unflattering angle and with chin pulled close; the 'after' photos almost all look like cartoon characters, fake, unnatural and plastic; people tend to mock the way women did their make up in the 2000s and while there have been some trends (like silver eye shadow everywhere) which are not to be repeated at least women looked like themselves, not some spooky dolls. Half the 'after' photos give me creeps.
Joyce Blodgett 1 year ago
Seems as if it would be a huge problem when the time inevitably arrives that the makeup, wig, fake breasts, fake butt, fake nails, all comes off and the poor person who believed they were getting one person gets someone else entirely. Why I'll never go on a dating app. Wouldn't trust that anyone was real.
Matthew Smith 3 years ago
Amazing what a facetune app can do, I've tried it on myself, as a 54 year old bloke I can look like a 21 year old girl EASY!
Sylvia Clark 3 years ago
Holy cow y would people do that? Because they plan on never meeting in person? That is so sad!
Celtic Pirate Queen 3 years ago
Curious? Do the dudes make it clear that they're not female? Or is it a tootsie roll surprise?
Naomi Cline 3 years ago
Do you really consider a before picture without makeup and a profile picture with full makeup “cat fishing”? I guess there are differing definitions ?
TheReader19 3 years ago
So basically in 50% of these photos you take your glasses off like some 90's movie and transform into the secret beautiful girl
StrawberryParfait 3 years ago
The absence of good lighting and proper angles and makeup is not "catfishing". Catfishing is when you pretend to be a person you actually aren't. Words actually mean things.
Moisturized Elbows 3 years ago
I feel like some of these he/she looks better in the left are lies just to get upvotes. I don't think anyone is ugly but some people like makeup because it enhances their beauty so most look better with makeup otherwise why bother
Thenatural 3 years ago
I'm a bit confused here...looks to me like they've all just applied a f**k load of make up....and I thought cat fishing was a bad thing??
Bender Bending Rodríguez 3 years ago
These are just girls with makeup!!! I thought catfishing meant completely different but apparent I was wrong.
Luisa Vasconcelos 3 years ago
And that's why beauty competition should have a part that the people show their face without makeup. This was very eye opening.
Leeh Colorada 3 years ago
Do people thing these are catfishing? LMAO People don't born with clear skin, colored eyes, colorful hair
KiwiBubbles 3 years ago
I hope there aren't many people who need this article to explain this concept to them, but it's probably more common than would be ideal... The fact that profile pics are going to be the person making the most effort they can on their appearance, and most people are NOT going to do that much work on a regular basis. The fact that EVERYONE is beautiful, but of course everyone looks even more beautiful when they make more effort on their appearance. Someone's dating profile pic is rarely going to be what they look like daily, and I think that's what the title means by "catfishing," but that was just my interpretation.
King Joffrey 3 years ago
If this is supposed to make any sense, you need the same angle for the before and after photo.
ka7ie is mad 3 years ago
why are these comments so negative. This is literally just women showing off their talent at makeup? yes maybe the use of 'catfish' in the title was a bit of an exaggeration but for Christs sake we are on a magazine website where LITERALLY ALL THE TITLES ARE EXAGGERATED, THAT IS HOW YOU GET PEOPLE TO SEE YOUR WORK. All of the comments in articles specifically about make up are the same. "You look prettier without make up!" "This is not a glow up, they just put on make up and got a different angle." The point of these Tik Tok trends is to allow women to show off their skills with make up, you purposely make yourself look 'bad' in the before to push the point that you look better in the after? Do you people not understand this?
Corinne Frankenhoff 3 years ago
This is a bit degrading. Calling people who have facial insecurities and decide to cover them up, "cat fishing", is insensitive. Makayla has suffered with horrific acne for years and has a TikTok page that started out with her sharing how she covered up her scars. This has helped so many. There is a difference between putting on makeup like an artist and enhancing what you have, and representing yourself as someone that you are not. This is pretty embarrassing as a story on this app that promotes body positivity, to share one that shames. "Amazing transformations" or even "The Magic of a Makeup Artist", but "cat fishing"? Rude.
Luca Giordano 3 years ago
I find the whole concept of not wanting to look like yourself quite disturbing. I know it is of all ages and truly I can imagine that if you have some severely deformed feature that really undermines your self confidence and self worth, you would want to change or hide it.... but a lot of these people look just lovely the way they do but still feel the need to conform to an impossible ideal that is often created via photoshop or filters. These particular people should not be on Tik Tok, they should be in therapy.
Lion's Stare 3 years ago (edited)
I often wonder if these people look bad without makeup because of the bad skin they get from using makeup in the first place. I mean it cant be good to cake one's face in a substance that nature did not intend to be there. If they do it again and again it must have a a bad effect
ka7ie is mad 3 years ago
You know that acne is a natural thing right.... makeup does not often make skin go bad, unless it is really s**t quality..... acne is literally genetics
Load More Replies...
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