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The Capital Evening Show with Jimmy Hill 7pm - 10pm
16 January 2019, 15:41
Why is this potato prettier than me?
Potatoes are EVERYTHING. They give us chips, crisps, jackets, hasslebacks and dauphinoise, so yeah, all hail the potato. Well, someone saw the beauty in the humble spud too and now people are actually transforming them into works of art. Beauty bloggers are applying makeup to potatoes because painting regular old faces is so 2018.
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The trend isn't actually that new, it started last year, and it's all thanks to Russian YouTuber Elona Balasyan. The beauty vlogger uploaded a 15-second tutorial applying slap on a potato and now it's really taking off on Instagram. The truly bizarre #PotatoPortrait challenge is even a thing on TikTok.
First, potatoes were just getting a little tweaking with blush, foundation and lipstick. Now tatties are having full blown makeovers with lashes, liner and even wigs. Yep, some of them are more contoured than a Kardashian – and that's saying something.
But why a potato and not, you know, an actual face? Makeup artist Caitlin Rubra told BBC Three that potatoes are, surprisingly, the perfect base for cosmetics.
"I think it is because potatoes are slightly drier so it will absorb make-up better, also they're fairly smooth. Whereas a carrot is more even or an apple is too smooth and shiny it would slide off. Maybe a pear would work, but it's not the right shape I suppose." Oh, right… weird flex but okay.