This 19-year-old's special-effects makeup will make you do a double take
Katy Tolj is an Australian teen who at the age of 19 has garnered the attention of over 12,000 Instagram followers with her knack for creative makeup looks. The self-taught artist is still a student, but tells Yahoo Lifestyle that she considers herself a content creator, as she’s been a creative person nearly all her life. In the one year that she’s had an Instagram account, she’s gained quite a bit of popularity — and the creation of more special-effects makeup like geodes has gotten her even more.
“I started my Instagram at the beginning of last year, and I only started the illusions in the middle of the year,” Tolj explains. “My sliced face and geodes are fairly new creations, but I’ve always been a creative person, ever since I was a little girl!”
The geodes that Tolj talks about are secondary structures that naturally occur in rocks. But she’s taught herself how to re-create them on her own body with her artistic skill. The resemblance to a real open-faced rock structure is mind-blowing.
A post shared by KATY TOLJ (@katytolj) on Dec 30, 2017 at 1:33am PST
The illusions have become a notable feature of the work she displays on her page, and are a result of trial and error.
“I have watched so many YouTube videos, and I studied and watched the same video over and over to teach myself different techniques, products, and how to use them,” she says. “A lot of what I do is trial and error. I come up with concepts and creations and will teach myself how to do it until I am happy with what I’ve produced. I grow and stretch myself to come up with new, different, quirky ideas, and so far people like it!”
A post shared by KATY TOLJ (@katytolj) on DNov 14, 2017 at 1:03am PST
A post shared by KATY TOLJ (@katytolj) on Nov 15, 2017 at 12:13am PST
A post shared by KATY TOLJ (@katytolj) on Nov 24, 2017 at 1:53am PST
The thousands of people who have seen her creations have responded well to them, especially as her work evolves into even more amazing art. One of the other styles she mentions is her split-faced looks, which are mind-boggling illusions.
A post shared by KATY TOLJ (@katytolj) on Aug 18, 2017 at 2:06am PDT
A post shared by KATY TOLJ (@katytolj) on Aug 23, 2017 at 2:34am PDT
Both the geodes and split-faced looks that she’s done have made it into the roundup of her favorite looks from 2017, as well as other amazing lip and eye art that she says she’ll continue to create in the future.
A post shared by KATY TOLJ (@katytolj) on Dec 31, 2017 at 3:04am PST
“Makeup and art are my passions, and I couldn’t think of ever doing anything else. It’s what I truly love to do,” Tolj says. “I feel my craft will evolve within the next few years, just as I will. As I grow and learn new things about myself, I feel as though my craft and art will too. The more I learn about myself, the more I learn about makeup and come up with different creations!”
Read more from Yahoo Lifestyle:
This 13-Year-Old Makeup Artist’s Creations Will Give You Nightmares
Check Out How This Actor Transforms Himself Into Wonder Woman
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