Who would you say is the biggest celebrity inspiration in beauty right now? Angelina? J-Lo? Perhaps Gwyneth, Kim K or Chappell Roan? Wrong, wrong and thrice wrong. The world is currently going wild for a dewy skinned, rosy cheeked Thai starlet with eyes you could lose yourself in. Oh, and who just happens to be… a hippo.
Yes, the latest in a long list of unlikely beauty inspirations (dolphin skin, anyone?) is a baby pygmy hippo called Moo Deng. At just two months old, the pudgy cutie has already racked up 3m TikTok followers and been hailed an ‘icon’ and ‘legend’ by no less an authority than Time Magazine. (Perhaps they’ve just hit peak presidential election fatigue).
The Moo Deng phenomenon began when her keeper started posting footage of the cheeky youngster snoozing, playing and being generally adorable in her home at Khao Kheow Open Zoo. Quicker than you can say 'Pass the Benetint', beauty fans began emulating Ms Deng’s beauty assets, particularly her flushed cheeks and glossy, gleaming complexion.
The first viral makeup video, from content creator Mei Pang, included a less-than-flattering grey lip (which I can recreate all on my own, thanks, the morning after one too many Pinot Grigios), but follow-up videos from influencers like @cescavie have steered the Moo mood into a far more wearable direction, with chubby pink cheeks and a sheet mask sheen.
So, could Moo Deng be the surprise beauty inspiration you never knew you needed? Clearly, further investigation was needed…
Getting the Moo Deng look
Hippo glam is all about the glow. Poring over Moo’s TikTok clips, I have to admit that there’s something about her complexion. Then it comes to me: the plump, glossy finish plus slightly dopey expression reminds me of a particularly excellent facial I had at Soho Farmhouse once.
Replicating Moo’s visage is a simple matter of wallowing in five times the usual amount of Grown Alchemist’s Antioxidant+ Facial Oil, then adding a dollop of Weleda Skin Food and a spritz of Kora Organics Minty Mineral Hydration Mist for an extra splash of moisture. Hippo-licious.
The base is simple, too. I just smear on a generous squeeze of L'Oréal’s gleamy Paradise Lumi Glotion and finger-blend, channelling the imagined grace and precision of a hippo’s chubby four-toed foot.
The eyeshadow looks trickier on the face of it, since frosted silver and pink is not my general vibe. However the answer is incredibly simple: just open up all your old eye palettes and look for the totally untouched shades. Ten quid says they’ll be spot on for Moo Deng.
Sure enough, an ancient Illamasqua palette comes up trumps, and I smother on sparkly tones that had their one and own outing circa 2015 when my daughter wanted a Frozen-themed birthday party. They look just as ghastly as I remember, although weirdly they hardly show up on the camera – which begs the question, just how much makeup must influencers wear?
And now on to the fun bit: the blusher. To be sure it’ll show up in my photos, I go for the triple: an underlayer of Drunk Elephant’s O-Bloos Rosi Drops, a good whack of Yensa Super Serum Silk Cream Blush, and finally the classic NARS Orgasm powder blusher as a colour boost and set. When my husband asks if I’m having a perimenopausal flush, I know I’ve nailed it.
Drunk Elephant O-Bloos™ Rosi Drops Face Serum 30ml
Now, a quick Moo Deng makeover is all fun and games for a drizzly Sunday night, but would I take this look out of the home enclosure and into the wild? Hmm. I do rather like the blusher, if it was turned down a notch or ten, and the dewy skin would be delicious if it involved a massage bed and the strong chance of seeng an A-lister in the relaxation room.
While the Frozen eyeshadow has been put into my ‘let it go’ pile, I reckon that I might give the pinky and perky Hippo Girl a whirl. Who knows where it might lead? Viral fame is unlikely, but I’d settle for hand-fed snacks four times a day, regular foot rubs and snoozing in the daytime until snot bubbles come out of my nose. Moo Deng you are, indeed, an icon to aspire to.
