20 Mind-Bending Photos of Mimi Choi’s Optical Illusion Makeup Art

Mimi Choi is a Vancouver-based makeup artist who has taken the world by storm with her surreal illusionary looks. Born in Macau and raised in Canada, Mimi went from preschool teacher to Internet sensation after graduating from Blanche Macdonald Centre in 2014. Using her face as a canvas, she creates mind-bending transformations that have made her a global name in the beauty industry.

Her inspiration comes from everywhere—textures in her surroundings, surrealist masters like Salvador Dalí and M.C. Escher, and even her vivid experiences with sleep paralysis, which often spark her darker, distorted looks. Through trial and error, Mimi mastered depth and dimension, developing an artistic style that challenges the line between makeup and fine art.

Today, Mimi teaches at Blanche Macdonald, leads masterclasses around the world, and works with major brands such as Burberry, NYX Professional Makeup, Kryolan, UNICEF, Warner Brothers, and Samsung. Her creations have been featured on TV, in magazines, and at the 2019 Met Gala, where she crafted Ezra Miller’s unforgettable optical illusion look.

Mimi Choi’s story proves that makeup can be more than beauty—it can be a powerful form of storytelling, imagination, and art.

If you’d like to explore her creations, please get in touch with her Instagram

All images credited to Mimi Choi