The internet has proclaimed its latest ‘it-girl’ and make-up influencer, and it’s a baby pygmy hippo. Yes, you read that right.
Moo Deng, a playful, pink and pudgy hippo rose to fame this month after zookeeper Atthapon Nundee posted videos of her bathing, sleeping, and biting.
Her fan base grew immediately and she’s already amassed a whopping 2.5 million followers on her TikTok account.
The hippo, who is barely two months old, has even been declared an ‘icon’ and ‘legend’ by Time Magazine
And now, she’s inspiring make-up looks.
Her natural dewy glow and rosy pink cheeks have become the ultimate beauty goal, with content creators everywhere trying to recreate the aesthetic.
The adorable hippo lives in Khao Kheow Open Zoo in Chonburi, Thailand — and her name means ‘bouncy pork’.
Moo Deng’s three siblings are also named after pork: Moo Wan, which means Thai sweet pork; Pha Lor, which means pork belly stew; and Moo Tun, meaning stewed pork.
Speaking about her quick rise to fame, Atthapon said: ‘The moment I saw Moo-Deng born, I set a goal to make her famous, but I never expected it would spread abroad. I thought she could be famous in Thailand but not internationally.’
But her stardom has not come without downsides. Some visitors at the zoo began throwing water and seashells at the sleepy pygmy hippo when she was sleeping to get her to react.
Moo Deng now has her security guard for protection, and the zoo’s director, Narongwit Chodchoi has threatened legal action against misbehaving visitors.
Narongwit said that the zoo has been receiving over 4,000 visitors on weekdays, up from just 800 people, and over 10,000 on weekends, up from around 3,000.
Due to overcrowding, fans of Moo Deng will now only be able to visit her on weekends, with each viewing lasting only five minutes.
Moo Deng’s species is listed as endangered. Estimates from the Pgymy Hippo Foundation suggest there are currently no more than 2,000 living in the wild.
Attaphon added: ‘I hope that the cuteness of Moo-Deng will raise awareness for people to come and learn about the species.’
Moo Deng is undeniably adorable — her big, eyes, rosy cheeks and round, baby-like face could elicit a response of broodiness.
Dr Therese Rehn, Researcher at the Department of Animal Environment and Health at the Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences, previously told Metro.co.uk that baby animals could provoke a similar response to babies because they look like them.
She said: ‘Many mammal babies seem to elicit an urge to take care among us humans, and it is probably related to the disproportional features of most baby mammals, human babies included, such as a big head and large eyes.’
Ethologist Konrad Lorenz, who discovered the ‘baby schema’ in 1946, proposed that both animal babies and human infants have similar features, such as a large head, big eyes and round face, which trigger nurturing and protective instincts in humans.
This may explain why the internet just can’t get enough of Moo Deng.
Moo Deng’s adorable features have also served as an aesthetic aspiration, with many online content creators aiming to imitate the glow and rosy pink cheeks of the little hippo.
Makeup artists have been sharing their Moo Deng looks online, completing their blush-heavy look with a grey lip and utilising pale eyeshadow shades of pink, grey and white to make their eyes pop.
The first content creator to create a Moo Deng-inspired look was makeup artist Mei Pang, who shared the ‘experimental’ tutorial with her three million TikTok followers.
In the video, which has since amassed over eight million views, she said the look was inspired by the ‘legend herself’.
‘Why do you ask?’ she says. ‘Because she has everything, she has dewy skin, a great halo eye and a zest for life.’
To transform into the baby pygmy hippo, Mei first douses herself in moisturising spray before highlighting her cheekbones with pale pink blush, creating a grey halo eye and highlighting her inner corners with white.
She completes the look by lining her lips with a pale shade of pink and filling them in with a Moo Deng shade of grey.
Since then, other content creators have followed suit, sharing their recreations of the famous face. Drag queen and makeup artist ‘Rude Velvet’ shared their version with their 180,000 TikTok followers.
Pairing a mixture of pale peach-coloured brushes with smokey purple eyeshadow and a red shimmery lip, the content creator said: ‘I think Moo Deng would be proud, or at least she’d try and bite me.’
Makeup brands have also joined the trend, with Sephora Thailand sharing tips on ‘how to wear your blush like a baby hippo’.
Creamy Peach blush by Makeup By Mario and the blush-tinted moisturiser stick from Pixi were among the items listed.
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