Woman Transforms Into Viral Baby Pygmy Hippo Moo Deng for Halloween — See the Incredible Photos!

A woman paid homage to one of pop culture’s greatest moments this year by transforming into Moo Deng for Halloween.

Kirbie Johnson, who co-hosts a beauty podcast Shine Angelesdressed as a viral baby pygmy hippo for her annual Halloween party, dubbed KIRBOWEEN, held at Solawave House in Los Angeles. With the help of special effects makeup artist Ally McGillicuddy, she fashioned the animal’s head using a prosthetic, pairing it with matching gray leather.

“I knew the world’s most beloved pygmy hippopotamus had to be my costume this year,” Johnson tells PEOPLE of the inspiration for her Halloween look.

She said she and McGillicuddy had to get creative because there were no Moo Deng costumes available. “It came together in a week – and it proved difficult because there are no Moo Deng costumes or baby hippo prosthetics out there, so we got as close as we could,” she explains, adding: “Ally is a genius and spent four hours on this transformation. ”

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In an Instagram Reel showing off her amazing Halloween look, Johnson explained more about the process of “becoming Moo Deng” — and some of the logistical challenges she experienced in the costume at her party.

“I brought a Stanley cup straw from my own home to drink a cocktail. I couldn’t eat all night. At the end of the night, I finally shoved some candy up my nose,” she said of the bulky facial prosthetic, joking that she took a Waymo [self-driving car] “so there were no drivers to harass her” because of her unusual appearance.

She said she could speak, but her voice sounded “muffled” because of her hippo’s mouth, which she explained was a “two-piece prosthesis.”

Kirbie Johnson poses as Moo Deng at his Halloween party.

Emily Badgley

“They rushed it to me from Canada. I paid a small fortune, but it was great,” Johnson shared in her video. “You can see I have a part around my jawline and chin and then there’s a part that goes over my nose and around my eyes. I had to breathe through my mouth all night.”

Johnson said McGillicuddy used paints that are “usually activated with water and he mixed them with alcohol or some kind of fixed paint so it wouldn’t rub off.”

The makeup artist then “went in with an airbrush” and added touches of pink to mimic Moo Deng’s unique color and a special spray to give the hippo’s head a glossy look.

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Kirbie Johnson (left) poses with friends at his annual Halloween party.

Emily Badgley

Moo Deng, the baby pygmy hippopotamus from Thailand who took the internet by storm, is getting his own live stream

Johnson joked that while she loved how her costume turned out, it might not have been the best choice for her “official ‘I’m Single’ announcement.”

“Looking back on this, I’m really like, ‘What about you, girl? You’re single and you dress up like this for Halloween,'” she said.

But for Johnson, it’s all part of the fun, because she likes to go all the way on vacation. “I love Halloween and I always go for a big transformation every year,” she tells PEOPLE. “My parents have fun dressing up, so they instilled in me a love for the holidays. I aspire to reach Heidi Klum’s level one day!”

Moo Deng, who lives in Thailand’s Khao Kheow Open Zoo, took the internet by storm when she made her Instagram debut on September 6, a few weeks after she was born on July 10. Almost immediately, the zoo saw its daily visitor numbers more than double as people asked to see the baby animals in person. Later, 24-hour live streaming was launched, allowing fans to tune in and see what Moo Deng was up to at any time of the day or night.

Zookeeper Atthapon Nundee told The Associated Press that Moo Deng’s global popularity is “beyond expectations.”

Categories: Trends
Source: HIS Education