Ballerina Cappuccina may be AI-generated, but she has a face plenty of humans want to copy.
Ballerina Cappuccina has flawless skin, full lips and thick, eyelashes that curl upward, nearly reaching her perfectly arched brows. Given that she’s AI-generated, she comes by her look effortlessly, but that hasn’t stopped humans from trying to replicate it.
“Ballerina Cappuccina has a very girly, delicate and whimsical look,” said Hayley Bui, a German beauty and fashion influencer who last week posted a TikTok video of herself made up to look like the social media celebrity. “Her overall appearance is very soft.”
Bui isn’t the only one channeling Ballerina Cappuccina. Makeup tutorials inspired by the viral character are popping up all over TikTok, Instagram and YouTube. So far, Bui’s video alone has racked up 2 million views.
In case Ballerina Cappuccina hasn’t twirled through your online feeds yet, she’s a spawn of the Italian brain rot craze that’s sweeping social media. The trend combines absurd AI-generated characters — hybrids of humans or animals fused with inanimate objects and given cartoonish Italian-sounding names and voiceovers recited in an over-the-top accent. (Think “It’s a-me, Mario” from the Mario video game franchise.)
The term “brain rot” refers to the supposed detrimental impact of consuming too much low-quality content — Oxford University Press named “brain rot” its 2024 word of the year (even though it’s often written as two). Italian brain rot, with its blend of random silliness and classic AI surreality, has captured imaginations worldwide — inspiring character rankings, quizzes, songs and entire plots where characters meet, compete, fall in love and have babies. More than 86,000 TikTok videos have been tagged #italianbrainrot as of this writing, with some pulling in millions of views.
“I thought the pictures and names of the characters are so creative and funny that I went down the rabbit hole and looked up all of them,” Bui said in an interview.
TikTokers Hayley Bui (left) and Sophie Grace are two of the many humans going for the look of viral … More
Bui’s favorite characters from the Italian brain rot ecosystem so far, she said, are Chimpanzini Bananini, an ape in a banana peel; Tralalero Tralala, a three-legged shark sporting blue Nike sneakers; and, of course, Ballerina Cappuccina, a tutu-wearing dancer with a coffee drink for a head — and not just any caffeinated beverage, but one with flushed cheeks and an expertly shaded nose.
“I thought she was such a cute character and I love her super feminine soft makeup,” said Bui, who has 3.1 million followers on TikTok. Miens made up to resemble Ballerina Cappuccina’s share a few basics: an even, matte base; a rosy-peachy glow that extends from the cheeks up and around the eyelids and forehead area; a nose contoured in coffee tones; extra long eyelashes; and glossy pink lips.
“The hair should also be in a bun to complete the ballerina aesthetic,” Bui added.
This isn’t the first time a non-human social media star has ignited a beauty trend. Last year, Moo Deng the viral baby pygmy hippo inspired a makeup look that mimicked her distinctive perpetual glow.
Bui has recreated anime and cartoon looks with makeup before, but until now hasn’t emulated a face generated by artificial intelligence. In her Ballerina Cappuccina makeup video, Bui also reproduces another AI-generated character from the Italian brain rot universe — Espressione Signora, a presence in Ballerina’s storyline who has a darker, more smoldering look.
Mirta Miler, a Croatian producer and content creator who has upward of 20 million followers across social platforms, has also fallen under Ballerina Cappuccina’s pinkish spell. She posted a Ballerina version of the popular “get ready with me” videos that involve looking into a camera and chatting with viewers while putting on makeup.
“I don’t know what to think of us as a society,” Miler says in the video as she swipes light foundation over her eyelid with a sponge stick. “I feel like this brain rot is the only thing keeping us sane.” Sane and glowy, that is — though so far, no one appears to have cracked the code on how to get Ballerina’s cappuccino cup head. That may be one look only AI can pull off.
