A Cute Little Doll
Growing up, Valeria Lukyanova took pride in her extensive collection of Barbie dolls. She loved dressing them up and combing their hair, just like any other girl.
However, her passion for Barbies turned into an obsession. Little did her parents imagine the transformation this would provoke sooner or later.
Growing Up
Lukyanova lived a normal life as she became older. After turning 16, she moved to Odessa, Ukraine, where she majored in Architecture.
After the war in Donbass broke out, in 2014, she moved to Moscow, though she soon realized there was a more exotic destination awaiting her.
Pageants
Her career started in 2007 when she won the beauty pageant "Miss Diamond Crown of the World." Her beauty seemed out of the ordinary —not to say….unnatural.
Before she knew it, she would have photoshoots and interviews with the Russian media almost every day, but apparently, this wasn't enough for her!
Early Fame
Most of the fame came after she started posting pictures and videos showing a remarkable resemblance to a Barbie doll.
Audiences were captivated by her large eyes, pointy nose, long blond hair, and her tiny, slim waist. But little did they know of the sacrifice she had to endure to achieve this look.
Her First Steps
She was aware of her outstanding beauty but was far from satisfied. She wanted to look like a human Barbie doll, but she would have to resort to drastic measures to fulfill her dream.
At first, there were very subtle changes in Lukyanova’s appearance, though her looks quickly began to change dramatically to adopt a more Barbie-like facade.
Secrets
Her first step towards her dream was to get a breast augmentation. But how far did she actually go? She only admitted to the most obvious changes, but what else is she hiding?
To this day, she still hasn't revealed which surgeries she went through. When asked whether she'd undergo even more surgeries, she said: "I'm not against surgery, but for now, there is nothing I need to do."
Like Mother, Like Daughter
It’s crystal clear that she inherited her mother’s good looks, but was it enough? Apparently, not because she underwent extreme procedures to be transformed into a real-life doll.
One would think that her mother, Irina Lukyanova, would somehow oppose her daughter’s behavior, but shockingly, she supported her during this journey.
Spirituality
In fact, Valeria's mother follows a rigorous diet to preserve her looks. At the same time, both mother and daughter are fervent believers in leading a life of spirituality.
Many people think you need only good looks to be successful, but that's not true. "Only spiritual work can bring tangible results" Valeria revealed.
A Sculpted Body
Once she achieved the look she was striving for, critics believed she had had a nose job, liposuction on all her limbs, cheek and neck reduction and sculpted abdomen.
As more people noticed her perfectly sculpted body, suspicions about her having removed ribs started to grow too. And if that wasn't enough, people accused her of altering her photos to make them even more exaggerated.
Smoke And Mirrors
She downright denies having anything plastic on her and she explains that to achieve this look, she spends an hour and a half on her makeup and hair routine.
It seems that she achieves this look by means of advanced makeup skills, contact lenses, and hard workout routines. But is she really telling the truth?
This Isn't Me
Apparently, she is not willing to disclose how many times she’s been through surgery or if she’s even been through surgery at all.
She explains it's necessary to look beyond what's superficial because we might not be looking at the real her. "It's necessary to evaluate a person not on the external qualities but by their soul", she said.
What Changed?
But, she remains patient with her curious fans and she tries to answer questions, which, generally, are related to plastic surgery.
She replied: _“As you can see, I’ve only done my boobs and have always been skinny. The only difference is that now I am more fit. That’s the only difference.”_
Nutrition
Valeria maintains this incredible look and a low body fat percentage by following a rigorous, clean diet based on fruits and vegetables. _“Keep it clean and tasty!”_ she says.
She prefers a vegetarian diet but you should feel free to add anything that is clean and good for you.
Hard Workout
Not only is she thin, but she's also fit. Apparently, she boosts her metabolism and burns fat by cardio work, weightlifting, and high-intensity interval training (HIIT).
A good workout routine, accompanied by a healthy and conscious diet are key to achieving a healthy and fit body. But as Valeria says, you should embrace the limits of your body.
Her Astral Self
Valeria strongly believes that "good looks cannot secure success alone; one needs to do spiritual work in order to achieve results".
She insists that good looks are not the only thing she has to offer to the world and she wants to help people get in touch with their astral selves. Now, are you ready for her no-makeup photos?
A Clean Face
I personally think that it’s pretty clear. She uses a TON of makeup to achieve that look, but I don’t think that she’s had her face modified at all.
Anyways, wearing a full-cover makeup is preferable to having your body altered permanently. Don’t you think?
A Clean Body
And what about that insane doll-like figure? Well, take a look at her selfies at the gym. I think that it pretty much sums it up, doesn’t it?
At least, at first sight, it doesn't seem like she's done anything but the breast surgery she already acknowledges. Is it simply the result of a strict diet and exercise routine?
At The Gym
As we said before, she firmly believes in working out on a daily basis for five to six hours! Ouch…that hurt right in my laziness.
I love her gym look; it suits her really well. Also, don’t you think she looks a little less intimidating? I mean, she’s just another regular girl at the gym!
A Classy Girl
As contradictory as it may seem, the model does not enjoy at all being called the Human Barbie. She claims she just doesn’t see it.
“I do not think that I look like a Barbie (…) I think I just look like a classy girl,” she confessed
This Is Me
As you can see, Amatue —her new name— is tired and kind of annoyed that people only remember that side of her and forget that she is also a writer, musician, and DJ.
"That I did a bunch of surgeries to look like a doll and know nothing more about me. It's actually completely different and my look is only a side effect of my inner world", she revealed.
Just A Lifestyle
She does look unrecognizable, but hey! Have you seen other people doing cosplay? I think it’s the same. After all, she does this for a living.
In fact, without all that makeup, I think she’s quite a natural beauty. Don’t you?
What Took Them So Long?
Up to this moment, we could not understand why it took them so long to get together…but if you read further, you’ll realize why. The couple met during a TV appearance but apparently, they hated the sight of each other. Could it be that they are just too similar?
A lot of people were surprised to see such shady behavior between the two…but let’s keep in mind that unlike the actual Ken and Barbie, they are not in a relationship nor they have to get along.
Barbie's Partner
Meet Justin Jedlica, a 39-year-old American entrepreneur who made his endeavor to look like the Human Ken. Obviously, his appearance has captivated the public all around the world.
While Lukyanova admitted to having only breast implants and that she wears makeup and contacts to achieve her look, Jedlica confirmed that he has gone under the knife at least 120 times! It is estimated that he spent around $150,000 for these procedures.
How It Began
Inspired by watching Lifestyles of the Rich and Famous as a teen, he started admiring body contouring and cosmetic surgery. It wasn’t long before he realized that his ultimate goal would be to pursue a wealthy and glamorous lifestyle.
His parents did not approve of cosmetic surgery, so his transformation didn’t begin until he was legally able to make his own decisions. A few days after his 18th birthday, he underwent his first surgery: a rhinoplasty.
His Parents' Reaction
“(Plastic surgery) was the one thing I did that I felt like I could tangibly grasp onto. I knew it was something I wanted to do (...) it was something that rich people did. It was a status symbol that said ‘I’ve arrived and I’ve earned this,” he explained
This was the moment he realized he needed to have luxury in his life. He wanted fame. And he thought that as most people say, if he looked the part, maybe one day he could be like those people in a status group
His Own Path
On several occasions, Justin explained that his childhood had a large impact on his decision to become a Human Ken.
Jedlica often refers to his transformation as “cathartic“. He explained that: “The restructuring of the contours of my face and body in an effort to customize myself perseveres as I grow as an individual.”
Inspiration
Actually, it turns out that the Ken doll wasn’t the main inspiration for his surgeries. He was really devoted to the glamorous style of the stars such as Michael Jackson, Elvis Presley or Donald Trump, too.
He also stated that he gets a lot of inspiration from Japanese anime. “As a kid, you play with Ken dolls and kind of assume that is what a handsome guy is supposed to look like.”
The Surgeries
After his first surgery at the age of 18 and up to this date, he’s undergone a total of 149 procedures, some of which are female-specific procedures.
So what did these procedures consist in? Well, in addition to his nose job, he’s gone under the knife to get muscle and breast implants added, his legs lengthened, his belly button fixed, his toes straightened and his feet narrowed.
A Perfectionist
Apparently, Jedlica is always finding ways in which he can improve his body. Jedlica told The Daily Mail:
“As a very detail-oriented person I always find something new to critique and fix (…) Most recently I had three veins in my forehead stripped and ablated as every time I would smile or laugh they would pop out…I called them my ‘Julia Roberts’ veins.”
Ken Has A Partner
Who said Ken would find love with Barbie and her alone? After being together for five years, his boyfriend and him decided to take a step forward and were joined in a civil union in July 2017.
Jedlica revealed in an interview that his husband is very supportive: "He’s not opposed to having work done either. It really was a moot point; it wasn’t an issue at all. I think he thinks it’s kind of cool."
The Reunion
In his latest interview, Jedlica spoke about his hostile relationship with Lukyanova: “How she became famous is all a complete lie (…) She decided she would dress up like a doll and pass around this little white lie that she spent £600,000 on surgery to look like Barbie."
"(…) But it got bigger than what she wanted, and when inquired, she neither confirmed nor denied it. So everyone made the assumption that she had the surgery. She just didn’t say anything.”"
Opinions
Mr. Jedlica revealed in an interview with the Huffington Post: “It appears to me that much of her look is added makeup, fake hair and ‘slimming’ corsets. (…) there’s absolutely nothing special about her.”
To this, Lukyanova answered: “He would do better not to comment on who is plastic and who is not. I think he is handsome man – but he overdid his lips.”
May The Best Doll Win
The feud between the two became stronger when Jedlica decided to mock his doll rival and dressed as a drag queen, wearing the same makeup she did when they met..
“Valeria has been my arch nemesis ever since we met each other earlier this year, and by dressing up like her twin I wanted to prove that anyone can look like Barbie, even Ken!”
An Image Is Worth A Thousand Words
Just look at them, she’s not even looking at him and while his smile may seem friendly, their body language does not lie.
“I hate that people compare us, because she’s putting on the illusion of a mannequin." After all these years, it seems that this Ken and this Barbie are not a good match.