Woman finds a $50 makeup artist on Facebook Marketplace. Then she gets the full treatment: ‘What do you think?

Milly is currently taking TikTok by storm after documenting her surprising experience with a makeup artist she discovered on Facebook Marketplace.

The Australian traveler, who posts under the username millylivin, is currently in Brisbane, Australia, and her latest video has already racked up 9.2 million views, mostly because of the effort the artist, Sarojini, who posts as @makeupby_sarojini on Instagram, puts into such an affordable service.

The video starts with the onscreen text “POV: I found a $50 makeup artist of Facebook marketplace.” Milly enters what looks like Sarojini’s home and is guided to a dedicated room. As the makeup artist, Sarojini, begins working on Milly’s pink-dyed hair, the two start chatting. When Milly asks how long she has been doing makeup, Sarojini mentions she has been at it for about five years.

Then, Milly shows us the whole transformation. Sarojini starts with skin preparation, primer, and concealer, during which time Sarojini admits to being nervous, and Milly reassures her, saying, “Don’t be nervous!” As they chat, Sarojini contours Milly’s face, then pulls out a giant eye shadow palette, puts on lashes, and finishes up. That is when it becomes clear this isn’t just makeup, as Milly announces, “It’s time for clothes!”

It is a full-blown traditional makeover

Sarojini shows up behind Milli with what looks like a raw silk garment in her hands and asks Milly, “Today you want to wear this?” When she leaves, we see Milly figure out how to wear a red and pink gold sari blouse and a red petticoat. Sarojini then comes back with a mug of chai in preparation for the next phase. It is clearly a hit, as Milly says, “Thank you! Oh! I love chai!”

In the video, Sarojini then begins to style Milly’s hair and adds a “Maang Tikka,” which is a piece of jewelry that sits along the hair parting with a pendant resting on the forehead. She then drapes Milly in a sari, made of textured white raw silk with red and gold borders. Then they start choosing the accessories, which include a jewelry belt, a heavy necklace, and even a nose ring. 

When Sarojini applies a “bindi” decorative sticker between the eyebrows, Milly correctly identifies it’s other name as a “pottu,” explaining, “In Sri Lanka they call it pottu, a spiritual like, third eye for protection.” Sarojini then pulls out ornamental bangles, which turn out to be small enough that they use lotion to help slide them on. 

Since Milly doesn’t have ear piercings, Sarojini finishes the look by placing bindis on her ears. She had also planned a surprise for Milly, which she announced with a lot of excitement. “Now we are off, because she organized a photographer! Wee!”

TikTok reacted with amazement. User Anisha said, “This should have been 120$,” While masonjarmakeup wrote, “I hope you paid her $300+.” User hzniya echoed their sentiment, saying, “holy sh-t she needs to increase her prices????.” 

Others are chimed in with their own memories, like Kayla Baldini, who shares a photo of herself in traditional attire, saying, “Me on my wedding day never felt more beautiful ❤️.” YRE™ was particularly impressed by the extra steps Sarojini took, commenting, “she organised a photographer?? 😭 bro what an angel.” Milly is simply replying, “I Know.”

It is worth noting that for many beauty professionals, setting their prices is a major challenge. According to a guide from Beauty School Australia, new makeup artists often struggle with imposter syndrome and a lack of market knowledge, which can lead to significant underpricing. 

The guide explains that pricing should reflect the market value of the service, the level of expertise, and the business model rather than a person’s self-worth. They note that the price should account for product costs, overhead, and labor.

For instance, here is what another Makeup Artist in Brisbane charges. Per Eevent, Pari Chawla Makeup n Hair, starts her charges for a bridal package at $550. The package includes traditional techniques, high-end products, jewelry settings, and dress draping. The site mentions that her services come with fee differences based on the time of day, and that there will add-on charges for additional services. 

While Milly is clearly enjoying her $50 transformation, the consensus in her comment section is that Sarojini is providing a level of service that is worth much more. As user s2s204 puts it, “She did it amazing!!! Wow!!! I hope she gets famous soon💕.” 

This wholesome interaction is a far cry from the TikTok stories we usually see. For instance, recently, a Utah nail tech took to TikTok to share her story of a client who wouldn’t stop pushing her boundaries. On the other side, a customer took to TikTok in January to describe a $300 hair appointment that felt like a circus act.