Main points
- Iryna Bilyk, a Ukrainian artist, has changed her style over the course of her career from a red-haired rebel with curly hair to a sophisticated blonde with conceptual looks.
- She openly talks about her transformations with the help of cosmetologists and surgeons, maintaining her youth and appearance.
Iryna Bilyk at the beginning of her career and now / Collage of Channel 24
Iryna Bilyk is a real star of Ukrainian show business. At one time, she not only performed hits, but also dictated fashion and made millions fall in love with her.
24 Channel has collected the most striking photos of Irina Bilyk at the beginning of her career and compared them with her modern style. What was the Honored Artist of Ukraine like 30 years ago – see below.
What Iryna Bilyk looked like at the beginning of her career: photos from the 90s
In the early 90s, when the songs “Kuvala Zozulya” and “Ty Miy” were heard from every receiver, Iryna Bilyk appeared before the public in her most famous “early” image. Then she was remembered by fans as a bright red-haired girl with curly hair.
Iryna Bilyk at the beginning of her career / Photo from the singer's official website
The second half of the 90s was marked by the album “Paints”. At this time, Iryna Bilyk finally secured the status of the main fashion rebel. She was the first among Ukrainian stars to start shooting world-class music videos and was not afraid to radically change her hair color: from fiery red to delicate blonde and even extreme short haircuts.
Album cover of “Paints”
What was Iryna Bilyk like in the early 2000s?
With the release of the Russian-language album “Love. Poison”, Irina's style became more sophisticated and feminine. She finally settled on the blonde color, which became her “signature” for many years. During this period, the artist often chose evening dresses, corsets and exquisite makeup.
Iryna Bilyk's modern style
In recent decades, Iryna Bilyk has never ceased to amaze. Her style has become more conceptual: huge hats, massive glasses, voluminous capes and branded oversized clothes. The artist openly admits that she uses the services of cosmetologists and surgeons to maintain her youth, because “a star has no right to age.”
What does Iryna Bilyk say about plastic surgery?
The singer is one of those stars who don't try to pass off the results of surgeons' work as “good genetics.” She is sure that an artist should look flawless, and if this requires medical help, that's fine.
For the first time, Iryna spoke in detail about her transformations in a frank conversation with Masha Efrosinina in the program “My Secret”. The path to change began back in 1999, after the birth of her first son, Gleb. Iryna thought that her eyes looked tired.
“I had such sad eyes, as if I was crying all the time. I got it from my dad,” said Iryna.
Iryna Bilyk with her dad / Screenshot from the interview
The star also recalled that the “last straw” was a meeting with the then President of Ukraine Leonid Kuchma. He then said to her: “Iryna, why do you have such sad eyes?”.
“I went to the doctors and said I wanted to be beautiful,” the star recalled.
The next step was to change the shape of her nose. The artist decided to remove the characteristic hump, which she considered a “family” feature that did not fit her new stage image.
“I asked the surgeons to change my nose a little, but left a bit of my “Georgian” roots so as not to look like a completely different person. Now I see that it was the wrong decision. It was worth not being afraid of changes and making it perfectly smooth right away,” the star recalls.
Iryna Bilyk before the operation / Screenshot from the interview
The singer also does not hide the fact that she is a regular guest at cosmetologists' offices. She maintains skin elasticity with various procedures and massages, and has corrected the shape of her lips, making them more expressive.
I may or may not go to a beautician. But I really like massages. Well, I also got my lips pierced… What's the big deal if I like kissing?
– says the artist.
Despite the fact that the singer has 30 years on the professional stage, she is not going to stop. Today, Iryna Bilyk is an artist who is living her second creative breath. Now she is actively involved in volunteering, giving charity concerts around the world in support of Ukraine and the Armed Forces of Ukraine. Also, like most Ukrainian artists, she took up translating her hits into Ukrainian.