Olivia Munn, Before and After

Maybe she hasn't quite pulled a Zellweger, but Olivia Munn sure looks different lately. 

Even Olivia herself admits that. In April, the 36-year-old actress told FASHION magazine: 

“Being multi-ethnic―I‣m half Chinese, half white―brings up a whole set of complications that people don‣t even think about when it comes to being photographed. I have more of a white appearance on the outside, but my bone structure is very much Asian. I have high cheekbones and smaller eyes. When you put shimmer on the inside of my eyes, I immediately look cross-eyed. If you put too heavy of an eyelash on me, it looks like my eyes are halfway closed.When your face changes because of makeup, it‣s hard to let people know that you‣re not actually doing surgery or fillers…” 

Before that, she had taken to Instagram to explain away the changes: 

Makeup, weight loss, brow re-shaping, acid toning and, er… Japanese potatoes?!

Do YOU think those could account for Olivia's new face? Let's take a closer look:

Back in 2006, Olivia was a pretty, fresh-faced 26-year-old with freckles, lip gloss and loose waves. She had a much fuller face back then, but didn't we all? Also note her hooded eyes.

Olivia in 2008

In 2008, her hair was much longer, and she started playing with shimmery shadow tones around her eyes (which have now become her signature). 

Olivia in 2009

The following year, her styling took on a much more “Hollywood” feel. Hence, the on-trend side bun, fluttery false lashes and burnished gold eyeshadow. Her face seems a little slimmer, but that's natural as you lose your baby fat (she was 29 here). It could also be the lighting or the hairstyle.

Olivia in 2010

Then we arrive in 2010, and even though Olivia's wearing a similar hairstyle to the last shot, her face looks different (rounder) again. It could be the angle, lighting or weight gain—although if you see her head-to-toe, she was by no means overweight here. Her eyes still have the heavy lids, with a natural brow shape.

Olivia in 2011

Here, you can see how when Olivia slightly angles her face away from the camera, it has a very lengthening effect. She looks much more bronzed, with angular eyebrows and cool purple eyeshadow concentrated under the eyes. Her bottom lip looks fuller, but that's because of the lip liner faking a shadow underneath the lower lip. Overall, très glam!

Olivia in 2012

Now we're in 2012, and I still don't think Olivia touched her face. In this rare camera-facing pose, it's evident she still has the same rounded/pear shape. A new wavy lob, heavier eye makeup and sharper, fuller brows give her a grown-up look. Also spot the lower lip liner, again.

Olivia in 2013

Then Olivia started growing her hair out; this textured mid-length style definitely softens the angles of her jawline. Her brows and lashes are stronger than ever before, which really opens up her eyes. I still think she's au naturel here. 

Olivia in 2014

This 2014 shot, from when Olivia was 34 years old, is the last “natural” one, in my opinion. The long, sleek, shiny hair has a face-slimming effect—although she's also not smiling as broadly here, which could account for the narrower look. 

Olivia in 2015

Notice something new? I think it's her eyes—they're more wide-open all of a sudden. I wonder if the much heavier brows were an attempt at distraction. She also looks more tanned, with heavier blush. After this, we didn't see Olivia for a while, until… 

Olivia in 2016

The first evidence I could find of Olivia's new look was this shot from early in the year. I mean… wow! I don't doubt she lost weight filming 'X-Men', but her jawline is clearly very different. Also her lips—they are much fuller!—and her skin—where are the freckles? I can see what she was talking about with regards to her brows; I agree that the softer, straighter shape is more flattering.

However, it wasn't until Olivia stepped out at the Oscars that people really took notice. Again, her jawline is much narrower and rounded, her eyes are more open, and her lips are unmistakably fuller. I'm sad she got rid of her freckles! 

Funny how Olivia used to always show her teeth, but now has switched to closed-mouth smiles. The freckles look like they've come back a little, maybe because it's summertime? I just can't get over how she went from a round/pear face shape to a full-fledged oval!

Update: Olivia in 2023

Alright, the freckles are back! Olivia looks super-summery here, with fresh skin, bright lipstick and a top knot. Her eyes look more open again, and I think there's filler in her upper lip (as it's uneven).

Update: Olivia in 2023

Now, Olivia looks more glamorous than ever. She's 37 at this point, and I really like how she's dialled back the makeup and is wearing her hair super-long. In this shot, we can definitely see the filler injected into her upper lip. Also, one of her eyes seems to be drooping a little… which sometimes happens with Botox!

Conclusion

I don't know about you, but I think Olivia doth protest too much. She says she lost weight, changed her eyebrow shape, started acid toning and eating these hyaluronic acid potatoes. Fine. I believe her. And as someone who reports on celebrity beauty, I can appreciate the transformative effects of makeup better than most people. But STILL—I suspect she's omitting important information that really accounts for her new look!

Here's my theory. I think her first procedure was some kind of eye lift, which can be done via blepheropasty or even by lifting the brows with Botox. Since the latter would wear off with time, that might account for why her brows look higher in some of the photos. 

I also think she probably had Botox injections in her jawline to weaken her masseter (chewing) muscles. This is what Bethenny Frankel recently admitted to, and probably renee Zellweger had it done, as well. 

As for her lips, I can't see how that's not Restylane filler. Her freckles, it's possible she faded with the glycolic and salicylic acids in Proactiv+ Mark Correcting Pads (for which she is a spokesperson). But when you have the budget for laser resurfacing procedures, that seems a bit more likely, no?

Surprisingly, the one thing I'm pretty sure she didn't do is get a nose job—unlike 99 percent of Hollywood. So I guess there's that! I just think it would've been better if she'd either a) said nothing about her new look, or b) fully owned her cosmetic procedures, instead of giving us half-truths and pushing the skincare company she's paid to promote. Tell me…

How do you feel about Olivia's beauty evolution?
Which of these looks is your favourite? 
What “beauty work” do you think she's had done?