This man transforms himself into Disney princesses, and you HAVE to see the end result

You likely don’t know Richard Schaefer’s name yet, but bets are, you’ll be hearing it everywhere soon. He’s basically a magician with makeup, and his Disney princess cosplay is like nothing we’ve ever seen before. He’s garnered a following of 14k on Instagram so far, which isn’t too shabby, but we bet that number will grow exponentially in the near future — just look at what he can do:

Isn’t that amazing? Here’s what he looks like without the makeup:

In an interview with The Huffington Post, he said, “Cosplay is a huge creative outlet for me. I consider it my craft, as well as a way to live out my childhood fantasies. Ever since I was little I would make mermaid tails out of blankets and pretend I was Ariel from ‘The Little Mermaid,’ so I feel that little Richard would certainly approve.”

He started playing with makeup at the age of 16, first by buying the cheapest makeup he could find at Target. He made all his costumes by hand from salvaged materials around the house, clothing from thrift stores, and discounted fabrics. He believes that cosplay is a true mood-lifter, and that no matter whether you’re playing a villain or a hero, it can be an uplifting experience to look in the mirror and see yourself as your favorite character. It makes him feel beautiful, and he encourages others to experiment with that same feeling.

“It doesn’t matter what gender, race, or species you are, cosplay will always be for you. So embrace your inner princess and go out and fight those dragons! You’ll be glad you did.”

We think that’s a lovely sentiment, and we’ll be following his work from now on to see what else he does.