The before and after makeup photos thousands are appreciating.

Image via Instagram (@xmelissamakeupx).

If there’s one thing people love to see more than beauty tutorials, it’s before and after pictures. They’re a great way not only to appreciate a person’s natural beauty but also to admire the skill of the artist who applied it.

For LA-based professional makeup artist Melissa Murphy, AKA xMelissaMakeupx, the before and after shots of her clients are so popular with her 80,000 Instagram followers they’re now almost all she posts.

Although her clientele includes models, actresses, men and children, it’s her work on one particular group that is attracting serious attention: her before and after pictures of porn stars. (Post continues after gallery.)

Murphy has amassed a collective following of almost 85,000 fans by sharing her makeup tips, product recommendations and final looks on Facebook, Instagram and YouTube. The comments are full of positivity and compliments for both Murphy and her models — unlike the mainstream media coverage she’s received.

While her makeup skills have been praised, Murphy has been forced to defend her clients — she’s shared a statement on Instagram describing the “insulting” treatment of her models.

“Please stop labelling the article ‘porn’ or saying that all of my clients are porn stars. That is slander. Not all of the women are porn stars. Some are mainstream actresses/models, some are just nude glamour models. I do makeup on men, children. I am just a makeup artist. My clients are just people,” she wrote.

"My photos are meant to promote self love and show we are all the same. That with makeup anyone can transform. It taints my name, it taints my models. Man it sucks. I feel helpless. The media needs to start taking responsibility and help building women's self esteem. They could use my work to send a positive message in a healthy way. This type of media is unhealthy for society and degrading to women."

Yes, Murphy does a lot of work with pornstars, but that's not all she does but she makes the important point that it's not all her clients should be defined by.

The focus should be on what makes her work so popular; her makeup skills and expertise.

The work Murphy does on all her clients, regardless of their profession, is full of tips anyone can try at home as well as great product recommendations that include some our favourites too, such as Makeup Forever HD Ultra Foundation, Stila's One Step Primer and Nars Blush in Orgasm.

That said, there's no denying she's also bringing a unique behind-the-scenes look at an industry which is shrouded in mystery for many of us. Typically, we only see these women made up and edited for the final cut, so it's refreshing to see the raw, unedited and natural portraits Murphy shares.

The Glow's publisher Mia Freedman had a lot of questions about beauty routines and many other things for Madison Missina, an award-winning Australian porn star and high-end escort. You can listen to the full interview here:

Are you curious about the makeup products porn stars use?