They say there's nothing quite like a family resemblance, and some photographers set out to prove that even though you might not see it, you're probably more like your family than you might realize.
Photographers at the Daily Mail found five mother-daughter pairs who they thought bore a pretty close resemblance to one another — but naturally, the moms and daughters alike didn't see it!
However, what they didn't know was that the photographers were going to blend the photos together to show them just how alike they really are!
While some people might try to fight it, this little series proves that you might just be more like your parents than you realize — or want to admit!
But when you think about it, maybe looking like your parent is actually pretty cool. Plenty of women see their moms as a source of inspiration, like the girl who thought her mom was so cool she created time-traveling photos of the two of them hanging out!
So maybe turning into your mom, at least in part, is an OK fate!
Check out the mother-daughter hybrids below, and see what these ladies had to say about one another.
[H/T: BoredPanda, DailyMail]
The experiment took five mother-daughter pairs, asked them if they thought they looked alike, and then merged their faces digitally to see how alike they really were.
Now you might see the resemblance right away, but it's not always so easy to do with your own family.
Here, we see Sara, 62, and her daughter Clemmie, 30. Sara says that she doesn't think Clemmie looks like her.
"She's far more beautiful than I ever was," Sara says. "But I don't feel any envy when I look at her. She's my beloved daughter — how could I feel anything but joy?"
But Sara might be selling herself short!
"If I can look like her when I'm older, I'll be happy," Clemmie says of her mother. She loves Sara's healthy skin and bone structure.
"But perhaps her greatest gift to me is a positive attitude about my appearance."
This is Rhonda, 45, and her daughter, Darcey, 15. Rhonda says she thinks Darcey looks like her, which she finds charming, if a bit strange.
"It's almost like going back in time," she says, "like seeing yourself through fresh eyes."
And speaking of eyes, Rhonda says that she loves her daughter's aquamarine eyes, a singular phenomenon in the family.
But while she says she'd love to have eyes like Darcey's, she feels she's "been dealt a pretty good hand" appearance-wise, and that she's only getting more comfortable with herself as she ages.
As for Darcey, she also saw the resemblance, but the combined photo really drove it home.
"If in 30 years I look like her, great!" she says, but she also knows that looks aren't everything — a lesson from Rhonda.
"She's made me realize that it's important to be clever rather than good-looking because looks can be gone in a second."
Frances, 83, is realistic, but she also counts her blessings.
"When I look in the mirror, I see someone who is aging every day," she says. "But I've always felt younger than my contemporaries."
For Frances, feeling young and staying positive was always more important than looks, but she also always considered her daughter Tineka, 57, to be the beauty of the family.
"I always say my husband and mother-in-law in her," she says.
But the combination made her see how much her daughter also looked like her. But Tineka always suspected.
"Mum has always been effortlessly stunning," she says. "Thankfully, she's passed on her good genes and healthy habits… Looking at my mother's face blended with mine doesn't scare me a bit."
Some mothers and daughters have a more complex relationship with their looks, though.
Josie, 48, readily admits that her looks are very important to her. "I admit I'm vain," she says. "When I see myself without makeup, it's disheartening."
For her, aging is a loss of her attractiveness. Josie uses makeup and Botox in her "war on aging," but she also knows that there's only so much one can do.
"I'd love to look younger," she says, "but I never want to look foolish."
Meanwhile, Josie's daughter Jodie, 24, says she's happily living in her youth. "I like what I see," she says of herself.
She only wishes her mother had her confidence.
"I wish she could see she's still gorgeous. I love that we look so alike — we have the same eyes, smile, and dimples… I'm not at all worried about looking like her. I just hope I do."
On the other hand, some women are more than happy to leave beauty rituals behind.
Esther, 73, says she hasn't worn makeup in 40 years, although she used to love it. After having children and some recent health issues, her priorities have changed.
"I know more than ever that being healthy is more important than appearance," she says.
And she's please that her daughter Wendy, 43, has inherited the same outlook. "She's not fussed about expensive lotions and potions, either."
And Wendy agrees. "Aging doesn't phase me. Just like Mum, I find it liberating," she says.
"There are more important things in life, like your health… So when I see the odd line, I don't worry.
And she's not one for makeup either. "I don't wear makeup," she says. "Why should I? I look fine without it."
So the next time you're looking at photos or are attending a family gathering, pay attention to where your looks come from, and see that those unique features of yours might have a longer story than you realize.
Do you look like your mom? Does your daughter look like you? Let us know in the comments below!
And be sure to SHARE this experiment with anyone you know who looks just like their mom — or who swears they don't!
