Here’s what the cast of Love Is Blind Italy looked like before starring on the show
One of the singles is totally unrecognisable
The thing about Love Is Blind: Italy is that the cast didn’t suddenly appear out of nowhere with perfect lighting and Netflix glam.
Most of the cast already had full, busy, very aesthetic lives… think career-first Milan energy, travel pics, gym content, and ‘I’m booked and busy’ vibes.
So if you’re wondering what they looked like before the pods, and before the whole internet knew their names, the clues are in their day jobs, their old socials, and the personal brands they were building long before the cameras arrived.
Karen Norman and Nicola Botticini
Before Netflix, Karen was already giving main-character energy. She’s a Brazilian-born aesthetic tattoo artist based in Rome, and that beauty industry baddie vibe shows up in the way she presents herself online.
Karen’s before-and-after might be one of the most striking of the season, but not because she looks like a different person.
In her pre-Love Is Blind photos, Karen leans into a softer, more low-key aesthetic. We’re talking minimal makeup, straight dark hair with a fringe, and very casual, everyday styling. It’s giving “cool girl you follow on Instagram in 2014.”
On the show, though? Full glow-up energy. Her hair is longer and sleeker, her makeup more sculpted, and her overall look reads far more polished and confident. The Netflix version of Karen still feels authentically her just elevated, sharper, and very aware the cameras are rolling.
Nicola, meanwhile, was living a very classic Milan working-life era. He appeared on our screens described as a salesman from Brescia, and his Instagram bio also frames him as a sales manager and DJ.
Translation? His pre-show look was more night-out fits and city guy confidence than reality TV makeover.
Hyoni Song and Alessandro Bianchin
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Hyoni’s pre-show aesthetic makes so much sense once you know she worked as a project manager in Milan, polished, composed, and very ‘I have my life together’.
She also links herself to beauty entrepreneurship, and she’s listed as a co-founder of a K-beauty brand, which tracks with a clean, curated feed.
Alessandro’s ‘before’ is basically the same as his ‘now’ because he was already in the model and personal trainer lane. Gym-forward content, sharp portraits, and that very camera-friendly confidence was pretty much expected from the get-go.
Ludovica Maria Cappello and Davide Aulicino
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Ludovica worked in e-commerce management before the show, and it shows in the way she posts, travel snaps, outfit moments, and a generally fashion girl who knows angles vibe.
Davide’s Instagram is more locked down, but his profile still signals who he was pre-fame.
He’s a basketball-loving guy from Naples living around Milan, sporty, social, and not necessarily trying to be an influencer… at least at first.
Together, they were very “she’s glossy lifestyle, he’s athletic energy,” which is honestly a classic LIB pairing setup.
Gergana Lazarova and Parminder ‘Parmi’ Singh
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Gergana’s ‘before Netflix’ look is peak Milan-by-way-of-the-world. She was born in Bulgaria, lives in Milan, and worked as a store manager, so her style reads retail-savvy, trend-aware, and very put-together.
Her before photo is peak edgy-cool. Dark hair, striking light eyes, bold eyeliner, and a studded jacket that screams alternative fashion era. It feels raw and expressive, to say the least.
On the show, her look softens significantly.
Her hair is styled in loose waves, her makeup is warmer and more natural, and her outfits lean elegant rather than edgy. The contrast is noticeable, but it doesn’t feel like a makeover so much as a shift in presentation, from everyday personal style to polished, camera-ready sophistication. Honestly? Both versions totally work!
Giovanni Calvario
Giovanni came in as a big-events entrepreneur, and his Instagram bio is very ‘multiple ventures, big plans, big personality’.
His transformation is less about glow-up and more about vibe shift
In his pre-show photo, he looks like he’s living his best nightlife-era life: slicked-back hair, round tinted glasses, bold facial hair, and a dramatic outfit that feels very ‘Rome party scene’. It’s charismatic, slightly chaotic, and unapologetically extra.
Fast-forward to Love Is Blind Italy, and Giovanni appears noticeably more refined. The glasses are gone, the grooming is tighter, and his on-screen look is cleaner and more serious, almost intentionally restrained.
Same guy, same features, but a very different energy. It’s giving less club owner, more reality TV romantic lead.
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