Two years ago, my friend and I discovered the TV show “Bridal Plasty,” a reality show about brides-to-be competing for plastic surgery. Since then, my best friend and I frequently search for the craziest shows to binge watch together. We bond over this shared interest, and I will admit that I am a sucker for the weird, wacky reality TV shows.

This is how I discovered “Skin Wars.” Two weeks ago, I was searching for a new show to watch on Netflix and saw an intriguing cover image: a naked woman painted to look like a tiger in a jungle. I was looking for a new guilty pleasure, and this reality show seemed sufficient.  

Hosted by Rebecca Romjin, known for playing Mystique in the X-Men movies, “Skin Wars” follows 12 contestants each season as they compete for $100,000. As many contestants fit the “poor artist” stereotype, tensions rise and conflicts ensue.

Each episode, the artists begin with a “mini challenge,” which is usually shorter and concentrated to some part of the body. The winner of this gets an advantage in the “big challenge” in each episode, which includes painting one or more entire bodies. RuPaul Charles, Robin Slonina and Craig Tracey judge each painting and many famous guest judges are featured.

A classic reality show, “Skin Wars” is filled with with shallowness, drama and the token “mean” contestant. I figured I would watch it sometimes regularly, but this was not the case.

Soon after discovering “Skin Wars,” I became addicted: I took a modest two weeks to watch the first eight episodes of season one… and somehow finished season two’s 10 episodes in three days. This obsession was not expected.

You see, what was especially unique about “Skin Wars” is its creativity. While “Chopped” (my family’s favorite reality TV show) and “Cutthroat Kitchen” (my boyfriend’s favorite) are intriguing for maybe one or two episodes, “Skin Wars’” concept of body painting brings a new element into the genre of reality TV.

Not only did I laugh at the petty drama, but I also genuinely wanted to see what these people were painting. In each challenge, the contestants create new art and are forced to utilize all of their wacky, fun ideas. I love seeing this combination of talent and creativity that culminates in a genuinely enjoyable reality TV show.

In one episode, the contestants are forced to blend their model seamlessly into a background. In the next, they are expected to paint a pregnant woman’s belly. They even painted sumo wrestlers and made body builders into robots. Each and every challenge creates a beautiful painting and that is what makes me truly appreciate “Skin Wars.”

So yes, “Skin Wars” is a paint-by-numbers reality show (pun definitely intended), but it is more than that. It is a perfect combination of mindless drama while also combining real talent. The contestants are true artists, and near the end, they produce genuinely awe-inspiring paintings. As someone who struggles to draw a stick figure, I love to see the amazing creations each contestant paints and that is why I, personally, think that “Skin Wars” is such an wonderful reality TV show.