By Sarah Joan Ross on 15/6/2022
Ah, how language has evolved. Social media is mainly the source, so if you want to know the latest trends, you'd better expand your beauty vocabulary.
TikTok, once the sole reserve of dancing teenagers, is now a hotbed of advice for anything from home décor to ramping up your lunch recipes.
Here's our pick of the best beauty tips, tricks, and products from the app to add to your regime that aren't as gimmicky (or dangerous) as you think, and showcase some of the products worth investing in. You just might learn a thing or 23.
Sadly, not an excuse to drink another wine while applying your makeup, but a product that has stormed into popularity on the app. Caudalie's Grape Water Mist has users waxing lyrical about the fresh and bouncy feel it leaves in its wake. Plus, it provides an excellent grip for makeup.
Frizz be gone; it's super-shiny, ultra-smooth hair that TikTokkers are coveting. Aiming for a reflective lustre that resembles glass, saturate hair with Color Wow Dreamcoat and blow-dry smooth. No straighteners necessary!
Not one for the faint-hearted, but trust us, it's much more subtle and flattering than you might think. Take your lipstick and use it to contour your face, applying it to the cheekbones and chin and dotting on the nose. Once blended, a fresh flush awaits.
If there's one thing TikTok is brilliant at, it's finding uses for products that you might not have thought of. For example, a colour corrector, which TikTokkers are slathering onto cheeks for a vibrant and punchy blush that blends seamlessly into skin.
Can't be bothered with false lashes? But desperately want long, lifted luxurious types? This mascara has TikTok in a frenzy with rave reviews for its bamboo-infused formula (to moisturise) and fibres that boost volume. It won't break the bank either.
Ever struggled to craft a perfectly chiselled cheekbone? TikTokker Megan Lavallie suggests simply finding the spot on your cheek where if you poked a hole through, it would touch your teeth. Then, add a dot of product and blend for instant sky-high cheekbones.
Originating in K-beauty, slugging involves coating your (damp) face in an occlusive like Vaseline before bed. The product will act as a barrier, sealing moisture into the skin. If you can't commit to an overnight slug, try short-contact slugging, which only takes a couple of hours. The same principle also applies to hair, with oil – à la Bridgerton.
The Korean technique of applying products while skin is still damp in order for ingredients to sink in, be absorbed and trap moisture for the ultimate in hydration.
The stuff of dreams for those with oilier complexions, this nifty little roller, when swept across the face, will soak up oil and sweat, leaving makeup undisturbed. No powder is necessary, and it's the perfect party companion and a must-have on a hot summer holiday.
Heavy shadows and thick foundations have been ousted from the app, with everybody coveting the 'clean girl makeup look'. All you need post-skincare is primer, creamy concealer and blush, brow gel and a slick of lip balm.
Multi-tasking beauty at its best, transform an eyeshadow into a juicy lip gloss simply by swiping the shadow onto the back of your hand. Then, take a clear lip balm and rub it along the shadow before applying to lips. Genius.
Ciaté London's Brazilian Glow Bronzing Serum has blown up on social media, with over 20 million views on reels and TikToks showcasing the instant glow, transforming skin radiance.
An ingenious hack for seriously bright under-eyes, when you opt for a white concealer instead. Not as scary as it sounds. It's actually more of a white base under your usual concealer to to add lift. It will brighten the whole area, make the whites of your eyes sparkle, and help to define cheekbones. Warning: it takes serious blending – so not for the time-poor.
TikTokkers are ditching contour products in favour of eyeliner when sculpting their noses. The benefit? A bigger range of colours to choose from, much greater control and precision over your application, plus a stubbornly hard-wearing formula that won't rub off throughout the day.
Little white bumps and rough patches on the top of arms (known as keratosis pilaris) are super common but may bother some people. TikTok has found the answer: First Aid Beauty's KP Bump Eraser Scrub utilises buffing beans to physically slough and AHA acids to chemically smooth.
Who needs lipstick? You can devise a comprehensive lip look with just your eyebrow pencil and a blush. Use the pencil to line your lips and blend in with your fingers. Then add cream blush to the centre of your lips before topping off with gloss.
If you're looking for the sweet spot between natural lashes and the glamorous polish that a pair of falsies give, cut the false lashes in half and glue their inner corners to the outer edge of your lash line. Instantly lifted lashes that look subtle and natural.
Everybody knows the allure of a filter on social media, but what if we told you this product could mimic the effect in real life? The priming serum blurs pores, evens skin tones and brightens dark spots. You'll be selfie-ready in seconds.
If you tap into the beauty content on TikTok, it won't be long before you stumble upon this little powerhouse. It's a chemical peeling exfoliator that'll even skin tone and texture and is a dab hand at fading acne scarring. Also, it's bright red, so quite… striking when applied.
A new approach to fake tanning, rather than simply running the mitt over your face, apply in areas where you'd like to look a little more sculpted, e.g. under cheekbones and the jawline and down the bridge of the nose. After developing, you'll have long-lasting and natural-looking facial definition that stays put for days.
Removing body hair is unarguably arduous, and if you plump for shaving, you can often be left with unsightly bumps and razor rash. Well, TikTokkers have been reaching for men's beard trimmers when shaving their intimate area for a super-smooth finish that doesn't irritate.
Ever wished you could splash out on a professional lighting rig to amplify your selfies to professional standards? A (free!) TikTok hack to recreate the look at home is simply taking your pictures outside during 'golden hour', which falls shortly after sunrise or just before sunset.
The beloved hair accessory of the 90s and 00s is back, but if your hair claw is struggling to contain long locks, then simply pop in a ponytail first, pull it halfway back up through itself before clipping in place.
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