Beauty hacks; it seems like there’s a new one that goes viral every week. But do they actually work?
The internet is full of many creative, weird, and sometimes questionable beauty hacks that claim to be life-changing. While that may be an exaggerated claim, some of these hacks do yield great results. Finding out which hacks work and which ones don’t can take some time, effort, and even money. But don’t worry! We’ve gathered some of the beauty tips and tricks that actually work so you can easily look your best.
Plenty of Beauty Hacks Go Viral Because of TikTok
The popularity of TikTok as a social media platform is unmatched. The speed at which information spreads and goes viral on the platform is so strong that it radiates out to other platforms like Instagram, Facebook, Twitter, and even YouTube.
Sharing what works for them
Many TikTok users are excited to share something they’ve discovered with the rest of their community. And once that video starts gaining popularity, other people get curious and influenced to try the new discovery out. Next thing you know, specific beauty products are selling out because they went viral, and many other TikTok users post videos of themselves trying out the hack.
Do all of these beauty hacks work?
Plenty of these beauty hacks do achieve their desired effect of making you look better instantly. However, the effects may not last long or will look bad throughout the day.
Unfortunately, some of these viral hack videos can share blatant misinformation and misuse of certain products or devices, which can be harmful and dangerous. This is why there’s a community on the internet dedicated to stopping the misinformation by testing out these hacks for themselves, offering research-based evidence, and safer alternatives to these viral beauty hacks.
Doing your research
While some beauty hacks and trends may seem harmless and fun, it is still best to do your research or consult with a professional if you have any doubts. This is where we help you out too!
Beauty Hacks That Actually Work
Strategic contour placement
Contouring was made popular by Kim Kardashian way back when, and it created strong, chiseled shadows on the planes of the face. Nowadays, the beauty trends lean toward fresher and lighter makeup looks, which means doing away with heavy contours. But that doesn’t mean you can’t look snatched, or as celebrity makeup artist Scott Barnes calls it: “snatchural.”
Megan Lavallie shared a video demonstrating the “one dot” contour placement.
How to contour with the “one dot” technique
Start by relaxing your face and gently massaging your face to find the one spot on your cheek where “if you poked a hole through, it would touch your teeth.” Apply a medium-sized dot of contour on that spot and gently diffuse the color by stippling on that same spot instead of swiping your brush or makeup sponge back and forth.
The effect is a more lifted appearance of the cheekbones but without the heaviness of excess contour product.
Why it works
This trick works with pretty much every face shape because you’re working with the unique features of your face as opposed to mapping it out with an illustrated guide. Because that point on the cheek is often where shadow naturally falls, applying and diffusing contour in that area allows you to subtly enhance those shadows, giving you the appearance of a more lifted cheek.
Skin Cycling
One of the hottest trends in the internet skincare scene, skin cycling is a dermatologist-approved skincare routine for acne-prone or dull and textured skin. It does away with multi-stepped routines with all these serums and face masks, cutting it down to a few simple steps for each day of the cycle.
How do you do skin cycling?
Skin cycling usually lasts four days a cycle, depending on your skin’s sensitivity. On the first evening, you cleanse your skin and pat it dry, and follow it up with a leave-in exfoliating acid and moisturizer. The next evening, you wash and pat your skin dry again and use a retinol product and moisturizer afterward. On the third and fourth evenings, you give your skin time to heal by only applying moisturizer after cleansing your face.
Don’t forget to wear your SPF in the daytime to protect your skin from further damage. Then you repeat the cycle all over again.
Why does skin cycling work?
This skincare routine works because you’re gently exfoliating and introducing active skincare ingredients to your skin in a strategic manner. This allows for the ingredients to perform optimally to give your great skin results.
Are there any risks to skin cycling?
Everyone’s skin is unique, so you do have to be careful the first few times you do skin cycling in case you over-exfoliate and irritate your skin. The cycle’s schedule isn’t fixed either, so you can adjust it to your skin’s needs for that week, just keeping in mind not to overdo it. And as always, wear sun protection.
Lip Basting
This technique was shared by Dr. Shereene Idriss, a board-certified dermatologist based in New York. Lip basting is a lip care routine that leaves your lips feeling soft and hydrated. This trick is perfect for anyone who suffers from dry, chapped, and cracked lips.
How to lip baste
Dr. Shereene Idriss starts with a glycolic acid serum on clean lips. After it has time to sink into the skin, she follows it up with a nourishing and emollient moisturizer, or you can also opt for a lanolin product to hydrate the lips.
The glycolic acid serum gently exfoliates the top layer of the lips and allows for more of the nourishing ingredients of the moisturizer to do their job.
The hack isn’t perfect
Dr. Idirss herself states that the hack isn’t perfect. The products used are meant for the face and are not specifically designed for the lips. So make sure to be mindful of any adverse reactions your lips may have. Dr. Idriss also warns people with cold sores who try out this technique as it may cause irritation and further sin sensitivity.
Blush placement
How you apply your blush affects the overall appearance of your cheeks and your face shape. Depending on where you blend your blush, you can lift your cheeks, shorten your face, enhance your glow, or achieve a specific look.
Applying blush with the heel of your palms
Victoria Beckham inspired this viral application technique; all you need is a cream or liquid blush and your hands!
Apply your blush to the base of your palm and gently distribute and diffuse the product onto the other palm. Then you press the heels of your palm onto your cheekbone, gently patting it to deposit the pigment properly. Once you’ve placed enough product, gently tap the product out with your fingers for a natural finish.
It’s quick and makes blush application easy, avoiding excess product and muddy placement.
Under-eye blush
Applying blush in the under-eye area can brighten the area and reduce the appearance of dark circles. Apply a dot of liquid blush under each eye and add a dot of concealer on top. Blend it out and see the magic unfold.
This technique is great as a two-in-one step to color-correct dark circles while adding more life to the skin. For those who don’t have dark circles, this application technique gives you a fresh and natural flush to the skin.
“W” blush hack
If you want to look sun-kissed and glowy, applying your blush in a “W” across your face can do just that. Starting from one side of your cheek, up near your ear, bring your blush down to the apple of your cheek, then back up across the bridge of your nose. Mirror the same motion on the other side of your face to form a “W” with your blush. Simply blend it out, and now you look like you just came back from a sunny holiday!
Conclusion
Beauty hacks can be really helpful. With these hacks, applying makeup becomes so much easier and less intimidating. These skincare hacks also help improve the appearance of your skin without using products that may actually cause more damage than good. And when in doubt, do your research so you don’t find out a viral hack is actually a big fail the hard way.
Do you have any beauty hacks that changed the way you do your beauty routine? Leave us a comment down below!