These 8 TikTok beauty hacks actually work and take your beauty game higher

If there’s one thing the world has too much of, it’s viral beauty trends on TikTok, which proliferate by the minute, if not by the second. Even so, makeup and skincare addicts around the world can’t seem to get enough of them, and always eager to see if there's one that is truly game-changing.

And because not every viral makeup hack out there works, we've taken it upon ourselves to try out the ones that work like magic and share them with you.

If you’ve ever aimed to create a sleek hairdo, only to have pesky short flyaways stick up all along your parting and ruin the look, this one’s for you.

Dental floss is all one needs to flatten these tiny hairs and have them stay in place – simply align the length of floss so that it’s parallel to the hair parting and then run it across the hair from the top to the sides of the head. The waxy coating on the floss transfers to your hair and thus keeps the “frizz” on your head flattened.

Want to give it a go? We suggest going for floss that doesn’t smell minty – it’ll definitely be weird even if it isn’t exactly an unpleasant scent. Or perhaps someone may want to try substituting dental floss with string that has hairspray sprayed liberally on it instead?

USING WHITE EYELINER TO CONTOUR THE NOSE

White eyeliner is one of those things very few women own, unless you happen to be a makeup junkie who absolutely needs every product or colour in your makeup kit. Still, the only use most people know for it is as an eye-widening and eye-brightening aid, subtly applied on the lower waterline and inner corners of the eyes.

But this non-essential item has suddenly become a must-have overnight, after someone came up with the idea of putting on white eyeliner on the bridge of the nose as a highlight. Now, highlights on the nose is not exactly a new trick, of course, but replacing it with white eyeliner seems a little odd.

Surprisingly, the effect and contrast with the skin isn’t as stark as we had imagined – provided you pick a white eyeliner that is better suited for use on the nose (one with a softer, more blendable texture and in a shade of white that leans towards a warmer tone). Best of all, it does eliminate the need for dark contour on the sides of the nose – why not try it if you’ve never been able to master the art of blending dark powders on your nose?

MIXING BLUSH WITH CONCEALER TO COLOUR-CORRECT DARK CIRCLES

As described, this trend involves mixing your blusher (in a liquid or cream formula, of course) with under-eye concealer, dotting them across the under-eye area and blending them together with a concealer brush. This apparently works to cancel our dark circles – unfortunately though, most of the Tiktok-ers seen in videos featuring this trick seem to have already covered up their dark circles before demonstrating it.

In theory, though, this trend should work, although it depends on what colour of blush you use and the quantity you blend with your concealer. This will take a certain amount of trial and error, as everyone has a different skin tone, while dark circles exist in various colours from brown-grey to blue-green.

The rationale is that complementary colours (colours that sit opposite each other on the colour wheel) will cancel out each other – which means that blush can cancel out most dark circles since it is mainly composed of hues of pink, red and orange. Which is why actual colour correctors for dark circles are usually salmon- or orange-toned.

An ingenious hack, honestly speaking, for those who love to DIY their nails at home. French tips, which only the ambidextrous can manage solo, can now be easily created with the aid of a Beauty Blender or any other dense and thick makeup sponge you have lying about.

All you need to do is apply the nail colour straight onto the sponge, and then press the tip of your nail into it. Doing so coats the tip of nail with the polish, leaving an impeccably straight line and unbelievably perfect finish. How simple is that? Call us impressed. This is one step up from an earlier iteration of the hack, which utilised a nail stamper (now, how many of us have got one?) instead of an old makeup sponge.

PUTTING CUTS IN A FACE MASK FOR A BETTER FIT

Faces comes in all shapes and sizes, and no one mask will fit them all perfectly, no matter how well designed it is. And fit is key, because it affects how much of the mask comes into contact with your face – poor coverage means that much of the skincare goodness in the mask is likely to go to waste. 

Most skincare masks already come with a number of slits along the edge, which allow one to adjust how they adhere to the contours of your face. But there are those that do not come with any, or perhaps not enough of these cuts for one to manipulate the fit with.

All you need to customise and improve the fit easily is a pair of scissors – snip the mask across the nose bridge, the part above the upper lip and the area that lies atop the chin. If the mask doesn’t come with slits on the edge, go ahead and introduce a couple of cuts along it. And then, you’ll end up with a mask that fits your face quite perfectly.

A slick of eyeliner instantly brightens the peepers, which explains why it’s so hard for many women to do without it. Unfortunately, not everyone has the manual dexterity to put on perfectly executed eyeliner within a quick minute.

What if there’s a way to recreate the look of having eyeliner on without actually putting it on? This hack may just save you the hassle of it and shave a good 15 minutes off your makeup routine.

All you need is one quick trick, performed with your mascara and a super tiny eyeliner or concealer brush. First, pick up a bit of the mascara by tapping the brush on the mascara wand, then wiggle the bristles into your lashes near the roots (without putting mascara on the follicles).

Continue to do the same to the lashes across the entire length of your eyes. Then, go ahead and swipe mascara onto your lashes as per normal. What this does is create the illusion of a line across your lash line, in other words, as if you put on eyeliner.

FREEZING YOUR MAKEUP SPONGE

You might like this one if you’re the kind to put your skincare products in the fridge. Enjoy the cooling sensation of a cold makeup sponge on your skin, if you put it in the freezer for an hour or so before you begin your makeup routine.

Apparently, using a “frozen” sponge to apply your foundation also helps minimise pores and soothe the skin for a more refined finish. On top of that, it’ll absorb less product, which means you won’t waste as much foundation as compared to using the sponge in its normal state.

REFRESHING DRY MASCARA WITH EYE DROPS

We love it when a hack saves us money and cuts down on wastage, and this is exactly it. If you’re a mascara user, you’d know how the formula gets thicker and clumpier gradually over time, making it harder to get onto on lashes smoothly.

Did you know that dripping two or three drops of eye drops into the tube can help revive the formula and return it to its more fluid state when you first opened it? Remember to shake the tube after doing so. A reminder, thought, not to use this hack to extend the usage of your mascara beyond its expiry date – always play it safe when it comes to products used around your eyes.