I Tried 3 Viral TikTok Makeup Hacks to See if They Actually Work...

Although most of us won’t admit it, TikTok is addictive. 

Like, getting lost in your For You page for several hours addictive.

TikTok is especially captivating for a beauty lover like me, with countless videos of Gen Z sharing their beauty tips and tricks to consume.

From banana peels for dark circles (don’t do this) to sunscreen contouring (PLEASE DON’T DO THIS), TikTok creators appear to have a hack for every beauty ‘problem’.

Some TikTok skincare trends are downright dangerous - see above.

But the TikTok makeup trends are pretty harmless. Maybe even… genius?

As Adore Beauty’s resident TikTok tester (yes, I have given myself this title), I decided to put three of the more obscure TikTok makeup trends to the test. 

Will they be worth it? There’s only one way to find out...

Watch me try TikTok makeup trends IRL in this YouTube video below, or keep scrolling for all the details.

TikTok Makeup Trends.

Before we get into the trends I’m trying, let’s do some housekeeping.

When scrolling through beauty hacks on TikTok or Instagram, it’s always good to remember what we see online isn’t real life. 

Sure, a skincare ‘hack’ or TikTok makeup trend might look incredible in front of a ring light or with a certain filter.

But because I’m a woman of The People, I’ll be road-testing these trends in natural light to give you the unfiltered, honest opinion of whether these trends will actually work in real life.

Listen to our beauty editors debriefing on TikTok beauty trends in this episode of the Beauty IQ Uncensored podcast below.

1. Tan Touring TikTok Trend.

So, what the eff is tan touring, you ask?

As the name suggests, tan touring is a semi-permanent take on the makeup contouring technique.

Instead of contouring with cream or powder products, TikTokers are using their tanning products to provide depth to the face. 

The alleged end result?

Soft, defined cheekbones that give the ultimate 'no makeup makeup' look.

My Tan Touring Review.

I’d be lying if I said I wasn’t scared to try this beauty hack. 

For someone who’s applied fake tan a total of twice in her life (and been victim to uneven streaks), I was hesitant to say the least. 

Want to learn how to do tan touring? Here’s my tutorial:

• Use a tan that had good reviews and no orange residue - I went with Loving Tan 2HR Express - Dark

• Apply the tan using an angled makeup brush to make sure your application is precise.

• Start with a small amount of tan product because, remember, tan always develops darker than when you first put it on.

• BLEND the tan to the edges of your hairline and ears, exactly how you would if you were contouring with a cream bronzer. 

• BeautyTok says to leave the tan on overnight before washing it off, but I went more conservative and left it on for about an hour. 

Verdict? 4/10. It’s a pass from me.  

While the results were what was promised, I wouldn’t attempt this again for a few reasons:

• My stress levels were at an all-time high.

• The tan accentuated my existing pigmentation. 

• I’d much rather use a cream bronzer like Clinique Chubby Stick Sculpting Contour and spend five minutes blending it in.

2. Concealer Instant Eyelift TikTok Trend.

Full disclosure, I’ve been using this ‘hack’ for a while now, so I already knew it was going to work. 

Creator Camille Cowher shows us how to create an optical illusion of a more lifted eye area here by placing concealer strategically on the outer corner of your eyelid and blending upwards.

Want to learn how to do this concealer hack? Here’s my tutorial:

• I recommend using a creamy medium coverage concealer in a shade or two lighter than your skin tone. 

• Napoleon Perdis Camera Finish Concealer is my go-to because it acts like a second skin.

• Apply concealer like you usually would in the inner corner where you are darkest.

• Instead of applying product under the eye moving down the face (remember when people were drawing huge triangles with concealer??), apply a small amount of product in an upwards diagonal line following the angle of your lower lash line.

• Blend upwards using a finger or beauty sponge.

• Variations include highlighting the inner corner and brow bone to snatch the eyes even further. 

Verdict? 10/10 from me!

Makeup application trends with concealer come and go, but for me, this one’s a keeper.

It’s a time saver, a life saver and genuinely the best thing TikTok has ever given me.  

3. Easy Eyeshadow TikTok Trend.

And finally, we’re onto the lucky last – easily the most innovative of the beauty trends I’ve seen on TikTok. 

This eyeshadow hack encourages you to apply a mixture of matte and shimmer eyeshadows from an eyeshadow palette over the lid in stripes.

The idea is to fast track an expertly-blended professional-looking smokey eye.

As someone who’s pretty decent makeup skills but hates blending, this makeup hack intrigued me the most. 

Want to try this eyeshadow trend? Here’s my tutorial:

• Grab an eyeshadow palette that contains a mix of light, dark, matte and shimmer shades.

• Designer Brands Eye See You Mineral Eye Shadow - Coco Loco or any bronze eyeshadow palette will work.

• Or go bold like me with Anastasia Beverly Hills Norvina Eyeshadow Palette for a bright pink eyeshadow look.

• Use a flat eyeshadow brush and draw a line of each shadow starting from just above your orbital bone. 

• Apply the darkest matte shade on the outer corner, then the secondary matte shade, then your lighter and shimmer shades towards the middle and inner corner.

• Grab a fluffy blending brush and blend the shadows together in small circular motions.

• The TikTok creator specifically says ‘blend and then blend some more,’… so I did for five minutes straight.

Verdict? Absolute train wreck.

The result looked like what five-year-old me used to do while playing with Mum’s makeup. 

The shimmer shades from the inner corner carried over to the crease line, leaving a patchy look that also made my left eye look bruised and muddy. Not cute!

If you’re after an eyeshadow tutorial, I’d highly recommend watching this GRWM YouTube tutorial from Beauty IQ Uncensored podcast co-hosts Jo and Hannah. 

You’ll get ACTUAL makeup tips and tricks for how to nail a glam eyeshadow look, plus it feels like catching up with friends.

Final Verdict...

So, is BeautyTok makeup worth your time and effort? Debatable. 

Out of the three hacks I put to the test, I would only confidently recommend one of them to my friends and family - the concealer trick. 

To be brutally honest, I think watching YouTube is a much more helpful (and fun) way to learn about makeup than TikTok.

Sure, beauty is supposed to be fun, but there’s still some things you can’t learn in a 15-second video. 

Want to watch more TikTok beauty trends in action? Check out Megan's TikTok hacks YouTube video below.

Want to see more TikTok trend reviews? Check out these articles...

• I Tried the "Farrah Fawcett" 70s Hair TikTok Trend to See What It's Like in Real Life

• I Tried the TikTok 'Bathrobe Curls' Trend to See If It's Legit

• I Tried That Viral TikTok Glowy Skin Routine to See if It Actually Works

• An Expert Rates 5 TikTok Skincare Trends From Genius to Seriously Dangerous