Photography courtesy of Lauchmetrics.COM/SPOTLIGHT
From mastering the “floating contour” trick to curl-proofing your claw clips.
Date August 24, 2023
“TikTok taught me!” is not a phrase I ever thought I’d use frequently. But, alas, it’s the plain truth — especially in the case of beauty tips and tricks.
One month I’m learning how to makeup-proof my sunglasses and channel supermodel energy using blush, the next I’m hacking hat hair and braids in a breeze — all thanks to TikTok, of course. This month, I’ve been fixated on game-changing makeup techniques like “ombré concealer” and “floating contour.” Plus, I finally learned how to fit all my curls into one claw clip. Who knew TikTok would be such a great teacher?
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Below, we break down five must-know TikTok beauty hacks to try this month, and all the products you’ll need to carry them out successfully.
Change the way you do makeup with the “ombré concealer” technique
If there’s one TikTok trend I haven’t been able to escape lately, it’s ombré concealer. With every refresh of my For You Page, video clips of ultra-bright under eyes that seamlessly blend into playful pink cheekbones have certainly reached their target audience. Odds are your favourite #beautytok creators have given in to this technique, too. As you would imagine with a name like “ombré,” this trend involves creating a gradient combination of concealer and liquid blush under the eye for a luminous look that blends out flawlessly and all at once.
Perfectly executed by TikToker @makeupbytammi, this technique begins by building up your light to dark ombré pattern with your lightest concealer at the inner corner, followed by a slightly darker shade, a light-coloured liquid blush, and then your deepest blush on the outer corner. Then, blend the products together using a brush or beauty blender, moving from the inner corner outward, ensuring each section has been thoroughly diffused before moving on to the next. That way, you’ll achieve the seamless finish that makes this trick so impressive. Ombré away!
Photography Courtesy of Saie Beauty
Saie Beauty’s selection of liquid Dew Blushes serves as the perfect ombré concealer option. Available in six shades from peachy pink to warm terracotta, all skin tones can find their blush blending match here.
Hack the claw clip look for curls
As a curly girl, I know all about the claw clip struggles we face. If you’ve got longer, thicker hair that just won’t seem to fit in the clip, it can feel like this trendy hair accessory simply isn’t for us. That is, until I stumbled upon the above TikTok video by creator @thelaurynicole in which she shares the secret to containing her curls with ease using one hair tie and one clip. First, she begins by pulling her hair into a low ponytail, but instead of pulling all of her curls through on the final loop, she creates a mini-bun and leaves the rest of her hair out. Next, she adds the claw clip on top of the bun and lets the excess curls flow out of it, giving the illusion of having used the clip in the traditional way. And there you have it, your claw clip has officially been curl-certified.
Photography Courtesy of Kitsch
If you’ve always felt no claw clip could contain your thick curls, look no further than Kitsch’s Jumbo Bow hair clips. Made with recycled plastic, these salon-quality clips are as chic as they are practical.
Achieve a softly snatched look with “floating contour”
It’s easy to get carried away with contouring in search of sharp, chiselled cheekbones, but this month I’ve been convinced by celebrity makeup artist Melissa Murdick that less may very well be more. In a video the MUA posted to TikTok, she reveals a contouring technique being referred to on the app as “floating contour.” The makeup trick involves applying a dab of cream contour right into the hollow of the cheek, as opposed to a full stripe of product along the cheekbone. From there, you can gently blend both upwards and inwards along the cheekbone to create a more soft, naturally contoured look. “If you have a round face [or] if you’ve got a heart-shaped face, this is a much better contour spot for you because again it’s just not going to give you that stripe-y weird look,” shares Murdick. As the artist responsible for many of Selena Gomez‘s best glam looks as of late, we’ll take this advice in a heartbeat.
Photography Courtesy of Makeup by Mario
This dual-ended contour stick packs celebrity makeup artist Mario Dedivanovic’s signature contour technique into one convenient tube. On one end, you’ve got your creamy shaping stick. On the other, an angled brush to help you bring your “floating contour” look to life.
DIY your own French tip nail stickers
Freehanding your own French tips, or any nail design for that matter, is no easy feat. Instead, DIY nail hacks like this French tip sticker trick by TikTok user @.sooz make at-home manicures much easier to achieve. All you’ll need to do is paint a few thick swatches of white nail polish with a rounded edge onto to a palette — or any solid surface you don’t mind getting messy — and allow them to dry. Once dry, peel them off and cut the rounded side to your desired French tip look and length before adding the “sticker” to your nail. Melt the excess polish off using nail polish remover and a Q-Tip, and you’ve successfully completed this DIY. “Studies show that this hack has caused a decrease in frustration levels by 100% — that’s all the frustration gone, girl,” shares the creator at the end of her tutorial. Now let’s all breathe a collective sigh of relief.
Photography Courtesy of OPI
Don’t let the name fool you, OPI’S Alpine Snow polish is a French tip must-have all year round. It’s a crisp bright white with a fast-drying formula that’ll give you up to seven days of wear.
Get the perfect inner corner eyeliner every time with this technique
Nothing adds a little sultry flair to a makeup look like an exaggerated inner corner. And not to be dramatic, but after learning this beauty trick posted by Canadian content creator @FRO (which racked up three million views, btw) you may never not do your eyeliner like this again. As demonstrated in her video, simply pinch either side of your nose to stretch the inner corner of your eyes to achieve an ultra-fine and precise swipe of eyeliner as you apply the product. When you release your nose, you’ll reveal a seductive eye look that only took a few seconds to create. Fast, and fierce.
Photography Courtesy of Maybelline New York
Maybelline’s Hyper Easy Liquid Eyeliner is just that — a foolproof liquid liner that anyone can use. Plus, its flex tip applicator ensures there’ll be no skips or gaps as you’re drawing on your inner corner liner for this hack.
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