On social networks, the trend of the moment is to find alternative uses for cosmetics. So an eyebrow pencil gets used as a lipstick, a lip pencil becomes an eyeshadow, and a concealer morphs into highlighter.
Looking for fun and also for saving money and resources, TikTok users have quickly understood that cosmetics can have several lives, and just as many uses. For a few months now, the social network has been an inexhaustible source of tips and tricks, each more original than the next, and all aimed at hijacking cosmetics from their initial functions to transform them into more or less successful beauty innovations.
If these hacks may seem crazy at first glance, they are no less effective — or so says the TikTok community — and they also come with a sustainable slant, as they help to reduce waste or multiple purchases.
An alternative use for each and every pencil
In the space of just a few weeks, TikTokers switched around the original functions of their lip and brow pencils. Some now use the former to achieve the perfect smoky eye, while others turn to the latter to get the perfect shade of lipstick. It’s hard to follow, we agree, but these tips have already been seen — and maybe adopted — by thousands of users.
Not content with hijacking the eyebrow pencil, TikTokers went the extra mile to get the perfect lip color, by adding a touch of blush — which, of course, is intended for cheeks — before finishing things off with a small dose of gloss. According to its advocates, the whole process helps achieve ultra glamorous and luscious lips. More so, in any case, than with a mere lipstick.
From concealer to highlighter
You may not know it, but concealer isn’t just for dark circles and blemishes. In 2022, it gets mixed with other products to brighten your eyes, or achieve perfect contouring.
A few weeks ago, a TikToker revived a beauty hack straight from the 2000s, involving spreading on some white concealer to structure her face and brighten her eyes. The video has gone viral and scored several million views.
It followed another ingenuous hit video about the ’Rainbow Contour,’ a method for achieving a perfect, natural glow without a single touch of foundation. Concealer, blush, cream bronzers and the likes applied in a rainbow of stripes supposedly deliver the result in just a few minutes, as shown by many contouring aficionados.
Other unlikely hacks
Other TikTokers have had fun hijacking the uses of the jade roller, initially intended to firm up the face and reduce dark circles and wrinkles, by transforming it into a beauty blender. A trick that proved a hit, since it allows you to enjoy the benefits of the jade roller while applying your foundation with precision. But the craze was short-lived, as this hack requires time and patience.
On a different note, one user went so far as to use intimate lubricant as a foundation base, turning it into a very surprising primer. From this initiative came a host of videos in which users raved about the results, showing off their radiant complexions.
However, for obvious safety reasons, some products should probably not be diverted from their primary functions… And these practices can be a real headache for manufacturers who are legally required to anticipate the "reasonably" foreseeable use of their products. But they are also a source of inspiration and innovation...
