12 viral TikTok makeup hacks that we actually used in 2022

When we’re desperately in need of better methods to flick a crisp winged liner or up the ante on a youthful, rosy flush, we’re – guilty as charged – hasty to scramble for our phones and fall down the rabbit hole of TikTok’s wild, wonderful beauty trends.

We’re also quick to try these hacks for ourselves, whether it’s blending our liquid blushes to wear a mythical “aura” glow or smearing lipstick on our faces for an always matching lip-cheek colour.

Some hacks we’ve ditched after a week, whilst others (surprise!) we’ve grown to love as our own. This 2022, we’ve rounded up the best viral TikTok makeup hacks we’ve actually added to and kept in our routines, and these are the ones that’ll likely accompany us into the new year ahead too!

Best TikTok hacks for eyes

TikTok’s bat wing eyeliner hack for hooded eyes

Those with hooded eyes, rejoice – because this TikTok bat wing eyeliner hack is perfect for preventing your winged liner from disappearing into the deep folds of your eyelids.

“The usual way of drawing a thick eyeliner wing doesn’t look appealing on my hooded eyes. The winged liner often looks different or becomes hidden when my eyes open,” says our creative designer Iffah Hamad.

“I love this hack because it gives hooded-eyed girls, like myself, the chance to experiment with a thick and bold winged liner that compliments our eye shape.”

@muamartini

For your (hooded) eyes only #cateye #wingedeyeliner #hoodedeyes #makeuphack #makeupartist

♬ Dolls – Bella Poarch

TikTok creator @muamartini traces her ideal eyeliner wing while keeping her gaze straight. When she closes her eyes, the wing’s outline looks crooked and out-of-shape. However, instead of trying to smoothen out the lines, she embraces the groovy lines and fills in the shape with her liquid eyeliner.

The result is a bat wing when her eyes are closed but a crisp, clean triangular wing when her eyes are open. Only those with hooded eyes will get away with this one!

Iffah emphasises, “I use the thinnest, darkest waterproof eyeliner marker pen that I have to do this TikTok hack, and it helps me to create the shape much easier.”

Try: Benefit Cosmetics They’re Real Xtreme Precision Liquid Eyeliner, which retails for S$42 on Sephora.

TikTok’s reverse eyeliner hack

If you still can’t decide what’s the best angle to draw your winged liner, TikTok’s reverse eyeliner hack will help you get it right every single time.

“This TikTok makeup hack gives an eye-lifting effect without much effort. As this hack uses the lower waterline as opposed to the upper eyelid as a guide, it works on any and every eye shape,” celebrates Iffah. “This hack is also suitable for those struggling to draw the perfect eyeliner!”

@misstaradavy

Winged Liner Hack #wingedlinertutorial #wingedeyeliner #wingedlinerhack #foryou #makeup #allthingsbeautywithtara #beautytok #beautycreator #fyp

♬ original sound – ??????????

Instead of starting her wing from the upper lash line, @misstaradavy begins drawing from the lower lash line and extends the wing upwards, following the shape of her eye.

After she has created the extended wing line, she traces the line back towards the centre of her upper lash line and – voilà, the perfect wing for a lifted look.

“On the days that I want a more natural eyeliner look, I do this hack using a dark brown cream liner and an angled brush. The cream liner is also buildable for a more defined look,” Iffah says.

Try: KVD Beauty Super Pomade Vegan Eyeliner, Shadow & Brow Pigment, which retails for S$37 on Sephora.

TikTok’s eye makeup hack for glasses wearers

Glasses tend to draw attention to the upper eyebrow area, which is why TikTok creator @stephhui sweeps a soft eyeshadow under her eyes to balance her face and bring attention back to the eyes.

“When I wear bigger, metallic spectacle frames, my eyes sometimes look sunken in and my cheeks and nose appear broader,” says Iffah.

@stxph.h

I’ve been wearing glasses for over 10 years and these @JINS Eyewear glasses are one of the most comfortable, lightweight ones I’ve tried! #sponsored #jinseyewear #jinsxigari #makeupforglasses #makeuptips #makeuphackseveryday

♬ Roxanne – Instrumental – Califa Azul

“Similar to the video, I widen the appearance of my eyes by creating a soft wing starting from the lower waterline and wearing a lengthening mascara on my lower lashes,” she elaborates. The rule is simple: focus on wearing makeup on the underside of your eyes instead of on the upper eyelids.

“The strategic placement of your blush and contour can also help to give an appearance of a smaller nose and a more balanced face shape. I apply my blush on my cheekbones and nose and sometimes contour my nose with a powder bronzer for an extra ‘snatched’ effect.”

For eyeshadow makeup that syncs up with @stephhui’s first pair of glasses, try Colourpop’s Orange You Glad Shadow Palette, which retails for S$19.43 on Colourpop.

Douyin eyeshadow hack for bigger eyes

For eyes that are doll-like, we’ve been turning to TikTok’s Chinese counterpart Douyin for an eyeshadow technique that really widens the peepers.

@dailyvanity

Here’s how to make your eyes bigger and wider using eyeshadow! The deets are in the article~#makeup #makeuptutorial #aegyosal #biggereyes #eyeshadow #eyeshadowtutorial #douyinmakeup

♬ lo-fi hip-hop9(857398) – kai

The hack involves contouring the eyelids using earthy brown and pink eyeshadow shades, as well as shaping the upper and lower lash lines with dark brown eyeshadow to create an illusion of alluringly wide eyes.

“I don’t usually wear eyeshadow as it always turns out looking messy or dirty. Surprisingly, this hack makes my eyeshadow look so natural and my eyes bigger and brighter,” reveals social media designer Swee Qi.

Try: Etude Play Tone Eye Palette in Peach Gerbera, which retails for S$41.90 on Shopee.

Best TikTok hacks for cheeks

TikTok’s highlighter and lipstick hack for a glowy radiance

If there’s one thing that TikTok has taught us in 2022, it’s that our lipsticks double up easily as a blush whenever we’re in need of ultra-rosy radiance.

This TikTok hack has been letting us don gorgeous shimmer-shot blushes all year round; all we have to do is mix our liquid highlighters and lipsticks on the back of our hands before sweeping the reflective pigment onto the highest parts of our cheeks.

@daniellemarcan

blush made of highlighter and lipstick, just yum :):):). got these both from @bootsuk #ad #makeup #beauty

♬ original sound – DANIELLE

“I use this TikTok makeup hack when I want to wear a cream instead of a powder blush, or when I want to don a shimmery instead of matte formula,” offers senior executive Melissa Loh. “This is also my go-to hack when I like a highlighter a lot but the colour isn’t pink enough for me to rosy up my face.”

“I get to adjust the amount of pinkness or shimmer that I want for my blush depending on my mood. Plus, just by playing around with the amount of highlighter and lip product I mix, I get to experiment with endless blush shades!”

Try:

• Iconic London Illuminator liquid highlighter, which retails for S$40 on Lookfantastic.
• Kylie Cosmetics Matte Liquid Lipstick, which retails for S$26.99 instead of S$30 on Shopee.

TikTok’s blush dotting hack

Whether we wanted a sunkissed flush to go with our cute summer sundresses or chiselled cheeks for #girlboss vibes, TikTok’s treasure trove of blush placement hacks had us covered in 2022.

@alessa.miki

How blush literally changes your face shape #makeup101 #beginnermakeup #blushhacks

♬ Kiss My (Uh Oh) – Anne-Marie & Little Mix

“I used to be afraid of wearing blush as I was scared that I might look ridiculous like Pikachu but, with TikTok’s easy-to-follow blush hack, I now know how to contour my face without overdoing it,” said Swee Qi.

Try dabbing a little bit of blush on the centre of your cheeks and nose for a beach bum flush or high on your cheekbones for a truly lifted look!

Try: Glossier Cloud Paint liquid blush, which retails for S$33 on Shopee.

TikTok’s ABCs of blush hack

TikTok’s “ABCs of blush” hack made us revisit our blush basics in 2022, and it’s what we’ve been keeping in our routines ever since.

“I find it fun to draw letters on my face and compared to the usual method of applying blush on the lower cheeks, the “W” and “C” letters help to visibly lift my face,” says editorial intern Shervon.

The hack involves drawing alphabets on the face to create an assortment of flushed looks. The “W” method sweeps blush from one cheek to the other and across the nose in the shape of the letter for an under-the-sun radiance, whereas the “C” technique draws the alphabet around the eye area for a “hot” and lifted look.

@victorialyn

The ABC’s of blush! Fall editionWhich letter is your fav? #blush #makeup #creamblush #beauty

♬ French Jazz Cafe (Gypsy Jazz Manouche) – SplashStudio

“Even though the hack features a liquid blush, I use a cream blush and dab the product onto my face, following the shapes that I want,” Shervon reveals.

Best TikTok makeup hacks for skin

TikTok’s foundation in water hack

We never would have imagined that TikTok’s weird “foundation in water” hack would be taking a step in our makeup routines, but here we are – and with a dewier skin glow at the end of 2022.

@stxph.h

WILL YOU TRY? MUAs have been doing this trick to add moisture to the skin without excess oil, making the skin look dewy, radiant & long lasting (ib: @Rachel Rigler) #foundationhack #makeuphacks #foundationinwater #testingviralhack

♬ original sound – stephhui

“Foundation often feels chalky on my uneven skin texture. Mixing my foundation in water helps to smoothen the texture of my skin and make my base look more seamless and natural,” shares Shervon.

Shervon’s tip is to ditch the glass for a shallow saucer. “TikTok creators usually use an entire cup of water but I don’t want the mixture to be too watery, so I don’t use a full cup. Instead, I use a shallow bowl and mix water with my foundation in a ratio of 1:4, which gives me the consistency I want for my skin.”

TikTok’s pink concealer for under-eyes hack

The TikTok makeup hack that really hit the nail on the head for freshening dull under-eye circles was the “pink concealer” method that involves mixing just a teensy dot of cream blush in with regular concealer.

“I apply one dot of the Rare Beauty Soft Pinch Liquid Blush in Hope under each eye and two dots of Rare Beauty Liquid Touch Brightening Concealer on both sides. Then, I use a Beautyblender to gently blend them out,” describes Melissa.

@skylerreneee

Ok I’m in love with mixing concealer and blush definitely doing this more #makeuphacks #blush #pinkconcealer #makeuptutorial #makeuptips #makeuphaul #sephorahaul

♬ Under Eye Blush – SPENCER

The blush with concealer technique works to colour correct and brighten the sallow under-eye area as well as lend a more natural glow to the skin.

“I’m already using a blush that suits my skin tone, so when I mix my blush and concealer together, the colour looks good on my face and brightens my dark under-eye circles most effectively,” chips in Melissa. “The best part is that I don’t need to purchase an additional colour-correcting concealer!”

Try:

• Rare Beauty Soft Pinch Liquid Blush, which retails for S$33 on Sephora.
• Rare Beauty Liquid Touch Brightening Concealer, which retails for S$32 on Sephora.

Best TikTok makeup hacks for brows

TikTok’s zig-zag eyebrow hack

As I don’t always make it in time for my eyebrow threading appointments at the salon, getting my brows to look on fleek can be quite a challenge without already-sculpted brows working as a guide.

@mua.alle

HOW DOES THIS WORK #foryou #fyp #brows #browhack #browhacks #makeuphack #beautyhack #hacks #beautyhacks #eyebrows #browsonfleek #greenscreenvideo

♬ original sound – MUA.ALLE

It’s a good thing that I discovered this eyebrow hack in 2022, which involves drawing four lines in an easy zig-zag pattern. The first high point is placed at the start of the brow and the second high point gives a guide to where the arch should be.

The first time I tried it, I was surprised to find that the hack worked to make my brows look so clean and sculpted. Now, instead of filling in the shape with hair-like strokes, I just colour it in with my brow pencil and then use a spoolie to brush out my eyebrows.

Even when I skip my brow appointments, it’s still easy to draw my brows on at light speed in the mornings!

Best TikTok makeup hacks for contouring

TikTok’s finger nose contouring hack

Since I aim to get out of the house fast in the mornings, I’ll try most TikTok beauty hacks that promise to speed up my routine.

The “finger nose contouring” hack uses both index fingers to pick up the contour cream before pressing it in a V-shape at the tip of the nose as well as just under the brow bones. Then, you use another clean finger to blend and join the lines – bam, a truly chiselled nose.

@dailyvanity

Maybe don’t blend as much as I did #nosecontour #nosecontouring #nosecontouringhack #nosecontourtutorial

♬ Pretty Girl – Clairo

Over time, I ditched the finger part of the hack, picked up my Fenty Beauty Match Stix Matte Contour Skinstick in Amber Suede and directly swept the cream pigment onto my nose.

Since the contour stick is skinny enough to lean and be glided against my brow bones, I still use my bone structure as a guide to where the shadows should go. It’s also easy enough to press the stick directly onto the tip of my nose in the same V-shape.

I say, with a good contour stick, you’ll be able to do TikTok’s “finger nose contouring” – sans the fingers, of course.

Try: Fenty Beauty Match Stix Matte Contour Skinstick, which retails for S$49 on Sephora.