Lipstick is no doubt one of the more versatile products in your makeup bag. Not only can it be applied to lips in a number of ways (painted on, patted on, or blended with other shades) but it can also double up as a blush and, at a push, eyeshadow if you’re going for a monotone makeup look.
But now, people on TikTok are using lipstick to create an entire makeup look from start to finish – yes, that includes for concealer, contour, and even foundation. We’re not sure exactly why people are attempting this feat, but it’s safe to say that it’s not so much a genius makeup hack as a relatively random challenge — often with hilariously disastrous results.
To try it yourself, you’ll need a number of different shades and textures of lipstick. For your base, you’ll need a shade that is as close to your skin tone as possible and preferably a lightweight texture to avoid blocking up your pores entirely. As for contour, try a brown hue with a matte finish and when it comes to blush, the brighter the better.
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Most attempts are, unsurprisingly, not hugely successful. TikTok creator Helin Doski has over 49 million likes on her makeup tutorial videos, and it’s safe to say she’s a dab hand when it comes to mastering trends. However, when she attempted to apply a full face of lipstick, things didn’t go so smoothly.
“I really don’t know about this, guys,” she worries at the end of the video. “I don’t know how this is going to blend out.” Next, in part two, Helin admits defeat before managing to salvage the look by using the lipstick as “underpainting”, which is a similar technique to applying a color corrector prior to base makeup.
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“I don’t know what I was thinking, it’s too dark,” she admits. “Obviously, this is a fail but I have an idea. This could work well as underpainting, so let’s add some foundation and concealer.”
She then brightens the under-eye area with a creamy concealer and applies a touch of foundation to the cheeks, chin, and forehead. “It looks so good! What is going on? Guys, I just powdered and my makeup looks flawless.”
She finishes up by reapplying some lipstick to very precise areas, including a glossy shade to the bridge of her nose and inner corners of her eyes, as well as a deeper shade to the eye line and brows to add definition.
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Not everyone had such trouble, though. Model and makeup pro Natalie Violette went for a more careful interpretation of the trend, using a minimal amount of lipstick in just the right places. “Starting with my brows, I have a very dark brown lipstick. It might be a little too light, but I don’t have anything darker so we’re just going to work with it,” she says. “I’m high-key loving the consistency of this.”
Next, in part two, she blends a deep orange shade into cheekbones for contour. “This is actually blending better than most contour I’ve used,” she notes. “I was really not expecting it to look this good.”
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For blush, Natalie chooses a warm pink lipstick and blends it out with a sponge. “It’s gorgeous! It’s actually coming out so cute.”
Although she could have easily finished there for a balmy no-makeup-makeup look, Natalie went bold with a two-tone orange and pink eyeshadow look and a deep magenta shade on her lips for a full-on ’80s vibe.
We’re not sure where we stand, but we’re tempted to give it a go…
This story originally appeared in Glamour UK.
