Pat McGrath’s Perfect Lipstick Application Trick and More TikTok Beauty Hacks
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From hacking a fuller hairline to trying the “demi” makeup method, here are the TikTok-approved beauty tricks I learned this month.
We’re months deep into our TikTok beauty hacks column, and spoiler alert: it keeps on getting better and better. There’s never a shortage of makeup tips (like makeup-proofing your sunglasses) and hair hacks (like how to fix fraying ribbons) coming from the app, and they never disappoint. This time around, we’re kicking things off with a trick for perfect lipstick application used by makeup artist extraordinaire Pat McGrath herself, plus four more makeup and hair hacks we think you’ll love. You know the drill, scroll on for the best TikTik beauty hacks we learned this month.
Perfect lipstick application, the Pat McGrath way
As far as makeup goes, there’s no ones advice we trust more than the one and only Pat McGrath. When a clip from McGrath’s Vogue World tutorial appeared on our TikTok feed, we knew better than to scroll on and miss the chance to take notes from the makeup mogul herself. McGrath’s perfect lipstick application trick reminds us that sometimes, the best tool an artist can use is their fingers.
In the clip, Jenne Kuchera, a fellow makeup artist and member of McGrath’s glam team, explains how McGrath uses nothing but her fingertips to achieve a perfect lipstick application, every single time. “She takes her finger, works the product in [on the back of her hand], and then just stamps the lipstick on,” she explains. “I feel like Pat is the only one of the artists that does this technique—where she really does a perfect lip only with her finger.” In doing so, this form of application creates a flawless, feathered effect. “It doesn’t have this hard, crayoned-on technique and look to it. It’s this kind of softness and elegance to the lip that’s very ‘Pat,’” says Kuchera.
McGrath then explains that this perfect lipstick application technique is something she has always done, and it’s ultimately all about getting the right amount of pigment by using her fingers. “And like I said, back in the day whenever you did a red lip it was really hard lined. The red lip wore you, you didn’t wear the red lip,” she shares. “When you do it with the fingers, it’s like it becomes part of you and it’s really magical and beautiful and soft.”
Put McGrath’s method to the test using one of her very own lipsticks. This MatteTrance lipstick by Pat McGrath Labs is the same product featured in the above TikTok, and it’ll give your lips a kiss of red-hot colour with a luxurious, mattified finish.
Hack a sparse hairline with a brow pencil
Whether you’re still recovering from postpartum hair loss or you’ve simply done one too many slicked-back buns, a thinning hairline can sneak up on any of us. You may have considered shopping for hair sprays and powders to fill in those sparse problem spots, but what about something you may already have in your makeup bag? This hair hack posted by influencer Naomi Genes may just change the way you use your brow pencil forever.
All you’ll need to do is grab a brow pencil in a shade that matches your hair colour (which is likely one you’re already using on your brows—unless you’ve dyed your hair another colour) and draw on strokes along the hairline where your hair looks the thinnest. To blend the pencil strokes in with your hair, follow up with a boar bristle brush and watch those sparse spaces vanish. “Spray and powder look so unnatural. This blends like a dream,” writes Genes in the caption of the video. We couldn’t agree more.
Where brow pencils are concerned, few do it better than Anastasia Beverly Hills. This Brow Wiz pencil is a tried-and-true classic for brows, and it’ll do the trick for this hair hack, too. Whether you’re blonde, brunette, or auburn, there’s a shade that can match any hair colour.
Smooth ponytail bumps with a comb
One of the ultimate beauty pet peeves is thinking you’re about to secure the sleekest, chicest ponytail — only to realize it’s been ruined by bumps of hair peeking through. To quote one TikTok user in the comments of the above TikTok post, “I once cancelled plans bc I can’t get my ponytail right.” Felt.
Toronto-based influencer Serena Thompson’s ponytail hack post has amassed over 12 million views on TikTok since the beginning of the month, and it’s singlehandedly saving ponytails everywhere. In the clip, hairstylist Cindy Duplantis walks us through how to rid our hair of those pesky bumps. “Just take a metal tail comb and you just slide it on top of the hair [over the bump] like that. Just slide it along and those bumps go back under,” she explains. “Keep doing that until they disappear.” Ponytail crisis averted!
As per Duplantis’ recommendation, a metal tail comb is key for this trick. We recommend CHI’s Ionic 13 Turbo Metal Tail Comb to help you smooth out those stubborn bumps. Who knew it’d cost less than $10 to perfect a ponytail?
Skip foundation and balance your skin with the “demi” makeup method
Though there has been an uptick in new foundation and concealer launches, we’ve been intrigued by the “Demi method” of applying makeup. Anyone who veers more toward that minimalist makeup look will feel compelled to try this trend, too. In the caption of her TikTok video, natural makeup specialist Paige Sevier explains that it’s a four-step process which eliminates the need for foundation and uses complementary colours to neutralize and tone your skin without that heavy makeup texture.
Step one begins by adding colour to the face with darker, bronze-y shades around the perimeter and contours of the face. “It’s much easier to add a little bit of dark in the lighter areas of your face than to completely brighten all of the dark points of your face,” explains Sevier. Step two, she adds, is not absolutely necessary, but it’s an opportunity to use those same toning shades to add more definition as you would with contouring. The third step is where you can incorporate your blush. “Yes, I’m doing this all before the under eyes and covering dark spots of acne,” she says. The “filtering” or concealing process comes in at the fourth and final step, where you then balance the colour around your eyes and overtop blemishes with colour correctors. If this doesn’t make a case for the “less is more” mantra, we don’t know what does.
Make Up For Ever’s HD Skin Cream Contour and Highlight Sculpting Palette is a one-product dream for a hack like this. Since you’ll be working with so many different steps and tones to help balance out your skin, a palette like this one with an assortment of concealer, contour, and highlight shades is a must-have.
Use your LED face mask on your… scalp?
High-tech skincare devices have been all the rage as of late, but have you ever considered using your LED face masks on your scalp? If you haven’t, this TikTok may just convince you that you should. “Just like your skin, your scalp needs extra blood flow and collagen stimulation in order to function at its peak and be its healthiest,” explains Devon Kelley in her TikTok post. She credits the use of this mask on her scalp as the reason for her new hair growth, and explains in the comments that she uses it on the top of her head for about nine minutes, five times a week.
According to Dr. Dennis Gross, the brand behind the mask Kelley uses in her video, the use of LED light therapy on the scalp doesn’t necessarily promote growth itself, but it does help with scalp inflammation which can create an “unhealthy” environment for hair to grow in. By eliminating inflammation, your hair can thrive in a healthier habitat, and will therefore be more likely to grow.
While there are already hair brushes on the market with built-in LED lights, using the face mask you already own will save you from spending even more. If you have one, you know that these face masks tend to lean on the more expensive side, so consider this one more way to justify making that big purchase.
Get the best of both skin and haircare according to this hack, with your very own LED face mask. As seen in the TikTok, this option from Dr. Dennis Gross is pricey but well worth the splurge.
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