Text by Marie Lodi / Photography by Charlotte Rutherford

For 21of21 , GOOGLE SHOPPING and PAPER came together to break down some of the most memorable shopping moments of 2021 based on Google's trending search data. Although TikTok is known best for propagating a variety of viral dances, it is also the place where beauty trends are born. This year, it drove Google search interest for “freckle pens” by 400%, as well as increased Google search interest for “false eyelashes,” in February and, not-surprisingly, “self-tanning drops” in the US. Below, viral TikTok beauty star Bella Poarch brings the trend to life.

TikTok is like social media’s wild and rebellious cousin who comes over every Thanksgiving for dinner — you never know what they’re going to do, but you just know that no matter what, it’s going to cause a ruckus and be highly entertaining. When it comes to beauty trends, we’ve come to expect the unexpected with viral trends popping up that can make the most jaded internet user say, “Wait, what?”

It’s become absolutely normal for users to rush retailers and unexpectedly make products sell out, regardless of it being new like KVD Beauty Good Apple Foundation, or something that’s existed forever like that Magic Fragrant Shaving Powder (established in 1901). There was the time TikTok users bought out all the hydrocolloid bandages from drugstores, thanks to a hack that uses them to coax out pus from acne pustules, meanwhile, Google search interest for Dr. Jart Cicapair Color Correcting Treatment, a product that combats redness, was up 170% in the US. TikTokers have curled their hair with socks and on radiators, smeared petroleum jelly over their faces in the name of “slugging” and overlined their lips in countless creative ways, along with a million more beauty experiments.

Even more compelling is the fleeting lifespan of a TikTok beauty trend. Once it makes it to other social media apps or pockets of the internet, TikTok usually deems it over and done, allowing a new trend (or two) to take its spot. While many trends have certainly ascended to the mainstream, others are relegated to the small screen of your phone because they are made to be viewed exclusively within the realm of social media.

As we all know, things can look wildly different online than they do IRL. We can bend perception to our liking, thanks to filters, angles, edits, lighting and time, making some beauty hacks and products more impressive than they actually are. A trendy new foundation might seemingly “erase pores” in a well-lit, 30-second TikTok, but it probably won't stand up to outside elements or an eight-hour work day. “Soap brows,” where you take glycerin soap and a spoolie brush and use it to create full brows that stand almost vertically, may look incredible on that TikToker with naturally full brows, but it might feel too crunchy and stiff to wear in the real world. In a way, TikTok (and social media, in general) is its own alternate universe.

Ahead, you’ll find five makeup trends that caught the attention of beauty lovers on TikTok, from fake freckles to rainbow-hued under eye circles. All you have to ask yourself now is, “Will TikTok make me do it?”

Faux Freckles

Want to get that carefree, sun-kissed look that screams eternal youth without risking serious sun damage? Say hello to the faux freckle trend! Fake freckles started popping up in the beautysphere a few years ago, but thanks to TikTok have remained a popular aesthetic. Now, a product like Freck Beauty’s Freck OG, which was created specifically for fake freckles, has become a must-have beauty items. Simply tap your skin with the pen and you’ll get natural-looking freckles.

Fake Eyelashes

Fake eyelashes aren’t anything new, of course, but they’re a good example of how TikTok users can breathe new life into a classic makeup item, whether it’s with a brilliant hack or a must-have product. There was the TikTok user who cut her falsies and applied them underneath her natural lashes throughout different areas of her lash line to create a look that mimicked the otherwise time-consuming (and expensive!) look of eyelash extensions. Aside from clever application techniques, there have been quite a few fake eyelash products that have received the viral-on-TikTok treatment. Many advancements have been made in the fake lashes department, like the ones you dip in water to activate a glue that just allows you to put them on without having to deal with messy leakage, or magnetic lashes (yes magnetic!) which also don't require any glue whatsoever; instead, you use an eyeliner that contains naturally magnetic iron oxide, which adheres to tiny magnets in the lash strip. The future is here, baby!

Exaggerated Under-Eye Bags

One of the great things about TikTok is how users will subvert beauty norms through creative makeup applications, choosing to enhance their “flaws” instead of trying to completely hide them. This year, for instance, they decided to turn tired eyes, dark circles and under-eye bags into cosmetic art rather than covering them up with a heavy-duty concealer. On the app, some makeup enthusiasts decided to emphasize under-eyes using a red eyeshadow or pencil to create that authentically tired look, while others decided to go extreme, using intense glitter and rainbow eyeshadow for a sparkling, technicolor look that’s anything but tired. It may not be exactly the same as going bare-faced and owning your natural dark circles, but it’s fun and certainly a way to kick old-school notions of beauty to the curb. That’s always a good thing.

Lip Wings

You’ve heard of winged eyeliner, but what about lip wings? This take on overdrawn lips allows you to basically look like a Bratz doll come to life. Essentially, all you need to do is take a lip pencil and overline the lips, concealing the cupid’s bow, then extend the liner from the corners of your mouth so they turn upward. The result is full lips that have a lifted appearance, similar to a doll’s smile (though if you aren’t careful you may venture into a “Joker” look). This is definitely one of the TikTok trends that’s better on the app than in real life, but a little clowning around never hurt anybody.

Blush Contouring

Reality TV stars may have helped bring regular contouring to the mainstream consciousness decades after drag queens used it as a transformation tool before performances, but who’s responsible for the blush contouring, AKA blush draping, seen all over TikTok? We’ve got makeup artists from the 1970’s to thank for this trend (seriously, if you need inspiration look up any of the era's iconic stars). The gist is this: Instead of using contour to create the illusion of cheekbones and a more sculpted look, you’ll use blush! (Preferably powder, so there’s more control.) Some TikTokers apply it in a “C” shape from the cheeks to the temples, while others go up around the eyes with varying intensity. (And, of course, there's no judgment at all if you want to go full Studio 54 with an over-the-top ‘80s-style blush.)

VP of Production & Casting: Katie Karole, Executive Creative Director: Jordan Bradfield, Digital Director & Casting: Justin Moran, Art Director: Malcolm Mammone, Managing Editor (21of21): Laia Garcia-Furtado, Managing Editor (PAPER): Eliza Weinreb, Producer: Roberto Escamilla-Garduño, Photographer, Video Director: Charlotte Rutherford (at S37), DP: Lance Williams, AC: Alicia Afshar, Stills Assistant: Gustavo Soriano, Digitech: Kevin Kozicki, Color: Ryan McNeal at RKM Color, Sound: Will Vaughan, Graphics: Sam Hains, Cleanup: Felix Geen, Stylist: Cody Allen, Hair: Fitch Lunar, Makeup: Natasha Severino, Nail: Natalie Minerva, Set Designer: Eric Vidmar