All Sold Out
**Note from the Argus: Emily is a fully trained and certificated makeup artist and hairstylist. She also has other certifications within aesthetics, and has worked in the industry for seven years.**
TikTok has given us many trends, hacks and tricks that make our lives easier and keep us looking for more ways to do so. But how many of them actually work and are they worth the time we spend looking for them? One of our team members, certified in a number of cosmetics, tested out the beauty hacks and products that are all the rage online.
CeraVe Products: These are not new to the market, and in Canada still cost over the $15 price point. Regardless of that, they are nearly always sold out. These products are good for a basic routine, with no active ingredients and very few allergens. The entire line works extremely well for a daily routine, but these products will not necessarily magically heal your skin of every single problem. What they will do is keep your skin clean, hydrated and possibly help with texture depending on what products you use with them. The products are extremely basic, but have great textures, minimal smell and good price points. These products have countless good reviews but if you have a routine that works for you, they’re not worth switching over. 9/10.
Lash Perm: At-home lash perming caught my eye the second it came up. Lash perming (or lash lifts) is a service that ranges from 60-100 dollars in Ontario and only lasts about six weeks. People who provide this service do not necessarily need to be trained, but many do have the training that backs up the cost. Amazon sells an at-home kit by Iconsign for $26.99 that will likely be good for 4-8 uses depending on how you use the supplies given. A lash lift is similar to a hair perm, in that it uses chemicals to break down and rebuild the bonds in your eyelashes to give a curl much like what one might also achieve with a lash curler (though as the name suggests, this certainly lasts longer).
Usage: The kit comes with basic instructions that include pictures to show you what to do. This kit works well: it does what it needs to do, but it’s also fussy. You need strong glue to stick lashes to lash pads, and the glue included wasn’t very effective. Sticking the lashes up is by far the hardest and most time-consuming part: though, the results after 20 minutes of sticking your lashes up and 20 minutes of processing reflect what can be seen in all the online videos. The lashes were indeed lifted and stayed that way even after wearing mascara and washing it off. It does need to set for 24 hours, though, so keeping them dry or product-free during that period is crucial. 7.5/10
No Heat Hair: This concept is not new: it has been a trend on YouTube and Tumblr for years; but with everyone living in a pandemic, it makes sense that it would resurface. There are many ways to do this, though the TikTok trend involves wrap your hair in a robe or towel, tying it, and twisting your hair around it. This does work, but depending on how well your hair curls with heat, different levels of care will need to be taken. If your hair curls extremely well, you should use a bit of oil and wait for dry hair beforehand: doing so will get you those nice waves and keep your hair shiny. If your hair does not normally curl well, you will need to do it wet, or at least damp. Doing it this way will allow bonds to form around it–though there’s no guarantee you will get the results you want, and you’ll need to make sure your hair is dry before you take it out. Regardless, leaving this on overnight will get you best results. It can be uncomfortable to sleep in and I still personally needed to curl the parts about my face, but the result is cute, and much like leaving your hair in braids overnight. Due to the inconsistency of results between hair types, I give this a 6/10.
L’Oréal Face Powder: I will say it over and over again if you have texture this will make you hate your skin. The coverage is amazing but because it’s a powder it will cling to dryness and any texture your skin has. This will work for many people even more so those following a skincare routine who have a lot of moisture or people with oily skin. It is beautiful over top of a tinted moisturizer and applied with a light fluffy brush on almost everyone who suits their colour range. There are only 15 shades and it is cost-effective being under 22.00 in retailers such as shoppers drug mart and Walmart. In Canada, though drugstore makeup does have pretty steady price hikes and loreal makeup is one of the highest-priced brands within stores. 5/10 it is pretty average but great coverage.
TikTok, like most social media, will give you some amazing tips, tricks and recommended products. However, it’s best to take them with a grain of salt; the success of many of them vary based on individual needs, and will rarely actually be a routine-changer. Trying them out is fun and exciting, especially during a pandemic: and you might love most of it! All-in-all, these products and tips work as well as they ever have. I found the lash perming kit to be the best choice out of the ones I tried, since it’s cost-effective compared to the professional service and works well enough if you have the time to do it.