I Tried 4 Viral TikTok Trends, Including Lube as Face Primer (Yes, Really)

Welcome to I Tried It Month, where we’ll be publishing a new fashion, beauty, or wellness article every day in January that features a first-person account of shaking up an old habit, pushing beyond a comfort zone, or simply trying something new. Follow along for 31 days of storytelling, including everything from going without a cell phone for 40 days to trying the polarizing low-rise-pants trend.

Name: Samantha Pouls

What did you try?

I tried four viral TikTok Trends: the frozen beauty blender, lube as face primer, tying a button-down shirt, and burnt-almond eyeliner.

Why did you try it?

I'm a huge TikTok fan. If you're looking for me past 10 p.m., odds are you can find me endlessly scrolling through my TikTok feed. While the three-hour scrolling addiction is definitely not good for my eyes or my sleep habits, it is good for my fashion and beauty habits. I'm constantly coming across outfit inspo and beauty hacks, but I'm always too lazy to actually try them out. So when we launched our I Tried It series, I thought this was the perfect time to try out some of the viral trends I see every night but am too lazy to actually try on my own.

How did you prepare?

I rewatched the videos on TikTok to make sure I knew what to do and how to get the best results out of each trend. I already had most of the materials I needed, so I didn't need to do a big shopping haul to prepare (even though I wouldn't have complained if I had to). The only extra step I needed to complete prior to beginning one of the beauty hacks was to place my beauty blender in the freezer the night before testing out the routine.

The Frozen Beauty Blender

What happened during the whole process?

For the smoothest result, I suggest placing your beauty blender in the freezer 24 hours prior to trying out the routine. By giving the blender the full day to freeze, it will stay firmer longer, and your foundation will apply more evenly over your face and neck. I used this trick for one week straight, and during that time, I found that more people complimented me on the natural look of my makeup. Not only did I take in the compliments, but I also noticed a difference in my complexion. Before using the frozen beauty blender, my foundation often looked thicker in some spots, and I had a tendency to look very pale. Using the frozen beauty blender made my foundation look more evenly applied, my color did not look as muted, and I even noticed a different glow to my overall look.

Lube as Face Primer

What happened during the whole process?

I'm not going to lie—I was not thrilled about trying this trend out. The idea of putting lube all over my face seemed very strange to me, but the more I scrolled through TikTok, the more I came across the viral trend. So when it came time to try the trends out, I headed to CVS, bought some Durex lube, and prepared to retire my normal face primer. The abnormal trend started with Lukáš Kohutek, but after it went viral, people began to adopt the process. While Kohutek applied the lube directly to his face, fellow TikToker Sean Anthony suggested mixing it in with foundation. I decided to stick with the original version and applied the lube directly to my face. I began at my forehead and slowly started rubbing the lube around. I had to use three "squeezes" to coat my entire face, and I looked very shiny once I was done (unsurprisingly). Next, I applied my foundation. I noticed that I had a harder time applying my base layer because my face was very wet, and the foundation seemed to have a hard time settling. Once I had all of my foundation on, I didn't notice any difference to the overall look of my makeup, but I did notice I ended up using more than I usually do.

Burnt-Almond Eyeliner

What happened during the whole process?

All of the TikToks I saw made this trend look like it was the perfect solution to an easy smoky eye, and since I'm a huge fan of eye makeup, I was the most excited to try this hack out. After putting on my face makeup, I headed into the kitchen to grab an almond and a lighter. I burnt the tip, and after I felt like I had a charred enough edge, I began to trace the burnt tip across my upper eyelash line. At first, I did not see any result, so I tried tracing back over the line. Determined to make this work, I tried burning the almond again. This time, I ended up seeing a faint black line, but I was not able to keep it thin as I got into the corner of my eyelid. The edge of my eye definitely looked like I successfully completed a light smoky eye, but it ended up being too light for my taste.

Tying a Button-Down

What happened during the whole process?

I love button-down shirts. I think they are the perfect closet staple and can be paired with just about anything. The only problem I sometimes have when wearing them is styling the shirt so it doesn't look too long. Enter TikTok. According to various fashion influencers, a button-down shirt can be tied in a specific way so that it pairs perfectly with baggy jeans, and the tie doesn't look too bulky. So one Saturday afternoon, I got out my favorite pair of Good American '90s jeans and my classic white button-down. I buttoned all but the last two buttons and then took the right side of the bottom of the shirt, pulled it back, and looped it through the space between the last button that I had done up. I then pulled back the left side of the shirt and looped it through the same hole but pulled it out and across. The result was a perfect knot that didn't leave a bunch of extra fabric around my waste.

Any challenges?

Applying the burnt-almond liner proved to be the most challenging aspect out of every TikTok trend that I tried. Although lighting the almond was very easy, I found that the trick worked the best right after the tip of the almond was burned. The problem with that is when you light the almond, the tip remains hot for a few seconds, so running it across your eye is pretty dangerous and extremely warm. Another challenge I faced was getting the knot in my shirt to stay in place. Although the knot looked good at first, I had a hard time keeping the strands from looping back out and leaving me with a wrinkled-looking shirt.

Any surprises?

I was pleasantly surprised at how much I loved the look of my makeup after using a frozen beauty blender. Not only did my foundation look even, but the rest of my makeup looked much smoother, and I was able to more clearly see the color of my blush and highlighter.

How did you feel afterward? What types of changes did you notice?

The only change I noticed was that my skin started to have a bad reaction to the lube. After three days of using the product as a primer, my face began to break out on my forehead and lower right jawline.

What did you like about it?

I really loved how natural my makeup began to look after freezing my beauty blender. Although I was definitely wearing makeup, I felt like my face looked more natural and I was able to blend everything in much better than before.

What did you dislike?

Although I loved how effortless my smoky eyeliner looked, I was not a fan of tracing something hot across my eyelid a few times in order to get the result. I also was disappointed that the lube didn't help my makeup stay on longer. I wasn't looking forward to using lube all over my face to begin with, but I was hoping that I would notice somewhat of a difference in my makeup.

Would you try it again?

I definitely plan to keep using the frozen-beauty-blender trend, but I think I'll stay away from the other three. While I really wish that the shirt-tie hack worked, I ended up being more annoyed with having to constantly fix my shirt.

Any advice for anyone who's thinking about trying it?

For anyone who's looking for a way to make their makeup look effortless, I would 100% suggest trying the frozen-beauty-blender trick. I would suggest buying a few beauty blenders at a time and freezing them all at once so you're not rushing to the freezer a few hours before a big night out!

Up next, I Tried Probiotic Skincare for 5 Weeks, and I'm Glowing Like Never Before