8 Genius At-Home Beauty Hacks We're Stealing From TikTok

Once only known for delivering lockdown dance and drama videos, TikTok is now proving to be a valuable place for all plethora of life hacks.

On top of being a hub for sharing interior trends and life-changing sleep hacks, the social media platform has gained a reputation as a resource for all things beauty. 

Users from around the world have revolutionised the skincare and makeup industry, sharing their latest and greatest at-home hacks that are determined to make sure you look your best 365 days of the year (regardless if a majority of that is spent in lockdown) at a fraction of the cost. 

From removing acrylic nails to healing a giant pimple overnight, here are the top beauty hacks from TikTok we can't get enough of. 

8 Genius At-Home Beauty TikTok Hacks 

1. How to get perfect brows 

If your brows now look more like one fuzzy caterpillar instead of two fine ladies, you’ll want to hop onto TikTok’s brow mapping hack. Brow mapping is an eyebrow shaping method that uses your facial features - specifically your nose - to create the perfect structure for your eyebrows. It helps you pinpoint where your brows should start at the inner corner of your eye, arch and the outer end. 

TikTok’s dot method simply uses a brow pencil to help map out these three points.

Firstly, place a brow pencil at the side of the tip of your nose to determine the ideal width of your brows.

While resting the pencil at the side of your nose, slightly tilt it to discover your brow arch and then tip the brow pencil even further outwards to find out where your brow should end.

As you do this, use a pencil to make a tiny dot so you’re left with a ‘brow map’ to fill in.

@muamegs

@gorgyesbeauty did it first 🥰 ignore my frizzy a$$ hair ##browtutorial ##browhack ##facemapping ##browmapping ##TikTokGGT ##makeup ##powerofmakeup

♬ Kiss Me More (feat. SZA) - Doja Cat

2. How to remove acrylic and gel nails

If you happened to get a fresh set of nails right before lockdown, you’re now probably stuck with broken or severely overgrown claws. And as tempting as picking the paint off might be, you want to avoid this at all costs as this can cause serious damage to your nail beds. To provide you with some relief, TikTok user @daniellathenailtech has shared a handy video on how to DIY the removal of acrylic, dip and gel nails with products you probably already have at home. 

All you need is a bowl of uncooked rice, a ziplock bag, dryer sheet, acetone and a nail file. 

Daniella firstly advises you to grab a nail file and remove as much of the product as you can without filing down your nail bed. 

Next, pop the dryer sheets into the ziplock bag and pour in your acetone. She recommends avoiding using nail polish remover as it won’t work and assures the acetone won’t eat through the bag. 

Then, warn up the rice for just over a minute in the microwave so it’s hot and then insert your hand (now encased in the ziplock bag) into the heated rice. Keep your fingers moving around in the bowl, making sure your nails are touching the dryer sheet. The friction against the rice is intended to help remove the product in less than five minutes! 

@daniellathenailtech

How I remove acrylic nails in 5 minutes or less ##xyzbca ##SharkWeek ##acrylicnails ##nails ##fyp ##foryoupage ##soakoff

♬ How You Like That - BLACKPINK

3. How to remove press-on nails

For those whose nail-painting skills are below average, press-on nails are the perfect option to keep your fingers looking fresh and professional. The only problem is the glue-on ones are a pain to remove, which if not done correctly, can leave you with weak, broken nails. 

However, thanks to a video by press-on nail company @bysugarclaws, which has garnered over 6.3 million likes, it's as simple as sitting back while you soak your hand in a bowl of soapy water with a bit of argan oil added. After dipping your hand in a few times, the fake nail should simple come off with ease. 

@daniellathenailtech

HOW TO: Remove acrylic/dip/gel nails quickly ##fyp ##foryou ##xyzbca ##acrylicnails ##artlesson ##nails ##actionlines ##gelnails ##dippowder

♬ Steven Universe - L.Dre

4. How to curl your hair

This zany yet highly effective hair hack with leave you with the most beautiful curls using just a couple of socks. Yes, it sounds like some lockdown-induced madness, but those who have tried the TikTok hack have admitted it really works — even better than a heated curling tool. 

Before bed, grab a few pairs of long socks and start by sectioning your hair into four or five equal sections. Place one sock at the top of your head and secure it with a couple of bobby pins. Separate the hair underneath into two strands and cross them over the top of the sock, then underneath. Continue with this motion until you reach the end of your hair strand. Tie it with a hairband and begin with your next section. Then, head to sleep and in the morning remove all the socks for instant glam curls. 

@seewhatwerenotgonnado

Reply to @sophia.saueressig DUET ME with how yours turned out!! 🤗I want to see them! ##sockcurl ##viral ##diy ##hairhack ##LookalikeEdit

♬ Backyard Boy - Claire Rosinkranz

5. How to remove nail polish

It's the dilemma every at-home nail painter comes across — it's time to remove your toenail polish for one reason or another but you don't want to ruin your manicure while doing so. You've probably tried cleaning it off using a cotton bud, only to realise it's a tedious job. And cotton balls and rounds are too risky to touch once they've absorbed all the remover. So, what's a way around this? A TikTok trend has put another common household item to use: a tampon. 

To remove your nail polish, grab a tampon and remove only the top of the plastic applicator. Pour some nail polish remover into the bottle's lid and soak your tampon in it. Rub the tip of the tampon over your nail and voila! The plastic applicator will act as both a handle and a guard for your manicure.

So simple yet so genius. 

@brailynalexis

Life hack! ##nailtips ##lifehack ##tampon ##fyp ##pedicure ##manicure

♬ Creative - SmiLE

6. How to clean your makeup brushes with things you already own

Sometimes, you just need to clean all your makeup applicators without having to spend extra money on fancy equipment or liquids. 

TikTok user @rhoswencosplay shows you how to do this with a DIY formula that will leave your tools looking and smelling good as new. She firstly mixes a cup of warm water, two tablespoons of white vinegar and one tablespoon of dish soap into a bottle and shakes to combine it all. She then pours a small amount of cleaner into a container and starts scrubbing each brush. It's oddly satisfying.

@rhoswencosplay

When did you last clean your makeup brushes and sponges?! Let’s see before/afters ##makeup ##foryou ##fyp ##clean ##beautyhacks ##cosplaymakeup

♬ DARE - Gorillaz

7. How to instantly soothe a 'giant' pimple

If you happen to have an uninvited friend on your face. @bondenavant is determined to make sure you don't take the squeezing route (unless you want to be left with scarring). The beauty content creator shared a video of her at-home remedy, which is designed to reduce redness, smooth swelling and transform a 'giant' pimple into 'just visible'. 

She firstly steeps a bag of chamomile tea into a mug of boiling water for 10 minutes. She then squeezes out all the liquid from the tea bag and places it on a plate in the freezer for 10 minutes. Once the bag is "cold but not frozen", she uses it as a cold compress on the pimple. The anti-inflammatory, anti-fungal, antibacterial and antiseptic properties of chamomile combined with the cold temperature will help instantly reduce the size of a pimple overnight. 

@bondenavant

##amysclearskintips Don’t pop it! Try this instead.. ##skincaretips ##acne ##beautytips ##acnecheck ##reallifeathome ##homeremedies ##diyproject

♬ Try this on deep painful pimples BONDENAVANT - Bondenavant

8. How to stop hair loss

Hair loss is real, particularly after giving birth — and this was a problem TikTok user @monicacristina experienced. In her viral video, she shares her mum's home remedy that helped stimulate hair growth and stop her postpartum hair loss in a month. 

All she uses is a spray bottle, apple cider vinegar, rosemary and mint. She firstly adds the rosemary and mint in a pot of boiling water for 20 to 30 minutes, and then strains the herb-infused water into a bowl. She adds a capful of apple cider vinegar, mixes it and puts it into the spray bottle. "You're going to spray this onto your hair twice a day and then you're going to make a new batch the following week," she says. The result really speaks for itself.

@monicacristina

Since you guys ask here 1 of the remedies my mom used on me ##postpartumhairloss ##postpartum ##momsoftiktok ##hairlossremedy

♬ Up Beat (Married Life) - Kenyi

Do you have greasy hair? Here, a celebrity hairstylist shares the six steps to training your hair to be less greasy.