The unstoppable rise of the social media beauty “gurus” has undoubtedly changed the face of the beauty industry as we know it. Whilst many of them are seasoned professionals that provide their followers with priceless nuggets of beauty wisdom, there are countless others that quite frankly deserve to be slapped with a wet face cloth.
From using hard-boiled eggs as beauty blenders to using hairspray as a makeup setting spray (yes really), please enjoy this flaming trash can of internet beauty blunders.
Using Food as Makeup
Time and time again I come across insta-folk trying to push using “natural” alternatives to makeup. Cocoa powder as bronzer, beetroot as a lip stain, corn starch as a setting powder, Oreos as mascara. Or the other eye roll-inducing trend of using food to apply your makeup. Is it fun to watch a grown human smear foundation across their face using a hard-boiled egg? Sure. Is it effective or in any way necessary? Heck no! Last time I checked our favourite beauty outlets still had plentiful stocks of sponges and brushes, and shelves and warehouses bursting with perfectly safe and effective cosmetics.
Kitty Litter Face Mask
Kitty Litter Face Mask
It’s true clay-based kitty litters often contain bentonite and silica, two ingredients found in many face masks that are specially formulated to absorb surface oils and create a barrier to trap moisture in the skin. But they also contain an abrasive selection of odour-masking ingredients to cover the stink of CAT POOP. So, is it really acceptable to be stealing feline toilet products when there’s an endless array of perfectly good clay-based face masks designed specifically for humans? No it isn’t. Step away from the litter tray.
Wasabi Lip Plumper
People have been obsessed with pillowy lips long before Kylie Jenner swore down that it was the magic of the humble lip liner that caused her lips to suddenly balloon in size. In the never-ending hunt for plumper pouts, the braver beauty experimenters boldly ventured into the realm of inflammatory ingredients to give themselves that bee-stung look. Chili and cinnamon contain irritants that can cause the tissue they come into contact with to swell, which is why lip plumping glosses often contain chemicals derived from these ingredients to effectively plump lips. However there were a few beauty hackers out there that recommended wasabi as an equally effective alternative, which isn’t quite the case. When grated wasabi produces allyl isothiocyanate, a chemical compound which stimulates the mucus membranes in the nasal passage rather than the tongue, which incidentally makes sushi a great option for when you have a cold or a stuffy nose, not quite so effective when you’re after fuller lips though.
Burning Split Ends Off with a Candle
When Alessandra Ambrosio posted a picture of herself undergoing “velaterapia“, a Brazilian technique which uses a burning candle to singe off split ends, it awakened the little pyromaniac inside beauty lovers around the world. Unsurprisingly, there is literally no benefit to burning off split ends rather than using a pair of scissors. On the contrary, much like how burning your hair with a pair of straighteners or curling tongs can cause split ends, burning it with ACTUAL FIRE can do the same damage, if not worse.
Using Hairspray to Set Makeup
I’m all for using “heavy duty” products to set your face before a big event or a long day of running around, but literally lacquering your face with hairspray is next level stupid. Aside from the unbearable sticky and tight feeling it’ll leave behind, hairspray contains irritants, alcohols and lacquers that will dry out your skin, making you look dehydrated and old. Shout out to the blackheads and angry, inflamed pimples it’ll leave behind too.
I love this post. Thanx!
And the worst thing is: is that they get paid (a lot!) for this nonsens! Grab, fake followers, and wrong info…. the good news is: a lot is going to change. A lot of brands want their money back!
– and it happens already!