TikTok is the ultimate spot for viral beauty trends. It seems like every day, there’s a new DIY or hack going viral, whether it’s jaw contour or blush as under-eye concealer prep. Now, some TikTok users are doing some at-home formulation and using food dye as a DIY lip stain.
If you are on BeautyTok, you’ve probably encountered one of Sarah Wolak’s videos, who’s currently going viral for using food coloring (yes, the kind you get at the grocery store for baking) as a lip stain. Sarah first tried the method after one of her viewers suggested it in the comments section of one of her videos in early July.
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Since then, she has been mixing and matching drops of food coloring on the regular to make stains of different tones and hues and is even taking requests from viewers. In one of her more recent videos, she attempts to make a peachy color. (Spoiler alert: the result is not peachy at all but it’s still a vibe!)
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While Sarah’s videos are going super viral at the moment, other TikTokers have been experimenting with kitchen supplies as makeup for a while, too. Back in February, a video by Tracy Hawchar already shocked viewers with a bright cherry red courtesy of food dye. “I kid you not this stays on all day,” she wrote in her caption.
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Earlier in February, Kirsty Belle also proved the longevity of the coloring with her cherry Popsicle stain as both a blush and a lip stain on her account. “This literally just feels like a normal lip stain. I’m not even kidding,” she told viewers mid-experiment.
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Inspired by Sarah’s videos, user Mangomoniica also had great success with a gorgeous bright red stain.
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However, others have found the method isn’t entirely foolproof. (User Emmarie_Lane discovered that DIY lip stain can get pretty messy!)
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Most of the TikTokers trying out the trend apply the coloring not with their fingers but with a cotton swab for a more precise look.
And, of course, and more and more people try it, it’s normal to be tempted. The results may be stunning, but is it actually safe to use food coloring on your skin as makeup? Probably not on the regular!
It’s food safe, but that doesn’t necessarily make it face-safe. If you’re curious about whether or not this is a trend to try, you may want to consider checking in with your dermatologist before hitting up the baked goods aisle at your local grocery store — or, when in doubt, skip the food coloring and grab a lip stain from the drugstore or Ulta instead!
