‘Genius' lip liner hack guarantees a long-lasting look — but experts say it's iffy: ‘Get that off your face'
Makeup influencers across the globe are lining their lips with Sharpies — yes, the same ones you'd find in a school supply drawer — leaving viewers both mesmerized and mortified.
The bizarre beauty hack started making the rounds this month, with TikTokkers swiping on the bold, inked-up look (rather than lip liner like the rest of us) and sparking a viral frenzy.
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One gutsy glam gal, Rachel Carlisle (@rachelmadisoncarlisle), took to TikTok and casually traced her pout with a pink Sharpie from the brand's 'precious gemstones' collection — like it was just another drugstore lip liner.
'Sharpies are non-toxic — at least, this one is,' she said in the clip and added that her pout looked 'super, super pretty' afterwards.
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Many users in her comments section agreed. 'It looks so good!!' one wrote beneath the video that showed Carlisle blending in the Sharpie marks and adding a similarly colored lip gloss over it to top it all off.
Another added that the hack was 'honestly genius' as someone else commented, 'looks stunning on u babe.'
Other detractors weighed in as one advised, 'Get that offf your face girl' and someone else urged, due to a Sharpie's permanent nature, 'just don't make a mistake.'
Another TikTokter, Kaitlyn Curtis (@kaitlyn.curtis2), gave the off-the-wall trick a whirl — claiming she reached for the Sharpie because she was considering getting her lips 'blushed.'
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Her recent video shows Curtis coloring in her pout with the marker as a DIY test run for lip blushing — a semi-permanent tattooing procedure that adds a tinted flush using pigment and a cosmetic tattoo gun.
Before going under the needle, Curtis wanted to see if the marker method could do the trick.
Just like Carlisle, she smudged the marker like a lip liner, slicked on some gloss to seal the deal — and shockingly, she was 'actually impressed' with the results, according to her caption.
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Others in the comments weren't as dazzled.
'Abbbbbbbsolutely naht. With a damn Sharpie?!?' one asked as another replied, 'I fear that is dangerous.'
One other inquired, 'Is this rage bait?' as someone else wrote, 'omg. So bad.'
4 The wacky beauty hack blew up this month, with TikTokkers ditching lip liner and grabbing Sharpies instead — setting off a viral frenzy of inked-up pouts.
@ lebaneseangel22, / TikTok
4 Makeup mavens around the world are lining their lips with Sharpies — yep, the same markers from your pencil case.
@makeupwithlaetitia / TikTok
Regarding the trend's popularity, one wrote, '@Sharpie this is like the 5th video I've seen of people using your markers as a lip liner…. I think this might be your moment to move on over to beauty.'
So, is scribbling on your smoocher with a Sharpie actually safe? Skincare pros have some thoughts.
Jamie Alan, PhD — a pharmacology and toxicology pro at Michigan State — told Well+Good the appeal is simple: Sharpies don't smudge and they stick around.
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However, the expert warned that doctors 'have no idea' what happens when you regularly use Sharpie on your skin — and anything on your lips can easily end up in your mouth.
4 Docs say they 'have no idea' what repeated Sharpie use does to your skin — and remind beauty daredevils that what goes on your lips can end up in your mouth.
azrisuratmin – stock.adobe.com
'We have no idea what can happen if you constantly ingest small amounts of this daily,' she explained.
And don't be fooled by the 'non-toxic' label — Dr. Ife J. Rodney, a derm and founder of Eternal Dermatology + Aesthetics, told the outlet that claim doesn't hold up when you're using a Sharpie as lip liner.
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It's only 'non-toxic' when used 'correctly, like on paper, not on your skin,' the doctor said.
Dr. Joshua Zeichner, head of Cosmetic & Clinical Research at Mount Sinai, told the publication a Sharpie probably won't kill you — but that doesn't mean it's a great idea.
He stressed that the ink from Sharpie markers is 'generally considered to be safe if it comes in contact with the skin and relatively non-toxic if ingested.'
Experts are pretty clear: stick to actual lip liner — not your office Sharpies — if you want a flawless pout.
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4 Experts say to leave the Sharpies at your desk and line your lips with real makeup if you want your pout to pop — safely.
starush – stock.adobe.com
Looking for a legit hack? As previously reported by The Post, celebrity makeup artist Kathie Janes Hughes revealed that the secret to a perfect line is using the lipstick bullet backward for 'more control.'
She explained in a viral TikTok clip that the flat part of the applicator makes for a messier, 'cumbersome' swipe, while the backward method keeps things neat with 'reduced visibility.'
Because when it comes to beauty hacks, it's better to draw the line — not with a Sharpie.
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