I Tried 6 of Spring's Most Viral TikTok Trends and Had My Friends Rank Them

I allow myself about 10 minutes of TikTok time every day: I watch TikToks while I brush my teeth and do my skincare routine, and anything longer makes me feel like I'm melting my brain. I'm not exactly the friend that you can make a TikTok reference to. Still, as a beauty editor, I like to keep up on the trends—these days, TikTok is the place to find out burgeoning beauty trends before they really hit the mainstream.

I took to TikTok to learn some of the most popular beauty trends of spring 2023. From white eyeliner to "angel eyes" to bright lipstick, this year is certainly set to be a fun one in the makeup realm, according to TikTok. 

While it may be fun to watch TikToks on beauty trends, the real question is if they're actually wearable in day-to-day life (or if they even look good outside of a phone screen). I enlisted the help of my three best (and most honest) friends to tell me which trends are hit or miss in the real world. Keep reading for the trends I tried and my friends' unfiltered thoughts on each of them. 

White eyeliner

White eyeliner has been getting a lot of attention lately thanks to TikTokers like Alix Earle. If you, like me, remember reading about this hack in old issues of magazines like Seventeen as a child, you'll know white eyeliner to make eyes appear wider is nothing new. I've never hopped on the white eyeliner trend, and I now remember why—I think it can look really pretty in photos, but in real life, it just doesn't translate for me, though it definitely does make your eyes look bigger. "White eyeliner doesn't do it for me," my friend said. 

Underpainting

The viral Mary Phillips makeup hack. Once the internet learned that this is how Hailey Bieber contours, everyone went wild. I personally love how seamless it makes my makeup look, but contouring in general can definitely have the effect of making people look older (as my friends noted), so tread carefully. When trying this hack at home, opt for a cream contour and a lighter-coverage foundation, since heavier foundations will cover up the contour. Contour should always be cool-toned—not warm toned—as they are meant to mimic shadows. 

Angel eyes

Angel eyes are all about soft, shimmery makeup products. I tried this look out for size with lilac-toned cream eye shadow that I blended out to give it a diffused-looking effect. The result was ethereal, and a clear winner among my friends. 

Shimmery skin

As my friend said, "I would pay money to have my skin look as dewy as Hailey Bieber." With the right makeup, you can have reflective skin in no time. I like using a super-dewy skin cream with a shimmery base to give my skin a glow that could probably be seen from outer space. 

Bold Lips

Bold lips are a crowd-pleaser. This was the clear winner in my group chat, and luckily, it's also the simplest! Bold lips are ideal if you want to look put together and chic in a pinch. 

"I'm Cold" Makeup

"I'm cold" makeup is essentially using makeup to give yourself that just came in from the snow flush. Go heavy on blush and add some to the tip of your nose to give yourself a wintery glow. My friends loved this look, and it's ideal for when you want to look effortlessly done up. 

Next: I'd Gatekeep This Dark Hair–Friendly Dry Shampoo, But It's Too Good Not to Share