Make-up is hardly just a beauty tool—how we choose to look is also a form of self-expression and experimentation. We’ve known this since we were little girls peering into our mums’s cosmetic collections. And while a fixed routine is essential to get you out the door most days, sometimes we just want to zhuzh up our look. Look no further than Douyin, China’s answer to TikTok and a burgeoning hotbed of beauty looks and tricks. The antithesis to the minimalistic Clean Girl aesthetic made popular by stars like Hailey Bieber; the Douyin make-up search tab is full of bright colours, exaggerated features, and tonnes of glitter—leavings lots of room for artistry and the unconventional.
At a glance, it’s playful and fun, but what sets Douyin make-up looks apart is also their emphasis on using products to enhance one’s existing features. The style’s signature characteristics include doe eyes created by strategically applying eyeliner and false lashes, a porcelain-smooth base and exaggerated blush that goes up from the cheeks and over the eyelids—a cultural callback to the painted faces of traditional Chinese opera singers. The lips are reddened into a soft, often glossy pout and contour is used unapologetically to create definition on the nose, a feature that is also highly sought after in other East Asian countries like Korea and Japan. Altogether, the style creates a youthful, doll-like appearance increasingly being spotted on celebrities and influencers alike.
Spice up your go-to daytime look or go all-out glam for a special occasion—whatever it is, it’s worth taking notes from these stunning creations by Douyin’s best.
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Put an electrifying spin on graphic eyeliner
Mix metallic eyeshadows with a graphic eyeliner and top it off with rhinestones to accent the look. A glamorous, playful, and oh-so-pretty by the Chinese beauty creator who’s also amassing a sizeable following on her Instagram account.
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Drip in jewels
Bling up a classic Douyin-inspired look like Blackpink’s Lisa with strategically-placed rhinestones on the face, hair and décolletage.
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Accentuate the eyes
Make those eyes pop with this K-beauty hack. Sweep some darker eyeshadow on your under eyes and top it off with a highlighter to give them the highly coveted aegyo sal appearance. Finish the look off with a natural lip stain and plumping gloss.
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Let the lashes do the talking
An eyelash trend that’s been around for the past year or so, manga lashes give your peepers an exaggerated, almost animated look. Apply individual or cluster lashes in spikes along your top and bottom lash line to give your eyes a doll-like look.
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Opt for 'vampire skin' shine
Channel your inner ice princess with press-on embellishments, pearls and layer a liquid glitter with your foundation (aka vampire skin) for an ethereal glow.
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Balance out an edgy look with sparkle
Try out TikTok’s puppy eyeliner trend and brighten up the inner corners with a glitter eyeshadow for a coquettish spin on the classic smokey eye.
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Give "crying make-up" a twist
Reimagine the ‘crying girl’ make-up trend with bold colours and some shimmer. Instead of sweeping a pink shade over your eyes, nose and cheeks to create that flush, give yourself a more three-dimensional look with a mauve shade on the under eyes and a purple mascara. Top it with iridescent powder on the lids and nose for highlight.
