TikTok Makeup Trends: What’s Blowing Up in 2025 and What to Try Next
If there’s one place setting the tone for your next makeup haul, it’s TikTok. One minute you’re just scrolling, the next you’re convinced you need a dewy blush that looks like you’ve been kissed by a cherub and a brush that spins on its own. Trends come fast, go viral even faster, and suddenly the way you’ve done your makeup for years? It feels outdated.
But this isn’t just about new products. TikTok in 2025 is all about fresh techniques, smarter tools, and that satisfying before-and-after transformation that makes you double-take. Whether you’re here to glow up, try something new, or just understand what all the fuss is about, you’re in the right place.
Let’s get into it.
Table of Contents
- 1. Cushion Lips
- 2. Butter Skin
- 3. Messy Liner
- 4. Watercolor Makeup
- 5. Soft Yellow
- 6. Ballerina Cappuccina vs Espressona Signora
- 7. Face Taping: The Snatched Hack with Drama Potential
- TikTok’s Most-Wanted: Viral Makeup Products of 2025
1. Cushion Lips
2025 is done with sharp lip lines and glassy precision. The new vibe? Cushion lips: soft, diffused color that looks like you’ve been sipping strawberry soda or just got kissed in a K-drama.
It’s part of the bigger “low-effort but high-impact” wave. Think lip tint or cream blush dabbed onto the center of the lips and blurred outward with a brush, sponge, or (let’s be honest) your finger. The goal isn’t perfection, it’s pillowy softness with just enough color to look fresh.
What’s trending:
- Velvet-finish lip tints and mousse formulas
- Two-toned blends for subtle ombré effects
- Blurring the edges with concealer for that hazy, cloud-like border
Pro Tip: If you’re using a lip mousse or tint, try tapping it on with a brush instead of the applicator. You’ll get a fluffier finish and more control. And yes, some creators are even using their foundation brushes for this, because why not?
2. Butter Skin
We’ve moved past glass skin, dolphin skin, even glazed donut skin. In 2025, it’s all about butter skin, that soft-focus, plush-looking complexion that glows without looking wet. Think velvety, smooth, and hydrated enough to bounce light, but never shiny.
The trick? It’s all in the base. TikTokers are layering serums, creamy moisturizers, and barrier-boosting balms under sheer veils of foundation. Some are even mixing moisturizer directly into their foundation for a custom tint that melts into the skin like a second (but glowier) layer. Powder’s out, and cream products only is the unofficial rule: from bronzer to blush to highlighter, everything should feel like it could slide off a spoon.
Here are a few examples:
It’s dewy, but controlled. Luminous, but not greasy. And it’s giving your skin barrier the love it deserves.
Pro Tip: Use blendSMART rotating brush to glide your foundation or skin tint evenly across all those layers without disrupting the glow underneath. It gives you that soft-blur finish with way less product and none of the patchiness that can come from applying with your fingers.
3. Messy Liner
Precision is out. 2025’s liner trend is intentionally chaotic: smudged wings, uneven lines, and the kind of slept-in smokiness that looks cooler the less you try. Dubbed “messy liner” on TikTok, this look is more about energy than accuracy. And honestly? It’s a relief.
More of a visual learner? Here are some tutorials:
It’s showing up in a few forms:
- Blurry black liner smudged with a Q-tip (or fingertip)
- Undone wings with an edge that fades into your lid
- Tightlined waterlines paired with minimal eyeshadow
- Marker liner scribbles then blended to a haze
And it’s almost always paired with fresh, natural-looking skin, not a full beat. “Fresh skin with a more defined eye is a power move this season,” says makeup artist Hila. The contrast makes your eyes pop without making your whole face feel overdone.
Pro Tip: Use a creamy kohl pencil or gel crayon for this. Anything too stiff won’t blend easily. And don’t stress about symmetry. The charm of this trend is that it looks cooler when it’s just a little unhinged.
4. Watercolor Makeup
If bold contour and sharp cut creases were the power moves of past years, 2025 is all about softness. Enter: watercolor makeup. A barely-there wash of color that looks like it bloomed onto your face.
It’s not about precision, it’s about vibe. TikTokers are layering translucent blush, blurred shadows, and petal-tinted lips to create a flushed, almost fairy-like look that feels ethereal but totally wearable. The color payoff is sheer on purpose, letting your natural skin peek through.
Don’t worry we’ve got a tutorial for you: https://vt.tiktok.com/ZSkdSCUrb/
What makes it work:
- Cream and gel textures only (powders make it patchy)
- Minimal layering to keep it sheer and buildable
- Tools that glide, not drag
Pro Tip: A gentle, diffused brush like blendSMART is perfect for watercolor makeup. It keeps your pigments soft and blended without wiping them away. Use it for blush and cream highlighter to get that cloudlike fade across the cheeks.
5. Soft Yellow
It started as a whisper, a pale wash of yellow on the lids, a pastel pop in the inner corner, and now? Soft yellow is having a full-on moment.
This isn’t neon festival makeup. It’s buttery, muted, and unexpectedly flattering, especially on warmer skin tones. TikTok creators are using it to brighten the eyes, add a subtle contrast to pinks and browns, or create monochrome looks that feel fresh without being loud.
Where it’s showing up:
- Pale yellow cream shadow on bare lids
- Dusty lemon liner paired with dewy skin
- Yellow blush draped across cheeks and temples (yes, really)
It’s playful, it’s mood-lifting, and it’s exactly the kind of color choice that says, “I know what I’m doing,” without screaming for attention.
Pro Tip: Pair soft yellow with glossy lips, brushed-up brows, and skin that’s got a bit of glow to it.
6. Ballerina Cappuccina vs Espressona Signora
If you’ve been on TikTok for more than five minutes, you’ve probably come across the Italian brain rot trend, a playful (and slightly unhinged) aesthetic rabbit hole where personas like Ballerina Cappuccina and Espressona Signora live their overly romanticized, main-character lives. And now? They’ve taken over the makeup scene.
🩰 Ballerina Cappuccina
She’s soft, flushed, and slightly delusional in the best way. Her world smells like vanilla body spray and faint anxiety. Think glowing skin, airy blush, petal-pink lips, and lashes barely thicker than a sigh. Everything is gentle, everything is pastel, and everything says, “I cried a little, but in a poetic way.”
What makes the look:
- Sheer base with a skin tint or glow serum
- High-placed cream blush in pink or peach
- Glossy, overlined lips in ballet slipper tones
- Barely-there shadow and curled lashes
- Messy bun, low ponytail, or braids with a bow
☕ Espressona Signora
She lives in an imaginary espresso bar in Milan and she’s always late (intentionally). Her look is rich, warm, and a little chaotic in a “don’t talk to me before my coffee” way. It’s smudged brown liner, caramel contour, and deep lip tones that say “this is grown woman business.”
What makes the look:
- Bronzed cream base with a sunkissed finish
- Warm-toned blush (burnt orange, brick, or cinnamon)
- Smudged espresso liner and barely-there shimmer
- Deep brown lip liner + gloss combo
- Slicked-back hair, claw clip, or an “I woke up like this” wave
Want to know who you really are? Try both.
Film your version of each look and put them side by side in one TikTok. Want extra drama? Do a split-face version for the ultimate identity crisis reveal.
7. Face Taping: The Snatched Hack with Drama Potential
Some trends go viral for the transformation, others for the drama. Face taping has both. Originally a backstage and editorial trick, it’s now all over TikTok thanks to creators showing side-by-sides of their natural face vs. their suddenly lifted, Bella Hadid-coded after.
The idea: use medical or specialty tape to physically lift and pull back parts of the face (usually the jawline, cheeks, or brows), creating a snatched silhouette that makeup alone can’t fake. Some wear it under wigs or headbands for events, others use it pre-makeup just to feel something.
Where it’s showing up:
- “No filter needed” GRWM transitions
- Tape-as-accessory editorial looks (yes, people are wearing it visibly now)
- Hot takes on beauty standards, aging, and illusion vs reality
It’s controversial, it’s very visual, and, like many TikTok trends, it lives on that blurry line between artistry and body dysmorphia.
Try it (or don’t):
If you’re curious, opt for skin-safe lifting tape and never sleep in it. Test it out for a shoot, costume, or a night out, but skip it for everyday wear. And if it’s not for you? That’s fine too. Sometimes the most powerful lift is just confidence and good concealer placement.
TikTok’s Most-Wanted: Viral Makeup Products of 2025
Some products go viral once. These? They never left the FYP. Whether it’s because they deliver that glow, solve a specific skin panic, or just look cute in GRWMs, here are five products TikTok is collectively hoarding in 2025:
1. Rhode the peptide lip shape
Hailey said “minimal effort,” and the internet said “add to cart.” This liner went viral for its creamy texture, your-lips-but-better tones, and the fact that it pairs perfectly with literally any gloss. TikTokers are using it not just to line, but to fill in the entire lip for a blurred, cushiony look.
2. blendSMART Full Artistry 8-Piece Set
If there’s one brush all over BeautyTok right now, it’s this one. The blendSMART rotating brush handle comes with interchangeable heads for foundation, powder, blush, blending, contouring, and defining, along with a convenient travel case, so you can literally do your whole face without switching tools. It’s a TikTok fav for soft, streak-free finishes, especially with cream and liquid products.
3. BIODANCE Hydro Cera-nol Real Deep Mask
This Korean sheet mask hit Western TikTok like a hydration bomb. It’s soaked in ceramides and panthenol and leaves your skin looking like you just slept for 12 hours and drank eight glasses of water. People are applying it before the foundation for that viral “butter skin” base. And yes, it works.
4. Tower 28 SOS Daily Rescue Facial Spray
At this point, it’s basically skincare Windex. Irritated? Spray it. Breaking out? Spray it. Overthinking your moisturizer? Spray it. Dermatologist-approved and TikTok-beloved, it’s become a must-have for prepping reactive skin before layering makeup.
5. Summer Fridays Lip Butter Balm
Still trending. Still selling out. Still the reason you’re seeing glazed, candy-core lips on every third TikTok. People are layering it over lip tints, blurring it with liner, or using it on cheeks when they’re in a hurry. It smells like vanilla sugar and main character energy.
6. Glow Recipe Watermelon Glow Niacinamide Dew Drops
We’ve hit the "dew is personality" stage of skin prep, and this is the queen. It’s a glow booster, primer, and skincare treatment in one, and the soft pink bottle is basically a status symbol. TikTokers are even mixing it into foundation or patting it over highlighter for max wet-look vibes.
Conclusion
TikTok is where beauty trends are born, remixed, and memed into oblivion, sometimes all in the same week. But if 2025 has taught us anything, it’s that makeup is feeling a lot more playful again. From skin tints to soft yellow shadows to made-up personas with names like Espressona Seniora, this year’s trends are less about following rules and more about trying on moods.
So whether you're here to glow, experiment, or just have a little more fun with your routine, don’t be afraid to make it your own. Mix the looks. Break the rules. Film the video.
And remember: the best part of any trend is deciding how you want to wear it.
Your FYP, Your Face!
