There are plenty of makeup techniques that are put forward on the internet as legitimate hacks, but few actually qualify as such. In my eyes, hacks are supposed to save you time, introduce you to a new way of doing something, or utilize a product in a fun and unintentional way.
When I recently came across a new setting powder eyeliner hack on TikTok, I was pretty skeptical. In the video, influencer Melis Cifcili loads up a triangular powder puff with some loose setting powder and rubs the tip of the tool in bronzer. When she sets her concealer, she simultaneously uses the puff to add a sultry lower-lash eyeshadow, creating a smoky eye in one go.
For my lifestyle, my beauty looks have to be quick and convenient – ideally completed in less than five minutes – so if there’s a way that I can cross off two things in one go, sign me up. Keep reading to see how my version of the hack looked.
To start, I gathered my products: the Make Up For Ever HD Skin Setting Powder ($43), the Nars Laguna Bronzing Powder ($40) in shade 06, and the Beauty Blender Power Pocket Puff ($18). After applying a skin tint and some concealer, I dipped the puff into the setting powder and rubbed the tip into my bronzer. As I usually do, I set the area with small tapping motions to press the powder into the skin, keeping the tip directly under my eye to avoid getting bronzer in the middle of my cheek.
The results blew me away after doing just one side. My lower-lash line looked sultry but daytime-appropriate, and the shadow brought out the chocolate color of my eyes. I am typically someone who only accentuates my eyes using black eyeliner, so I was shocked at how much I liked the softness of the brown eyeshadow under my eyes. I completed the hack on the other eye using even more powder and bronzer to see if the technique would work the same for baking, and I can confirm it does. However, that negates the beauty of this technique: combining two steps of your makeup routine using one tool.
As you likely gleaned from the grin on my face and the glee in my eyes, this hack is completely worth the hype. The results make you look like you put in much more effort than you actually did. If you’re like me and have a hectic schedule, this time-saver is a must.
Ariel Baker is the assistant editor for POPSUGAR Beauty. Her areas of expertise include celebrity news, beauty trends, and product reviews. She has additional bylines with Essence and Forbes Vetted.
