“I discovered it on TikTok!” is something I say more often than I’d like to admit. But let’s be real, many of the buzzy TikTok makeup products—plus skin care, hair, fragrance, and wellness finds—are shockingly good.
Our Top Picks
- The Hot Tool: GHD Rise Hot Air Hair Brush, $189
- The Pore-Refining Essence: CosRx Snail Mucin 96% Power Repairing Essence, $25
- The Hair-Growth Oil: Mielle Rosemary Mint Scalp & Hair Strengthening Oil, $9
- The Delectable Perfume: Sol de Janeiro Brazilian Crush Cheirosa ’62 Fragrance Mist, $38
- The Tinted Sunscreen: Colorescience Sunforgettable Total Protection Face Shield Flex, $49
- The Eyeshadow Palette: Makeup by Mario Master Mattes Eyeshadow Palette, $50
Gen Z is rather passionate about honesty and transparency, so when something goes viral, you know it has to be legit. If a product isn’t truly worth your bucks, it certainly won’t get the TikTok seal of approval. Young people have spoken, and we’ve listened and rounded up all the best beauty goodies—some that TikTok made us buy, others that sold out so quickly we couldn’t get our hands on, and more that our peers can’t stop raving about. From K-beauty finds to must-have lip treatments, here are the viral TikTok makeup, skin, hair, and fragrance products that reigned supreme in 2023.
Mielle Rosemary Mint Scalp & Hair Strengthening Oil
- Why We Love It: Let the record show that rosemary oil for hair growth is a real thing—the most prominent product of which is Mielle’s hair oil. Though the elixir is by no means new, it rose to virality this year for its ability to promote thicker, longer, stronger tresses with consistent use.
- Beauty Benefits: “Rosemary oil’s anti-inflammatory properties help to reduce scalp irritation, dandruff, and itching, providing a more optimal environment for healthy hair growth,” Zayn Majeed, hair surgeon at Harley Street Hair Clinic, told Vogue. Just massage this blend of rosemary, mint, and biotin to the scalp or down the hair shaft to experience its benefits.
CosRx Snail Mucin 96% Power Repairing Essence
- Why We Love It: There’s something about this CosRx collection that TikTok just adores. Perhaps it’s the intrigue of snail mucin—a mainstay in Korean skin care for its ability to refine pores and hydrate. In any case, this essence finds itself the subject of praise again and again for that very reason.
- Beauty Benefits: To adequately nourish your skin, layering on the hydration is key. Enter the CosRx essence. When sandwiched between cleanser and serums, this slimy textured elixir sinks right into skin, helping boost moisture levels, calm inflammation, and smooth unwanted texture.
Summer Fridays Lip Butter Balm
- Why We Love It: As a lip-gloss fanatic, I have been so excited for all the lip-gloss buzz this year. A personal favorite that TikTok convinced me to buy is the Summer Fridays Lip Butter Balm. Cofounders Lauren Ireland and Marianna Hewitt sure do know a thing or two about making a cult-favorite product, so I am in no way surprised this balm is so damn good.
- Beauty Benefits: The number one rule of a gloss-finish lip product is that it should not be sticky. Check. This balm has a silky finish that envelops lips in much-needed moisture thanks to shea and murumuru-seed butters. If the hydration and shine benefits weren’t enough, Lip Butter Balm is available in seven beautiful shades, from a delicate pink to a rich brown. Oh! And they all smell good too.
Colorescience Sunforgettable Total Protection Face Shield Flex
- Why We Love It: Finding a great tinted sunscreen is both an art and science: It should contain adequate SPF (30 is the threshold!) to properly shield UV rays while imparting light-to-medium makeup coverage. In evaluating the market’s leading formulas, we found the Colorescience Sunforgettable Total Protection Face Shield Flex to be the best all-around.
- Beauty Benefits: Over the last month or so, I kept getting served videos of users testing it out for the first time. Like them, I was surprised how the SPF goes on white but then adapts to your skin tone as you massage it in. Plus, the coverage is quite good. It’s honestly so intelligent—and satisfying. My only note: The shade range is limiting, with shade Deep more caramel latte than deep chocolate.
Mediheal Madecassoside Blemish Pad
- Why We Love It: Nowadays, it seems like everyone wants a quick fix to treat their skin concerns—which is why the internet took to the Mediheal toner pads with lightning speed. A collection of seven different treatments, these thin, vegan fiber pads are formulated with an array of potent ingredients to treat everything from acne and inflammation to pore size and dryness.
- Beauty Benefits: The brand’s Madecassoside Blemish Pad seems to be the most sought-after. Here, centella asiatica, niacinamide, glycerin, rosemary oil, madecassic acid, allantoin, and a host of other calming agents come together to reduce acne and dark spots. Just apply as you would a face mask, directly to areas of concern (like the forehead, cheeks, or chin), leave on for 15 minutes, then massage the remaining serum into your skin. Many users saw improvements in just two weeks with consistent use.
GHD Rise Hot Air Hair Brush
- Why We Love It: Bouncy, voluminous hair never goes out of style, and TikTok is sure to circulate tricks and tools that can help achieve your desired look. Over the last few months, this device by GHD has been all the rage. Getting the look you’re after is as simple as literally brushing your hair.
- Beauty Benefits: Unlike the blow-dry brushes you’re accustomed to, this doesn’t actually use air. The 1.25-inch barrel is heated to 365 degrees Fahrenheit, meaning that when you glide its nylon bristles down the hair shaft, you can smooth frizz and boost fullness. Flip hair under at the ends for that enviable roller effect.
Makeup by Mario Master Mattes Eyeshadow Palette
Master Mattes Eyeshadow Palette
- Why We Love It: This has been the year of the eyeshadow resurgence! Not in the smoky-eye or crease-cut way but in something more modern. No matter which look you’re after, dare we say Makeup by Mario’s palettes are a great place to start?
- Beauty Benefits: Makeup artist Mario Dedivanovic’s Ethereal Eyes palette took TikTok by storm for its glimmering and metallic hues sure to add a statement day-to-night touch. It was a limited-edition drop, though fans have been asking for it to be part of the brand’s permanent collection. My favorite, however, is Master Mattes, a collection of creamy flesh-toned hues that sweep seamlessly along the lids for natural glam days.
K18 Leave-In Molecular Repair Hair Mask
- Why We Love It: If you visit an expert in hopes of mending damaged tresses, they’ll likely recommend some sort of bond-repair treatment. More often than not, that product will be the K18 Leave-In Molecular Repair Hair Mask.
- Beauty Benefits: As New York City–based trichologist and founder of multibrand hair care platform Leona Shab Caspara puts it, this technology penetrates the hair shaft to repair broken bonds as a result of chemical or thermal damage. This is the case for the K18 mask. Designed to work in just a four-minute treatment, the K18 peptide addresses signs of damage from bleach, chemicals, color, and heat damage. Whenever I use it, my hair feels instantly softer, smoother, and stronger.
Danessa Myricks Yummy Skin Soothing Serum Skin Tint
- Why We Love It: You read the name right: Danessa Myricks skin tint promises to deliver you the yummiest skin yet. Often, we think that achieving smooth, glowing, even skin is not possible for those of us experiencing acne or uneven tone, but this elixir turns that notion on its head.
- Beauty Benefits: The tint, inspired by that post-facial glow, is packed with moisturizing, plumping, and reparative ingredients like sodium hyaluronate (a derivative of hyaluronic acid), peptides, ceramides, cactus extract, squalane, and sheer pigments. When blended with a brush, sponge, or fingers, each of its 16 shades instantly illuminates your complexion and veils dark spots and blotchiness.
Refy Red Collection
- Why We Love It: The hashtag #RefyRedCollection has racked up an impressive 5 million views to date since it launched in October. Why? Its rich cherry hue is perfect to add the color of the season to your beauty look.
- Beauty Benefits: The three-piece makeup set includes the Refy Cream Blush in the shade Cherry, a buildable crimson suitable for any skin tone. For the lips is a liner-and-gloss duo, plus a lip setter that ensures your color stays in place all day long. Take a look for yourself with the sleek, compact mirror featured in this giftable kit.
Sol de Janeiro Brazilian Crush Cheirosa ’62 Bum Bum Fragrance Mist
- Why We Love It: Fragrances can be polarizing, but the TikTok girlies can all agree that the Sol de Janeiro mists are delectable. And I use the word delectable because the collection’s three fragrances smell good enough to eat. (In Portuguese, cheirosa means “to smell really good”!).
- Beauty Benefits: Cheirosa ’62, the scent of Sol de Janeiro’s iconic Bum Bum Cream, is the most popular; it’s a sweet gourmand blend of salted caramel, pistachio, and vanilla. For something more tropical, there is Cheirosa’ 40, a delightful mix of black amber plum, crème de cassis, and vanilla. Fruity floral fans will appreciate Cheirosa’ 68, which smells of Brazilian jasmine, pink grapefruit, salty ocean air, and vanilla.
Urban Decay 24/7 Moondust Glitter Eyeshadow
- Why We Love It: If you recall the Urban Decay Moondust eye-shadow launch in 2013, you might be confused about how it ended up on this list. But, as most things go, the decade-old formula is having a renaissance thanks to Gen Z for its wetlike glossy shimmer.
- Beauty Benefits: The draw to these glitter eye shadows is their alluring sparkle atop the eyelid. It’s mesmerizing—and honestly perfect for New Year’s Eve or a similar festive occasion. To wear them in 2023, start with a brown, latte-hued base and add a bit of Moondust glitter to the inner corners of the eye. Shade Space Cowboy—a champagne gold—is a popular hue, but I’m quite fond of Cosmic, which offers more of a sheer sparkle.
Patrick Ta Major Headlines Double-Take Crème & Powder Blush Duo
- Why We Love It: Thank you, Patrick Ta, for providing endless makeup inspo this year, but thank you more for this blush. Seeing TikTok megastars like Alix Earle and Monet McMichael emerging from his makeup chair with an incredible soft-focus blush made all of us wonder how to re-create the look. His secret? Cream blush over powder.
- Beauty Benefits: First, he places powder blush on the apples of his cheeks with a brush. Then, with a damp beauty blender, he gently taps the cream pigment right on top. “Do you see how it brings back the glow?” he asks in a TikTok demonstration. “This looks more like skin. When you layer two textures together, it’s going to allow your blush to last that much longer and you’re not going to retouch as much.” And of course, both blush textures can be worn separately. FYI, Ta’s favorite hue is She’s a Doll.
Gisou Honey Infused Hair Perfume
- Why We Love It: We like to think of hair perfume as a little luxury—not necessarily a need, but when you have it, it sure does offer a serotonin boost. That said, thank you, TikTok, for introducing us to Gisou’s Honey Infused Hair Perfume, which adds instant shine and smells absolutely wonderful.
- Beauty Benefits: Enriched with honey from brand founder Negin Mirsalehi’s family bee garden, this delivers a sumptuous fresh-floral aroma sure to delight. If the scent is not enough, the honey and featured argan oil help improve hair’s shine and protect against UV rays.