TikTok's Latest Viral Makeup Hack: Frozen Makeup Sponges

THE CLOCK APP STRIKES AGAINTikTok's Latest Viral Makeup Hack: Frozen Makeup SpongesHaven't Beautyblenders been through enough already?

By Nicola Dall'Asen

November 22, 2021

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Courtesy of TikTok/@gwmakeup

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Has any object on this planet endured more torture than the beauty sponge? Seriously — people have stuffed them inside of condoms, tried to clean them in the microwave, coated them with lube "primer," and have attempted to replace them with loads of nonsensical items including but not limited to eggs, tomatoes, and bra inserts. If I were a Beautyblender, I'd be hanging by my last thread by now. 

And it's not over because TikTok has birthed yet another Beautyblender hack, which involves a splash of water and a one-hour time-out in the freezer. The idea is that applying makeup with an icy sponge lends itself to smoother application — and millions have flocked to watch the hack in action. User @gwmakeup popularized the frozen beauty sponge technique with a video that has more than 2.3 million likes, and others, like Briana Pelaez, followed suit with their own highly viewed videos. 

The hack, Pelaez says, made her foundation "way smoother than when not frozen, and after a while with the makeup on, I barely made any retouches and saved a lot of product." There's no denying that the results from these videos look exquisite, but we still had to run this hack past a makeup artist and a dermatologist for their two cents.

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In many circumstances, TikTok-viral hacks are dangerous enough to earn a bright-red stamp of disapproval from beauty experts — but Connecticut-based board-certified dermatologist Mona Gohara, M.D., grants this one safe for use. "I would definitely use [a frozen makeup sponge] under my eyes to help decrease puffiness as I blend in my concealer," she tells Allure. "Cool compresses, à la the cucumbers on the eyes at a spa, constrict the vessels and reduce undereye bags." That said, she probably wouldn't use it on her whole face. "I would be afraid that it would cause irritation or discoloration," she adds.

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Whether or not you decide to chuck your Beautyblender in the ice bin, all that matters is that you keep it as clean as possible, store it out of reach of bacteria-filled places, and know when it's ready to be replaced (that goes for any beauty sponge or makeup brush hack). Los Angeles board-certified dermatologist Ava Shamban, M.D., previously advised to Allure. "For blenders and sponges, you should wash regularly and replace every three months."

Otherwise, blend to your heart's content with this refreshing albeit somewhat silly technique. At the very least, your Beautyblender will thank you for not replacing it with food.

Read up on TikTok's other silly beauty hacks:

• People on TikTok Are Using Face Rollers to Blend Their Foundation
• People on TikTok Are Using Lube as Base Makeup
• This Viral TikTok Hack Converts Powder Bronzers Into Cream Bronzers

Now, learn how to apply base makeup like a pro:

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KeywordsmakeupNewsTikTokbeautyblendermakeup spongebeauty hacks