TikTokers Are Making Their Own DIY Face Decals With Hot Glue

When you think of tools to carry in your makeup bag, a hot glue gun doesn’t immediately come to mind. After witnessing the latest TikTok beauty trend, however, you might change your mind. Creators on the app have taken something usually found on craft tables and classrooms and are using it to make their own futuristic face stickers. It’s important to note that the critical point here is to wait for the glue to cool before applying, never applying it directly to your face (for obvious reasons).

TikTok makeup creator @cutcreaser first used a hot glue gun to create a metallic silver beskar eye makeup tutorial at the start of March. After the video went viral, she created another hot glue gun tutorial for duo-chrome eyeliner, which also went viral. Seeing the popularity of the two videos, she then posted a how-to video on hot glue makeup. She uses a stainless steel palette to create the shapes, then “paints” the glue with shimmering eyeshadow, before placing it carefully on her eyelids.

While hot glue makeup is having a moment of virality on TikTok right now, @cutcreaser isn’t the first one to experiment with the tool. In her tutorial, she credited the other makeup artists that had inspired her to use hot glue, including @pinkmonadeee, @theystella, @maytahmi, @blondetaki, and @ines.alpha. She also credited "the entire editorial/sfx makeup community who have used this technique”.

A number of other hot glue eyeliner makeup tutorials have gone viral in the past few months, including this alien chrome look by @pinkmonadeee, proving the TikTok makeup community at large is growing an increased appetite for bringing 3D makeup into their everyday lives. While the finished result looks like advanced special effects artistry, this DIY trend proves that anyone with a hot glue gun, some patience, and a steady hand can pull off otherworldly designs.