PUBLISHED ONAugust 21, 2022 3:23 AMByDrima ChakrabortyTikTok has a lot of lifehacks and tricks, especially when it comes to makeup and beauty - some which mislead and some which actually work.
On July 30, a TikTok user from Singapore, who goes by Unbiden, shared a video captioned: “Here’s how to find the perfect shade of pink lipstick for yourself.”
Lately, it has been making its rounds around TikTok again, so AsiaOne decided to try the trick out for ourselves, to varied and interesting results.
In the video, she squeezes her ring finger and compares the flush of colour with several lipstick shades. Her instructions are simply to "just pinch your finger and start matching".
[embed]https://www.tiktok.com/@unbiden/video/7126172362533326081[/embed]
But does the trick work? Fellow TikTok users had reactions ranging from amused to skeptical.
“I’m anaemic,” read one comment, while another joked, “I pinched it too long trying to find the shade blue and now it’s dead.”
“My most flattering pink is a dusty mauve pink, and my finger turns that colour,” a user commented.
Some pointed out that the trick may not work for all skin tones.
One user commented: “I’m black, are you sure about that?”
Another said, “Laughs in African”.
We wanted to see if we should really be depriving our finger of blood the next time we're at a makeup counter, so we decided to put the hack to the test.
Kimberly tried the trick against three of her favourite lippies: Etude House Fixing Tint in Salmon Brick, ColourPop Velvet Blur Lux Lipstick in Y2k and Peripera Ink Velvet in Wine Nude.
Verdict: “I tried it and my finger is not too far off from my favourite lipstick. Apparently, out of my usual rotation of fave lippies, the Peripera is my best match.”
Melissa’s preferred lipstick is Maybelline Color Sensational Creamy Matte Lipstick in Madison Red, but she had a hard time getting her finger to turn pink.
Verdict: “Does my finger not have enough blood?”
Hiwaa’s favourite lipstick is Filipino brand Vice Cosmetics’ Pak Ganern, named after a game popularised by noontime variety show It’s Showtime.
Verdict: “I would say it does not work — even after trying different ways to squeeze, all I see is a red flush which I feel is not my colour.”
Monique favourite lip product is actually a lip gloss by Rare Beauty.
Verdict: “I don’t know if it works, but it'll be pretty I guess. It’s just not a shade I have thought of using as I like more reddish, brown or nude shades.”
Nadhirah picked Urban Decay’s Hitch-Hike, which is a nice brick pink shade.
Verdict: “I was kind of doubtful because I had never heard of this trick, even from pro makeup artists. It seems like the shade does match well for me, but at the same time, when you pinch your finger, it’s bound to turn pink or red, so I’m wondering if people would get similar results when their ideal shades might be different.”
I picked a dark brown shade from Smashbox because I don’t wear nudes or pinks, in all honesty.
Verdict: I don’t think this trick works for me because I have darker skin. My fingertips are actually lighter than my lips are, so I feel like a light pink would not work for me. My finger turned purple eventually, so I was wondering whether I should have picked Illamasqua’s Kontrol instead.
The hack did work for a few of our colleagues, but your mileage may vary, especially if you have a deeper skin tone. Nevertheless, it's pretty simple as far as makeup hacks go (unlike finding the perfect nude shade, which can involve brow pencils, concealers, or even your nipple).
The next time you're overwhelmed with choices at the beauty supply store, try it out and let us know how it goes.
ALSO READ: 26 tinted lip balms to give you that flushed, natural glow
