Do you remember the last time you saw a beauty trend and you were like “should I try that?” I know what you’re thinking: “ most predictable intro ever,” right?

Well, here’s the thing: I actually try the beauty trend.

Call it FOMO or the inability to be a free-thinker, but I would be a hypocrite if I said I didn’t want to hop on every TikTok beauty trend I’ve seen just to see if it works. If nothing else, I’m a product of the corporate machine and fall into any marketing scam thrown onto my socials. But, hey, if it changes my life…great! If it doesn’t, I can’t say I didn’t try.

Blame content creators on TikTok, who post their flawless makeup routines and create looks that the rest of us can only dream of imitating. And, reader, I dare to dream. If someone with flawless skin is going to share their routine, then I’m going to try some of their products. It’s the ultimate recommendation.

However, I’ve learned the hard way that no one’s skin is identical. So, even if some products make one person’s skin glow, they may irritate yours. And don’t get me started on the brands that pay creators to say good things about their products, just to convince viewers to buy their products.

So, yes, there can be scams and there can be wastes of time…but such is life. Either way, I like to experience the result of a product or trend for myself and make my own decisions. Which is how I’ve come to write this article.

I’ve spent years now falling for trends and trying out the newest, hottest products on the market as they cycle through. All so you can learn from my fatal mistakes and steal my successes. Here’s what worked for me and what didn’t.

Snail Mucin

After damaging my skin barrier during a weekend ski trip, I went feral trying to find some sort of remedy. This was right around the time that the K-beauty “slugging” trend launched into America, and I was desperate…even if it meant throwing snail secretion on my face in a Hail Mary attempt.

There are plenty of benefits for using snail mucin besides ultra-moisturization. It brightens up dark spots from acne marks and sun damage, reverses signs of aging like wrinkles and fine lines by stimulating collagen production, and contains antioxidants like zinc and vitamins A and E.

I didn’t want to love it, but I did. While this may be a dated trend in K-beauty standards, it’s one product I’ve used in its entirety and will be purchasing again. It successfully restored my dry, flaky skin and gives me a glow like no other serum. There’s nothing like this product right now, I’m sticking with it.

Bright Pink Blushes

The makeup industry lost its mind when the Dior Backstage Rosy Glow Blush went viral. The bright, almost bubblegum pink was all the rage…and while I was fine missing out, a few too many brands duped it until I was forced to try.

It was during the time where “Cold Girl Makeup” was trending…that look of pink flush on your cheeks you get after you play in the snow. And since blush is the new contour, why not invest all of my money into the brightest pink I’ve ever seen?

I chose the Patrick Starrr ONE/SIZE Blush Trio because it came with a pink highlight as well, which is perfect for a sunkissed look in the summer. The trio has both a cream and powder blush, but I found myself only needing the powder to achieve the pop of color I wanted. It’s great, but not for your everyday look.

Brow Products

I live by the mantra that you shouldn’t be spending a lot of money on brow products…I’ve seen no difference in a set of eyebrows that use the Refy products from those who use NYX. Honestly, I see the brow makeup industry as one of the biggest scams on the market.

It’s almost impossible to get your brows to stay in place all day without lamination, so most products that advertise “staying all day” are lying. It’s just not that easy. I’ve even seen people have better luck with drugstore hairspray making their brows stay than most luxury products.

If you think about it, everyone loves the NYX brow freeze…but you see an equal amount of people telling you to “save your money” on a brow product from Sephora. So don’t fall for the gimmicks of buying “separate brow brushes” (buy spoolies on Amazon if you must) and pay $6 for a tube of brow gel instead.

Pink Setting Powders

While I agree that translucent setting powders can leave a white cast or give flashback in photographs, I was always loyal to my DermaBlend Powder. It kept my makeup in place and gave me a poreless look while taking away unwanted shine. But, I wanted to see if I could get rid of that ghastly pale shadow it would sometimes leave on my face if left on for too long.

Sure, we all know the “baking” trend with setting powder…and I’m a habitual participant. But, baking for too long can mitigate my tan and make me look a little sick. So, I tried the Huda Beauty Setting Powder in Cherry Blossom. Since pinks cancel out the heavy bags under my eyes, I figured it’s worth a shot.

To be honest, I don’t see that big of a difference between the translucent Dermablend and the pink Huda Beauty powders. Yes, they’re both super setting powders. However, the pink doesn’t make a significant enough difference to use one over the other.