What is Douyin Makeup? A Guide to Trends, Looks, Products & More

Like any beauty trend, you can gauge its longevity through TikTok. Some makeup looks are only of its moment (does “core” sound familiar?). Others are here to stay. Douyin makeup falls in the latter category. On TikTok, the hashtag has over 1.3 million views and you’ve probably seen at least one or two videos land on your FYP.

Content creator Lewis Chia, who has made several of these viral Douyin makeup videos, says, “Douyin makeup has a way of embellishing your natural features while still letting them shine through, and I think that's what really drew me in.”

Taylour Chanel, a makeup artist whose clients include Jasmin Savoy Brown and Alton Mason, says that Douyin makeup embraces a softness that’s a direct juxtaposition to the other popular makeup trends we’ve been seeing in recent months.

“We've got this kind of cool, edgy ‘90s girl moment going with bleached brows, cool tones and muted brown colors, structured lip look. And then we've got Douyin makeup, which is the literal opposite end of that spectrum. It's just serving a purpose in the beauty world right now and answering a call that people are looking for,” Chanel tells Teen Vogue.

What Is Douyin Makeup?

Douyin makeup is a popular Chinese makeup style that's just now entering the mainstream; it typically uses shimmery eyeshadow, pigmented pink blush, and blurred lips. Named after the Chinese version of TikTok, the Douyin makeup look itself is fairly simplistic and a successor to popular beauty trends we’re already familiar with that highlights a skin-first, minimalistic style.

As Douyin’s popularity rises in the Western world, there’s also been a bit of controversy with some conflating it with Korean beauty. While there are similarities between Douyin and K-Beauty (both emphasize a luminous, natural look), it’s important to distinguish that Korea and China are both different cultures and not interchangeable.

For starters, Douyin makeup originated on the app by Chinese makeup influencers whereas Korean beauty is a more culturally encompassing style that’s been around for ages. As one TikTok user explained in a video, there are subtle but key differences that separate the two looks. For example, Korean beauty only uses a light, barely there minimal color on the eyes whereas Douyin uses a lot of glitter on the lids. Similarly, Douyin makeup really empathizes the lashes by styling them in clusters, making them more dramatic than Korean lashes. This is called manhau, which is also a Chinese style of makeup.

While Douyin is traditionally a popular East Asian look, it has spread globally via TikTok. Now, there are tons of creatives around the world who are taking influence from Douyin makeup and making it their own. Creator Kamille Gregory says, “I started to see Douyin makeup more often on my social media but I rarely saw this style on people with my facial features. So I was curious to see how it would look on me!”

How to Do Douyin Makeup

To get the Douyin look, one should have a sheer foundation, but the finish is up to you. Chanel prefers a glowing base using Milk Makeup Future Fluid and By Terry Hyaluronic Hydra Powder for that lighter, barely-there foundation that’s become popular over the last few years. On the other hand, Youtuber Jessica Vu opts for a matte finish “If you want to make a look pop, there has to be contrast, which can be done using contrasting colors or even formulas. I love using a soft matte foundation to contrast with Douyin makeup's signature sparkle. The glitter looks brighter and adds more dimension when applied against a smooth matte base.”