Why are TikTokers rubbing beetroot on their faces?

Let’s unpack yet another unusual beauty hack

BEAUTYcrew Beauty Editor / February 16 2022

By this time, you’re probably aware that we’re regularly trolling TikTok for beauty hacks. And usually we’re pretty darn confident in the app’s ability to provide us with helpful information.

TikTokers have previously set us on the right track with a handful of Dior Addict Lip Glow Oil dupes, helped us to decorate our digits with the jelly stamper French manicure hack, and more recently, we’ve discovered the extensive magical abilities of colour correcting thanks to the TikTok white concealer trend

But occasionally we’re bombarded with ludicrous tips and tricks that are far less helpful. 

Enter: the beetroot natural blush trend.

A beauty hack which encourages people to reach into the fruit and vegetable drawer of their fridge for the nearest beet. Because apparently everyone is storing large quantities of the root vegetable in their kitchen…

The next step? Slice open that bad boy using the biggest kitchen knife you can find and rub it all over the areas of your face where you would usually apply blush. 

Having trouble blending? No worries. 

Just follow the lead of TikToker @​​daddydevitosgirl (and your elderly female relatives) and diffuse the bold cheek tint with a bit of saliva. 

The result? 

Think: French revolution working girl riddled with consumption. Chic.

A few TikTokers have jumped on this trend with a sense of immediacy that both shocks and concerns us. 

However, their attempts (thankfully) don’t involve using literal spit as a blending medium, so we have to show at least some gratitude for their clear display of restraint.

While we’re all about natural-looking and naturally-formulated options, we would encourage those looking to try this trend to also consider just how hygienic this particular beauty practice claims to be. 

If you’d like a similar effect with less mess, or you’re just saving your beetroot for a literal meal, we’ve hunted down a few tints to tide you over…

Lip and cheek tints we recommend:

ERE PEREZ Beetroot Cheek & Lip Tint in ‘Joy’ ($39 at The Iconic); Trinny London Lip2Cheek in ‘Munchkin’ ($45 at Trinny London); and MCoBeauty Cheek & Lip Tint in ‘Dusk’ (was $16 now $11.99 at Oz Hair & Beauty).

ERE PEREZ Beetroot Cheek & Lip Tint in ‘Joy’

Trinny London Lip2Cheek in ‘Munchkin’

MCoBeauty Cheek & Lip Tint in ‘Dusk’

If you’re more a of a traditionalist when it comes to cheek colour, we suggest taking a gander at the best blush on offer in Australia.

Main image credit: @mattloveshairmattloveshair

Briar Clark got her start in the media industry in 2017, as an intern for Marie Claire and InStyle. Since then, her keen interest in fashion and beauty has landed her gigs as a Digital Content Producer and Beauty Editor with titles like Girlfriend, Refinery29, BEAUTYcrew and beautyheaven. She loves the way seemingly innocuous topics like skin care and style have the ability to put a smile on people’s faces or make them think about themselves a little differently. A big believer in self love and experimentation, Briar has made a point of becoming the Australian beauty industry’s unofficial guinea pig for unusual treatments and daring hair trends. When she’s not testing out the latest beauty launches, Briar is big on broadening her horizons, mostly in the form of food but she’s also partial to travelling to new destinations both near and far (and of course, allocating an extra bag to bring their best beauty offerings home with her).