Cherry Makeup: Viral TikTok trend explained

Cherry makeup is the latest TikTok trend that people are trying out for the summer, with some claiming that it’s ‘so girlhood’. Here’s what you need to know.

Natural makeup has been on trend for several years now, and long are the days of a bold crease-cut smoky eye. People have been embracing nature, and with this trend, they’re taking it quite literally.

The trend started when Danielle Marcan, a popular TikTok makeup artist who has a whopping 183m likes on the platform, decided to bite the skin off the cherry and use the juice as makeup.

Although Marcan’s video was posted back in 2022, the trend has made a comeback this summer, in a big way too.

How to do the cherry makeup TikTok trend

It really couldn’t be easier. You just need to do your makeup base as you usually would, and because this is a trend inspired by light, European Summer makeup, it’s best to go for some concealer and a tinted moisturizer.

Then, you just bite a bit of your cherry, and while you’re eating it, dab the cherry on both of your cheeks and your lips, then just blend with your finger until you’re happy with the look.

If you’ve ever gotten cherry juice on a white shirt, you’ll know that the fruit is very pigmented and not all that sticky, making it the perfect natural makeup when you’re in a pinch (or if you want to feel super coquette).

Why has the cherry makeup TikTok trend resurfaced?

2023 and 2024 pop culture trends have been dominated by women, and with things like cottagecore, TikToks about experiences of girlhood, and of course, girl dinner going viral, people are moving to trends that celebrate the smaller things in life that remind them of childhood.

This makeup trend is reminiscent of picnics wherein young children use cherries as makeup, and doing the trend transports you right back there. On top of that, makeup can get expensive, so using cherries is definitely a money-saver.

People in the comments of these videos are obsessed with the trend, with lots of TikToker commenting that they used to do this when they were children.

Others, however, have been commenting that they can’t partake in the trend (or if they do, the cherry acts as a lip plumper) because they’re allergic to the fruit.

Some viewers have been enquiring about stickiness and the possible attraction of insects on a hot day, however, if you want to tackle this issue, ensure to put some translucent powder over the top and you’re good to go.

This isn’t the only TikTok trend that is inspired by ‘girl’ pop culture as one TikToker has been using Diet Coke for her ‘unhinged cheese pairings.’