Bella Hadid’s TikTok-Viral Jaw Highlight Hack Made My Makeup So Good

TikTok is a treasure trove of game-changing makeup trends. There's the white concealer hack, which sculpts cheekbones and tucks away dark circles (totally worth looking silly for a few seconds), as well as the sponge eyeshadow trick used to create an Instagram-worthy look in moments (makeup lovers, you'll wonder how you ever lived without it). This week, nothing is making waves in TikTok beauty circles quite like the jaw highlighting technique.

Forget contouring with bronzer; the latest beauty trick relies on lashings of highlighter — both liquid and powder — to accentuate your bone structure. The person behind the app's influx of jaw highlighting tutorials? Bella Hadid. The model went viral last month after posting a handful of pictures from a friend's birthday party to Instagram. It wasn't her incredible outfit or bang-on-trend '90s hairstyle that caught the attention of fans but rather her jawline in snaps six and seven. The makeup spotlighted her razor-sharp face shape and influenced TikTokers to give it a go in their droves.

TikToker @rachelocoolmua recently went viral for unpacking Bella's luminescent makeup look and making it easy to copy. In the tutorial (which has amassed 1.7 million pairs of eyes so far) the makeup pro dots liquid highlighter along her jawline and blends it into her skin with her fingers. The result is a gorgeous glow not too different from Bella's. While it isn't clear whether Bella really did use highlighter (or if it's simply moisturiser and her skin is just that radiant), TikTok makeup lovers soon jumped on the trend. Recently viral @gwmakeup enlisted a slick of liquid highlighter followed by a layer of pearlescent powder to really dial up the glow, while @feliciamaariemakeup gained 51.6k views for her take using just a swish of powder. Others are taking the skin glow up a notch by combining it with cheek highlighter, too.

So is jaw highlighting taking over from contouring? As a makeup lover I had to try it. Before I get into things I must caveat this by saying that I have quite an obvious jawline naturally (albeit not Bella-level sharp). I've been known to be a little self-conscious of my jaw in the past and have often used bronzer contouring to minimise the shape. Part of this trend is about faking it but it's also about accentuating what you've got, right?

I applied my makeup like normal, including foundation and blush, then daubed on a heavy helping of Westman Atelier Lit Up Highlight Stick in Nectar, $87.12. There are so many brilliant cream and liquid highlighters out there, like the more affordable L'Oréal Paris Glow Mon Amour Highlighting Drops, NYX Professional Makeup Born To Glow Liquid Illuminator, $15.84, and Sleek MakeUP Highlighting Elixir Illuminating Drops, $10.50.

Next up: layering on the powder highlighter. I used Charlotte Tilbury's Bar of Gold Highlighter Palette which, sadly, has been recently discontinued. If you're after something very similar, I can confirm that NYX Professional Makeup x Netflix Money Heist Bar Powder Highlighter, $73, is just as good and a snip of the price. It's limited edition, though, so you might prefer wet n wild MegaGlo Highlighting Powder, $29.99, or By Beauty Bay Powder Highlighter, $9, which are similarly pigmented and glowy. I patted the powder highlighter over the cream-based product using a dense but fluffy brush and took the product up to my cheekbones for more of a reflective finish.

As I stepped into natural light and inspected my makeup in the mirror, I was taken aback. I know how great highlighter can look dusted atop cheekbones for a dewy, healthy finish or swiped onto the Cupid's bow to make lips appear more plump. But it looked so good along my jawline and lent my otherwise flat-looking makeup more oomph. In comparison, the other side of my makeup was rather 2D and actually a bit boring. Why wouldn't I want to look like a glazed doughnut bathed in candlelight? No, seriously. Throughout the day I kept catching my reflection in my phone screen and admired the glossy lustre of my face all over again.

If you're not that into makeup you could skip the foundation and blush steps and simply apply a little cream highlighter with your fingers — it'll look just as luminous. But as TikTokers are pointing out in the comments of all the jaw highlighting tutorials, the real effect could be Bella's moisturiser (and perhaps a little natural oil) bouncing off the flash of the camera. In that case, you might want to choose something super skin-quenching.

I love Allies of Skin Peptides & Antioxidants Firming Daily Treatment, $135, which makes my dull, winter skin gleam, but By Beauty Bay's Thirst Class Moisturiser with Oatmeal & Oat Lipid, $12.50, is just as great if your skin is on the dry side. Also try the new Ole Henriksen Strength Trainer Peptide Boost Moisturiser, $68, which plumps and strengthens skin as it promotes a glow, and Wishful Honey Balm Jelly Moisturiser, $85.14, which makes skin look healthy.

Sure, this is the makeup hack no one really needed but TikTokers are proof it works to add definition and structure, and it lends my usual makeup look a little something special. It's official: contouring is out, jaw highlighting is in.