Make up artist warns against using colouring pencils as lip liner after viral TikTok trend

The trend has been picked up by big influencers.

Make up artists are warning against a new TikTok trend that uses coloured pencils as lip liner. Claiming that "influencers are being irresponsible" when it comes to trying out this trend, Saffron Hughes, a make up artist with FalseEyelashes.co.uk, has branded the recreation of this hack harmful. The trend sees influencers on TikTok using colouring pencils to line their lips, rather than using a regular lip pencil that is designed for this purpose. Creators like James Charles have been seen doing this trend, with @makeuponriri on TikTok starting it.

@jcharlesmakeup #stitch with @makeuponriri ♬ original sound - James Charles Makeup

She said: "While this hack may appear harmless, influencers trying out this trick is irresponsible and could cause harm to their readership. Beauty fans are putting coloured pencils on their lips and eyes when coloured pencils have not been formulated to be used on the skin and could lead to adverse reactions. Using crayons as makeup could cause skin irritation, an allergic reaction or eye infections - all with the potential to lead to a more serious condition. "Some TikTok users shared their lack of concern about the safety of the hack, stating that because coloured pencils are ‘non-toxic’, there’s no need to worry. This is incorrect information. Unlike cosmetics that have been appropriately formulated for the face, the ingredients used to make coloured pencils are not listed on the packaging. That means we have no inclination of how harmful those ingredients could be to the lip or eye area.” Crayola has also strongly discouraged the misuse of its products in this way and it is not the first time the brand has urged this. In 2015, beauty gurus used their wax crayons as cream blush, and in response they released a statement which read: "As the manufacturer of children’s products, safety is our top priority at Crayola. Although our products are nontoxic, we do not recommend using them to make lipstick, eyeliner or other makeup and strongly discourage their use in this manner. They are not designed, tested or approved for this purpose.”