The Top 10 Craziest Beauty Trends - Ranked

If you’re like me, you have a love/hate relationship with the internet.

On one hand, the World Wide Web allows us to connect with others, find information quickly, and complete a plethora of activities from the comfort of our homes.

And, let’s be honest, the internet is how you stumbled upon my page, which I’m very grateful for!

On the other hand, sometimes we get so caught up in what’s on our screens that we forget what’s going on in our lives.

It can be great to unplug and do a little social media detox from time to time.

On the plus side, we can learn tons about how to care for our skin, where to find quality products, and more.

On the downside, there have been tons of beauty trends “made for social media” in that they’re more about catching your attention rather than making you look or feel good (not to mention keeping you healthy).

Here, I’m counting down the top 10 craziest beauty trends I’ve seen lately.

Not only will you get a good laugh (I did when putting together these photos), but I’ll also explain to you why these trends aren’t worth the time, effort, and potential damage they’ll cause to your hair, skin, or nails.

Are you ready? Hold onto your hairbrushes because we’re in for a wild ride!

10. Halo Brows

Ladies, I’m sure you’re all angels, but you don’t need to show it with a “halo” eyebrow look.

We’ve all spent years (nay, decades!) trying to find the perfect brow shape for our faces.

Just when we finally moved away from the teeny-tiny overplucked brows and into a period where we’re more accepting of our natural brow shape and thickness, this comes along to throw us all for a loop.

I personally don’t understand the point of this look or how it came to be.

Credit: @hannahdoesmakeuppp Instagram

It seems that this look was created by an Instagram user (@hannahdoesmakeupp to be exact) to draw attention to her page.

She claims that one of her followers requested this look, although we’re not sure why.

Either way, I don’t recommend you try this look at home!

Instead, perhaps you should check out some of 16-year-old Hannah’s other much more wearable and flattering makeup looks.

9. Glitter Roots

When my kids play with glitter at school, I know immediately.

How, you ask?

Because I start finding glitter in my shoes, in my purse, and all over my home!

If you have kids too, you’re likely running far, far away from this look, because you know the potential for a huge mess.

If you don’t have kids or haven’t experienced a glitter-pocalypse before, here’s a hint: you don’t want to!

If the mess doesn’t deter you, what if I told you that glitter was absolutely awful for the environment?

Glitter is made of teeny particles of shiny plastic called microplastic.

Microplastic doesn’t dissolve or breakdown, and when it gets into our oceans (as it inevitably does), it causes problems.

Do these problems affect you?

Yep, you betcha!

Fish can ingest the glitter and pass the toxins in their bodies onto humans if they’re eaten.

Researchers don’t yet know what ingesting plastic does to our bodies, but I for one would rather not find out!

8. Brushing Your Hair 100 Times a Day

Marsha, Marsha, Marsha!

I’m not the only one who immediately associates excessive brushing of the hair with Marsha Brady, right?

Who can forget her combing her golden blonde locks and counting to 100?

Thankfully for you, you don’t have to waste any of your precious time brushing your hair for 100+ strokes.

In fact, for most of us, brushing our hair even less is better!

Brushing can be important to distribute our scalp’s natural oils throughout our hair, which in turn makes our hair shiny and healthy.

It can also be beneficial for avoiding tangles.

At the same time (and especially for those of us with finer hair prone to more breakage), excessive brushing can lead to breakage, split ends, and a rougher texture.

Not to mention, sometimes brushing just leads to more frizz!

The “100 strokes a day” thing is an unnecessary old wives’ tale.

I like to brush my hair once in the morning, and once before I wash it.

I then use a comb post-shower.

This keeps my hair tangle-free, healthy, and full — plus I don’t waste any time counting brush strokes!

7. Burning Your Split Ends with a Candle

Split ends are always a concern of anyone trying to grow their hair out — or simply trying to keep their hair looking healthy.

But our desire for clean, straight ends shouldn’t lead us to extreme measures.

When Victoria’s Secret model Alessandra Ambrosio posted a photo of her getting her hair burnt with a candle, the beauty world was hit with wonder.

Turns out, the Brazilian hair treatment is called “velaterapia” (translation: candle cutting).

Essentially, your hair is twisted and a candle is run along the length of your hair to eliminate the split ends that stick out of the twist.

I understand that getting a trim can be scary (those stylists always seem to take off more hair then you’d like, right?), but setting flame to your mane sounds much scarier!

Even if you’re not one to shy out on an extreme beauty practice, here’s a tip: heat damages hair.

Similarly to how you try to avoid flat irons, you should avoid open fire.

Burning off your split ends will actually just lead to more hair damage by opening up your hair follicle in a non-healthy way.

This will weaken your hair follicle and dull any color you may have.

Not to mention, the smell of burnt hair isn’t something I’d wish upon anyone.

I know getting a trim can be anxiety-inducing, but I promise it’s cheaper, quicker, and safer for you (and your hair).

6. Tattooed Freckles

We all know someone who’s gotten a tattoo that they now regret, but imagine getting a tattoo on your face!

That’s exactly what some women are doing.

But they’re not getting an “I <3 mom” tattoo, they’re getting freckle tattoos.

They’re getting their freckle tats done similar to the way microblading is done — with semi-permanent ink.

The results generally last up to three years.

If you have natural freckles (the technical term for them is ephelides), I bet you’re rolling your eyes right now, aren’t you?

So many of my friends with freckles were teased growing up and covered their natural beauty marks up with heavy concealer for years before finally embracing them.

As a matter of fact, they’re a little upset that something they struggled with for years is now considered “trendy!”

But aside from the fact that freckles as a trend seem to come and go as quickly as a silly fad diet, tattooing your face can be painful and dangerous.

The freckle “tattoos” made by tiny cuts can all be at risk for infection, especially if the artist isn’t using sanitary tools.

On top of that, there’s a small chance you could develop an allergic reaction to the dye used.

You should be happy with your natural features because no matter how skilled your tattoo artist is, your faux-freckles probably won’t look as genuine as your naturally-freckled BFF.

If you want to experiment, try freckling yourself with some good ‘ol makeup.

That way, you can wash right it off.

5. Using Deodorant As Makeup Primer

If you’ve been spending a decent amount of time on social media lately, you’ll likely have noticed the trend (or dare I say — competition) of trying to find the most ridiculous way to prime your face and apply your makeup.

Instead of a Beauty Blender (or simply their fingers), ladies have used Christian Louboutin shoes and even silicone bra inserts to apply their makeup.

And instead of using makeup primer, they used deodorant.

While I can appreciate being resourceful when you’re in a pinch, there is absolutely no reason to use deodorant as a primer if you have actual makeup primer handy!

I personally use Youngblood Mineral Primer and LOVE it.

But not to mention that in some cases, you really don’t need makeup primer at all.

A tinted moisturizer or a regular moisturizer can work just fine.

In addition, deodorant on your face can irritate your skin and clog your pores.

The chemicals and strong fragrance used in most deodorants can cause an allergic reaction at worst, and breakouts at best.

If you’re in a pinch and out of makeup primer, I recommend going bare-faced or simply skipping the primer.

A day makeup-free is much better than a week with an allergic reaction or pimples!

Credit: @sofiepeterseen Instagram

4. "Bling" Waterlining

I’m sure I don’t need to tell you why you should skip out on this trend!

Just one glance at the photo gives me the heebie-jeebies!

Putting anything in your eye — even pretty jewelry — is extremely dangerous.

You can risk injury to your eye, and open up the potential for infections by introducing germs to the eye area.

Is that really worth a great Instagram pic?

I think not.

3. Fixing Self-Tanner with a Magic Eraser

We’ve all had a self-tanner mishap before.

Thankfully, unlike freckle tattoos, self-tanner faux-pas generally go away in a few days with some good ‘ol exfoliation.

Definitely don’t resort to using a Mr. Clean Magic Eraser to try to rectify your self-tanner mistakes!

Not only are cleaning products way too harsh on your beautiful skin, but the chemicals and the scent can also cause burns and major irritation when rubbed on your skin.

Instead, hop in the shower as soon as you notice a mistake and scrub with some natural exfoliant, like this one from Image Skincare.

And if you don’t have to wear a swimsuit anytime soon, just plan your outfits strategically to cover up the mishap until it fades!

2. Fish Pedicures

We’ve all heard about the “magic” pedicures where little fishies bite off your dead skin.

While this sounds fun and detoxifying in theory, it can actually be extremely unsanitary and unsafe.

Unlike normal pedicure tools, your nail tech can’t sanitize the fish’s mouth after it’s gnawed on someone’s feet.

Not to mention that the water may not be very sanitary either.

Needless to say, there are tons of horror stories about women who have gotten fish pedicures and ended up with infections, lost toenails, and even lost toes!

Over 10 US states have banned fish pedicures completely!

Instead, get a traditional pedicure at a reputable and clean nail salon, and rub those calluses down at home.

1. Tanning

I have nothing against self-tanners, in fact, I love them!

However, I don’t love laying out in the sun.

Or even worse — using tanning beds.

You may be wondering if tanning is really the craziest beauty trend on this list, so let me explain to you why I think so.

There is so much research that shows the linkage between tanning and skin cancer, skin damage, and premature aging.

Moreover, there’s not much you can do to reverse the sun damage you may have undergone as a kid or teen.

And while many of us feel that we do look better with a little sun-kissed glow, we can all achieve the same look with non-harmful products like self-tanning lotions, spray tans, and more.

Sure, applying self-tanner every night may be a bit more labor intensive than laying out by the pool.

But, is it really worth exposing yourself to UV rays — the #1 cause of aging?

Studies have shown that UV exposure contributes to 80% of visible signs of aging, and 1 in 5 Americans will develop skin cancer by the age of 70.

Are those risks really worth a “natural” tan?

If you ask me, I’ll be right over here with my SPF 50 and my self-tanner — I urge you to join me!

This one from June Jacobs is a personal favorite of mine.

Final Thoughts

Well, there you have it, beauties.

Obviously, your opinion might be different than mine, and that's okay!

While some of these trends may be harmless, others come with serious consequences, and I tried to rank them accordingly.

I just want what's best for your skin, hair, and nails.

Caring for yourself properly - despite what everyone else is doing - will never go out of style in my book.

Are there any crazy beauty trends that I missed? Share them with me in the comments below!