'The best (and worst) beauty trends I tried in 2024.'

As Mamamia's beauty editor and one of the co-hosts of You Beauty podcast (including Tried and Tested on Wednesday with the lovely Emily Vernem), I've slapped a lot of stuff on my face/hair/body/nails/elbows this year. Some of it has been… not so good (rice paper face mask, I'm looking at you). However, there are some viral hacks that have genuinely been really worth trying.

It's the kind of stuff that's found its way into my normal beauty routine and either made things cheaper, easier, quicker or just… better.

Watch: Speaking of hacks, here's the time I put lube on my face to see if it acted the same as primer. Check out my thoughts below.

So, in celebration of the year that was, I rounded up the best viral beauty trends I tried this year, in case you want to give them a go for yourself.

Below, you'll find all the best very beauty trends I tried in 2024 — along with the ones that didn't go... great.

The best beauty trends of 2024.

1. Face basting.

Okay, but nappy rash cream for dry and irritated skin works like a dream.

Originally posted by dermatologist Dr Shereene Idriss (@shereeneidriss on Instagram), the trend looks like it involves slathering copious amounts of nappy cream on your face before going to bed and waking up with plump, soft skin.

Following Dr Idriss' instructions, I cleansed my face as normal but skipped the serums and went straight to the Sudocream, and used enough cream to make myself look like, "Mrs Doubtfire or a magnolia cream cupcake." It felt thick and gross, and I put way too much on my face, but when I woke up the next morning, my skin was like... new. It was exactly twenty thousand times softer, smoother and just felt so plump and happy.I noticed my fine lines looked softened, my dry patches of skin (primarily on my forehead) felt smooth, and my entire face just looked... healthier. Better?

Turns out zinc oxide is an excellent ingredient when it comes to repairing dry, cracked skin. Meaning? For dry, sensitive skin, especially those prone to eczema or dermatitis, this may relieve anti-itching and make the skin feel soft and smooth.While it's obviously not something you'd do every night (so as not to mess with your skin's natural moisturising ability) and not a great hack for oily-prone skin, I definitely think it's the kind of skincare technique I'd fall back on if my skin is feeling thirsty, dry or irritated — and I have!

2. The zinc concealer hack.

I first came across the zinc concealer hack after seeing it posted on @twobrokechicks, and it involves swapping out your usual concealer for an $11 zinc stick.

As someone who spends $60 a pop on her favourite concealer (Bobbi Brown Concealer Stick, in case you were curious), I was immediately intrigued and put it to the test. The zinc stick is called Sun Zapper Skin Tone Zinc SPF 50+ and it looks like you can grab it from grocery stores like Woolies or chemists for $11. I scored a win and found it on sale at Coles for $5.50 — so I put it to the test before a day of meetings, podcasting and writing to see how it held up.

And look, I'm going to be honest — I was pretty surprised.

I was 100 per cent certain this formula would feel really gross and heavy on my skin, and that I'd immediately regret trying it, but I was... wrong.

I can honestly say I found it surprisingly lightweight and ridiculously easy to blend. While it's pretty thick and full-coverage, it instantly camouflaged my dark circles and discolouration with ease.

I originally had hesitations about the shade, too — on the box it said it was 'light' but looked like it would be a little too dark for my skin. However, upon applying it to my under eyes I found that it blended seamlessly into my skin (it's kinda grippy but easily malleable) and melted into the rest of my makeup without looking super cakey and gross. What's more, it genuinely held up better than many other concealers I've tried in the past (and I've tried A LOT).

Did I buy this as a joke and think it wouldn't work? Yes. Is it a crazy good full-coverage concealer? Also, yes.

3. Hyaluronic acid for fuller lips.

The hyaluronic acid lip hack involves using (you guessed it) hyaluronic acid on your lips, usually in the form of a topical serum. Just search 'hyaluronic acid lips' on TikTok, and you'll come across about 70 million clips of people using hyaluronic acid serum on their lips, before sealing it all in with Vaseline. In fact, a recent study showed that people who used a lip product containing hyaluronic acid and peptides actually increased their lip area after one week of consistent use.

Anyway, I tried it and I loved it and now use it in my routine regularly — especially before doing my makeup to go out. I used The Ordinary Hyaluronic Acid 2% + B5 and applied a few drops to my perpetually dry, thin lips. I also applied Vaseline over the top afterwards, to lock it all in.

My lips are still thin, but whenever I try it, I think my lips look more hydrated, fuller and overall... better. They also felt really moisturised and comfortable, especially after sealing it in with Vaseline. While there's certainly no shortage of amazing lip balm formulas, lip oils and lip plumping formulas, if science says there's an extra bit of lip area I can snap up, I'm in!

4. Powder puff hack.

Okay hear me out: this is the only correct way to apply foundation.

I recently spotted this hack on beauty content creator Stephanie Valentine's account (also known as @glamzilla). She posted her 33-second foundation application technique, and it looked very confusing because liquid foundation and powder puffs don't go together??

The theory behind the hack is that it's not only supposed to be a quicker way to apply foundation, but it's also supposed to give you a smoother, more even and flawless finish. All you need is your foundation and a powder puff.

Listen: Want to find out more about this hack? I talked all about it on the below episode of You Beauty. Check it out!

And you guys. It's the way to go. Not only is it quicker, but it blends way better than using your fingers/sponge/brush. What's more, it doesn't eat up all your foundation like a sponge — and the velvety surface of the puff means you're able to achieve fuller coverage. Meaning? You don't waste your foundation, and you'll probably end up using a whole lot less — which is a win for your bank account (and mine, too).

The worst beauty trends of 2024.

Friends, I truly can't talk about all the good hacks I tried without giving some honourable mentions to some of the absolutely worst ones I'll never try again. At the top of the list? The 'blush foundation' hack that took agessss to blend in and made me look like my eczema was having a hectic flare-up IRL.

Then there was the viral rice paper skin tightening hack that involves using sheets of rice paper mixed with… egg whites… as a face mask — and, goodness. It felt so unbelievably gross on the skin. Not to mention it was messy as hell and had the ability to do a real number on your skin barrier. (Also, the waste! Gah).

And, look — I can't possibly leave without also mentioning the viral haemorrhoid cream hack that did nothing for my fine lines and wrinkles and, of course, the sock roller hack that gave me the worst sleep of my life and a messy nest of hair that looked like it hadn't been tended to in seven thousand years.

But hey! That's my job.

Would you give these hacks a go? Share your thoughts in the comment section below.

Feature image: Supplied.