The Viral Yarn Makeup: Where Has It Come From?

We were sure that creative face makeup had no boundaries, but this new makeup trend has just solidified it for us. Whether you find yourself on social media daily or not, viral makeup trends continue to dominate Instagram and TikTok feeds, and recently, it’s the Yarn Makeup trend that is taking the industry by storm! This creepy, slightly terrifying technique makes use of a simple product that can be found in many homes and transforms the face into something unrecognisable! 

So, what is yarn makeup? This trend began when makeup artist @annas__sfx chose to step it up and create the first take on ‘Yarn Makeup’. Since the first post, creators have gone wild and are consistently creating their own take on these unique SFX makeup ideas.

Crazy makeup ideas are always cropping up, and many of our affiliates choose to take on the challenge by creating their own take on the design. This yarn design captured the attention of Funky Lenses' affiliate and fantastic creative makeup artist, @leahcomptonn, who went on to create one of our favourite versions of this look. Let’s take a closer look at how Leah approached this latest makeup craze and how our fancy dress contact lenses were used to complete the look.

The key to achieving success with the yarn makeup trend is starting with a clean base. We recommend removing any makeup from the face before application, as this will help the adhesive stick to the face much more smoothly. From Leah’s video, you can see that she uses a sticky, clear face mask as a substitute for glue (this is much kinder to the skin) to stick the yarn to the face. 

To create a spiral design, Leah opted for red and white yarn. Starting at the tip of the nose, carefully wind your yarn on the skin and watch your special FX makeup idea come to life! Once you reach your eyes, simply cut your yarm and reattach directly opposite on the other side of the eye; continue this technique until you have reached the outer corner of the eye. 

Once Leah had covered as much of the face as needed, it was time to get decorative and accessorise with makeup and, of course, contact lenses! On top of her red and white spiral effect makeup look, Leah has applied red lipstick and a glitter lip gloss along with a vibrant blue eye shadow application, winged eyeliner and false eyelashes. To complete this look, Leah has added the Spiral Red Contact Lenses. These spiral contact lenses make a great addition to this look as they mimic and exaggerate the hypnotic design, making them a perfect addition as a finer detail. 

Even the removal of this makeup look is satisfying!

These special effect makeup ideas continue to grow in popularity, and new trends keep cropping up. Contact lenses have been playing a huge role in elevating this look and adding a variety of different aesthetics, from comedic to scary. Many of these approaches use blackout, whiteout, or blind lenses as they are easily the most unhuman styles available. The combination of these impactful lenses and the yarn makeup trend fits perfectly together, creating an intimidating finish! 

Alternatively, some have opted for a ‘natural’ approach. Whilst there isn’t anything natural about this technique of sticking yarn to your face, many creators have chosen a colour of yarn similar to their own skin tone. Once secured to the face, makeup such as powders and contour is then applied realistically. If you opted for the more ‘natural’ approach, why not add a pair of our natural colour contact lenses? To enhance a more authentic finish, keeping your eye colour as natural as possible will elevate your approach. 

Now that you know how to create this new look, will you be giving the viral yarn makeup trend a go? There are so many different ways to make it unique to you, but a pair of coloured, funky contact lenses is a must! If you choose to tick yarn makeup off your list and use a pair of the Funky Lenses costume or natural contact lenses, we would love to see what you create; don’t forget to tag us @funky_lenses!