A STUDENT is courting controversy with her eyeliner hack that makes it last all day but may come at a dangerous price.
She’s already been scolded publicly by a doctor for the technique, which puts her at risk of everything from skin irritation to puncture wounds.
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Shelagh Kratz (@shagzcantshred), 19, of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, went viral on TikTok after demonstrating her beauty secret.
In the video, she uses a PaperMate ballpoint pen to draw on her winged eyeliner.
“When I tell people my secret to long-lasting eyeliner, it’s a ballpoint pen,'” she wrote in the on-screen text.
She claimed her makeup looked “the best” that day due to the writing instrument allowing for a “super-precise” application.
The marketing student also believed it was more “sweat-proof” as it remained un-smudged for longer while she was out clubbing than when she used a regular eyeliner pen.
CONCERNED CROWD
After posting the hack to TikTok, many flooded the comments to ask what pen she used.
Some expressed their concern, asking, “Is this safe?”
The Youtuber, who often makes makeup tutorials and workout videos, stated she’s only done it a handful of times as she knows it “may not be the best for her eyes.”
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She’s also said that she wouldn’t want to “advocate for ink poisoning.”
Dr. Julian Prosia, a board-certified optometrist, replied to Shelagh’s video calling the TikTok trend “ridiculous.”
“I thought it was self-explanatory to not use pen ink in or around the eyes,” he said.
Kratz, who is no stranger to backlash, admitted she has a “couple of controversial makeup takes.”
“With this one, I was completely out of eyeliner. I was on a trip to Albania and I dropped my eyeliner down the toilet. I never bought another one,” she explained.
“We were going out and I was in a pinch. I had to be ready in the next couple of minutes.
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“I was doing a full face of makeup like my going-out glam for the club makeup.
“I thought, ‘I have a PaperMate pen. You know what? This is going to work.’
“It’s just a regular ballpoint pen. I just used it like a normal eyeliner to do a winged flick at the end, add a little pizazz.
“I honestly think that day was one of the best days that I’ve done my makeup.
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“We all know how to control a ballpoint pen so it’s super precise.
“If there was a ballpoint eyeliner, that’d be such a good business idea.
“It lasted way longer [than normal eyeliner]. It lasted through my sweat because I was dancing around.”
TAKING RESPONSIBILITY
In response to the negative comments, Kratz stated that she doesn’t want to “advocate for ink poisoning” and admitted she’s only done the “secret” trick a handful of times when she’s been desperate.
“I prefer it, but I recognize it’s maybe not the best thing for your eyes,” she said.
“I think I’ve only done it three or four times because I was genuinely out of eyeliner.
“I’ve seen doctors or medical professionals on Instagram underneath my video and I’m like. ‘Oh my goodness, of course, I’m not advocating for ink poisoning or anything like that.’
“I’m not doing it every day. Since then, I’ve bought a regular eyeliner.
“The responses have been pretty funny. They’re like, ‘Oh this is nothing, I used to use Sharpie back in middle school back in the day.’ I don’t know if I’d be that bold.
“It’s been a mix of finding people who do the same thing and people who want to try it out and are curious about the results and if it works.
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“And there’s been people saying, ‘This is horrible for you, don’t spread stuff like this online where children could watch.'”
Kratz also revealed this isn’t the first time a makeup trick of hers has gone viral due to controversy.
In another video, she showed how she uses sunscreen to bring out the contours of her face by using a “lesser SPF” as a base and then a higher one on her high points.
However, many claimed she was “risking skin cancer” by deliberately using lower levels of sunscreen to add contrast to her skin tones.
Despite this, Kratz said it works for her and that she usually applies a base layer of SPF before this anyway.
“Every so often my TikTok videos will blow up and people will be really mad,” she said.
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“I posted a video of me applying sunscreen to my face as a contour, but the same way you’d apply highlighter.
“I’d leave blank spots where you want bronzed and brush a little bit of sunscreen on the parts where you want to remain pale.
“It gives your cheeks and your nose a nice little flush.
“I’ve actually done it for a couple of years, probably since I started doing makeup.
“What I didn’t show the internet is that I do actually put a protective layer down first or like a lesser SPF.
“It’s always the stupidest videos that you never expect that go viral.
“Overall [the response was] negative, they’re like, ‘You’re going to get skin cancer.’
“But I do use SPF all over my face and then I go on top of it.
“I never had any problems with it and I found that it works.”
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DOCTOR’S ORDERS
Dr. Prosia said content creators like Kratz should think twice about younger viewers before sharing potentially dangerous beauty tips.
“Even though there isn’t any major toxicity associated with ballpoint pens as they don’t use lead in them anymore, the eye is still a very delicate structure,” he explained.
“The eyelid skin is the thinnest skin in the body so if someone is taking a ballpoint pen, which can be pretty sharp, that can damage the eye if you’re not careful.
“On top of that, it isn’t rated for the eyeball or the eyelid so it probably isn’t a good idea to be using it in and around those areas.
“One person could use it and they may be fine, but it could also encourage the youth who don’t really know the risks to do that.
“That could really harm the eyeball. You could have puncturing wounds or you could have toxicity and inflammatory issues.
“The biggest thing with TikTok is that it’s influencing the younger generation.
“If you’re an adult and you’re using it for your eyelids and you’re being careful, you may not have any reactions, but that young girl who’s trying to be like you could potentially puncture her eye.”