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Kylie Knott

On the face of it, the idea of slapping toothpaste on your cheekbones to enhance your appearance seems crazy.
But that is exactly what some believe could become Hong Kong’s latest beauty fad.
Oral hygiene giant Colgate - which has been peddling toothpaste since 1873 when it came in a jar before the switch to its now familiar collapsible tube - is rolling out a product that claims to do just that.
This festive season the US company is taking Hong Kong down an unusual path: toothpaste as makeup.

“It’s an alternative way to use our festive product,” said Colgate’s spokesperson in Hong Kong, Audrey Yung, of the sparkle-infused, fruit punch-flavoured toothpaste.
And the Christmas-tree shaped sparkles are not just for the face. They can be applied to hands “or anywhere you like,” said Yung, adding, “We encourage people to be creative.”
She said the inspiration for the product came from a customer who shared the idea on the brand’s social media platform. “It’s an interesting idea for make-up enthusiasts,” Yung added.
It is not the first time wacky practices have infiltrated the multi-billion dollar global beauty industry.

In 2018, US actress Gwyneth Paltrow’s lifestyle site, Goop, was fined US$145,000 after claiming its jade eggs - an egg-shaped gemstone that some said could be put inside a woman’s vagina to improve sexual health - could regulate hormone levels and help with bladder control. They don’t.
Last month, crying makeup, a red pigment added to the eyelids and cheeks to create a fresh sobbing face look, created a splash on Tik-Tok.
China’s Weibo is loaded with everything from surgery-free facelifts using face tape to a coins-on-the-collarbone craze where young females did just that to show how skinny they were.
But while technology can be attributed to the global rise in crazy beauty trends, they are nothing new.

Ancient Romans used human and animal urine to whiten their teeth, while Victorian-era women chomped on arsenic wafers in search of a fairer complexion.
In ancient China, long nails on aristocratic women were a sign of wealth. Some grew them as long as 25cm.
Other far-out fashion fads:
Rice water hair:
Using the leftover water from soaking rice to (apparently) add lustre to hair. This harks back to Japan’s Heian Period (794-1185) when court ladies washed their floor-length locks with it.
Lensless glasses:
In recent years it was not unusual to see Hong Kong hipsters with perfect sight wearing lensless glasses. In 2013, fashion giant Maison Martin Margiela launched a gold half-frame version which sold for an eye-watering US$780.
Snail slime:
Hong Kong beauty trends are heavily influenced by South Korea, one being face masks and serums made with snail mucin, the gooey secretion left behind by the slimy gastropods. Greek physician Hippocrates reportedly applied crushed snails to treat skin inflammations. Today some women claim it smooths wrinkles.


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Toothpaste makeup for your face: could this be Hong Kong’s latest beauty trend?

An American oral hygiene giant launches what could become Hong Kong’s latest fashion trend — toothpaste for your face. Photo: SCMP composite

Water left over from rice making is popular for use as a hair treatment. Photo: Handout

A recent trend from South Korea is face masks and serums made with snail mucin, the gooey secretion left behind by the slimy gastropods. Photo: Reuters

In recent years it was not unusual to see Hong Kong hipsters with perfect sight wearing lensless glasses. Photo: Instagram/@yoona__lim

A Guinness World Record? Chinese wife who gave birth after 26 miscarriages highlights reproductive burden on women in China

A new mother in China is at the centre of controversy after the hospital she gave birth at revealed the lengths she went to to conceive after suffering 26 miscarriages. Photo: SCMP composite

The infertility rate among Chinese women at childbearing age has surged in recent years. Photo: Getty 

The woman’s identity has not been revealed by the hospital to protect her privacy. Photo: Getty

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Zhang’s delivery exploits have made him an online sensation, but also triggered an outpouring of concern from internet users. Photo: Soho

‘Our delivery workers send as many as 60 to 70 orders a day per person. It’s normal that they are too busy to have meals’, says Zhang’s manager. Photo: Getty

‘The most beautiful love’: joy as wheelchair-using couple reveal first child on the way - delighting millions in China

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“We married in our wheelchairs in 2020, and now we’re expecting our baby”, Fan says. Photo: 163.com

The announcement of the couple’s expected first child has delighted millions in China after it was revealed. Photo: 163.com

The couple became wheelchair dancing partners in 2018 and since then have won multiple competitions together. Photo: Baidu

The couple at their wedding ceremony making a toast. Photo: Baidu

Rubbish fashion show: mother in China transforms garbage bags into ‘high fashion’ for daughter’s catwalk at home – video viewed more than 5 million times

A young Chinese girl trends on mainland social media after a video of her environmentally friendly-themed home fashion show go viral. Photo: SCMP composite

‘An idea popped into my mind that there are many plastic bags at home, the colour of which is similar to those of my daughter’s ceremonial dresses. Why not hand-make some dresses for her,’ says Qi. Photo: The Paper

China has been trying to reduce plastic waste in recent years, however, it has made limited progress due to poor implementation of national policies. Photo: The Paper

China produced 81.8 million tonnes of plastic in 2019, including 15.9 million tonnes of plastic film. Photo: The Paper

‘I’d like to give her my 5kg’: 35kg woman in China eats 6 meals a day to gain weight for job and sparks healthy weight debate

An underweight woman in China eats 6 meals a day to gain weight for influencer job and sparks health debate in China. Photo: SCMP composite

In the viral video, Xiaoye eats noodles, meat, and junk food including potato chips and biscuits which she has stuffed into a drawer. Photo: Weibo

‘Xiaoye doesn’t want to look like a human skeleton in front of the camera, I really want to help her find out if there is any practical way for her to gain weight’, says her friend. Photo: Weibo

‘Eating excessively, especially oily junk food will have an impact on her health’, warns a doctor about the diet Xiaoye is on. Photo: Weibo

Xiaoye’s story has generated significant interest on mainland social media, and at the time of writing, there had been nearly 10 million views of her binge-eating video. Photo: Weibo

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Fashion & Beauty


Innovative new product allows you to brush your teeth and do your makeup, all from same tube
Sparkle-infused dental health paste set to target greater China beauty market over festive season



An American oral hygiene giant launches what could become Hong Kong’s latest fashion trend - toothpaste for your face.


Trending in China

Toothpaste makeup for your face: could this be Hong Kong’s latest beauty trend?

.css-1mniedq{color:inherit;font-weight:inherit;font-size:inherit;font-family:inherit;line-height:inherit;} Innovative new product allows you to brush your teeth and do your makeup, all from same tube Sparkle-infused dental health paste set to target greater China beauty market over festive season

Innovative new product allows you to brush your teeth and do your makeup, all from same tube

Sparkle-infused dental health paste set to target greater China beauty market over festive season