A new Japanese make-up trend, involving the use of hot melted glue to create tear-like droplet shapes that are then placed on the face, is going viral among teenage schoolgirls, according to a report in South China Morning Post (SCMP). The trendy style, known as “3D teardrop make-up” gives the girls a delicate appearance that is intended to evoke sympathy — making them look as if they are crying. The trend has spread rapidly across Japanese schools with a shortage of hot melt glue guns also reported in some areas.

As per experts, such bizarre trends routinely come up on social media in the country and last a few weeks. The make-up process involves squeezing super hot glue onto a smooth surface, such as a plastic sheet. Once the glue cools and solidifies, it can be removed and attached to the face using fake eyelash glue.

However, the trend has drawn criticism from netizens with many worried that some impressionable teenagers might harm themselves while using the hot glue. Many have labelled the entire trend as “ridiculous” and “bizarre” and called out those participating in it.

“Seriously? Are secondary school girls really into this kind of inappropriate trend now?” a user was quoted as saying by the outlet, while another commented: “Wait, doesn’t this hot glue tear make-up look suspiciously like sperm?”

This is not the first time that the hot melted glue trend has taken off. Last year, TikTok beauty creator, Vanessa Funes, better known as @cutcreaser, posted a video where she used hot glue gun to create a space-age eyeliner look.

“The first design I made was inspired by the Mandalorian’s Beskar armour but melted. So, I thought of melted metal and how that would look as an eyeliner design,” said Ms Funes, whose video with the hashtag #hotgluemakeup, managed to garner 14.9 million views.

Experts suggest that the hot glue should not be directly placed on the face in any condition. It is recommended to use a stainless-steel surface or parchment paper as a base to draw the desired designs if one intends to go through with the trend.

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Unconventional beauty trends

In September this year, a viral beauty trend in the US urged the netizens to eat dirt as a remedy for health issues. The peculiar practice, touted to improve gut health, skin problems, and even obesity, gained significant traction on TikTok.

Edible clay and soil products were being sold on e-commerce platforms like Amazon and Etsy, ranging from powders to clay chunks, priced between Rs 900 to Rs 2,200.