When TikTok Users Discuss “Mascara,” What Do They Mean?

TikTok has an enormous community of users interested primarily in beauty and beauty products. There are tens of millions of TikTok posts focusing on the topics, and they have received hundreds of billions of views. Naturally, a lot of the discussion concerns mascara and other types of eye makeup.

We’re talking about TikTok, though, where common words and phrases are often used as code words — and “mascara” has trended on the social media platform as a way to refer to something very different. In just the first two weeks of the word’s alternate use, #mascara recorded more than 100 million views on the app.

The Meaning of Mascara on TikTok

We all know what mascara is, and it was discussed for years in beauty-focused TikTok videos.

In January 2023, though, the word took on a different meaning among many TikTok users. It became a code word for a romantic partner when used in content describing relationships and sexual experiences. Trending “mascara” videos usually included Duster’s version of the song “Constellations,” which has lyrics referring to a first-time sexual encounter.

At first, content creators generally substituted “mascara” for the name of their former or current partner, but it quickly took on more overt sexual connotations. For example, it is often used in somewhat-convoluted ways to refer to the quality of a sexual encounter.

The word eventually became a synonym for a body part (yes, we’re talking about the penis) to avoid censorship for violating TikTok’s terms and conditions. Users talked about needing a longer mascara, and some even went as far as saying things like “My fav mascara couldn’t keep its wand in its tube.” Many of the videos dealt with topics of sexual abuse as well.

The “mascara” trend isn’t as big as it was back in 2023, but it’s still around and has even produced a counterpart. References to “lip gloss” in comments or similar videos are using the phrase as code for vagina.