Right now, the internet is obsessing over one thing: Mikayla Nogueira's eyelashes.
In case you aren't in the loop, the beauty guru - who has over 14 million followers on TikTok alone - has built a brand based entirely around what she puts on her face.
Nogueira joined the app in March 2020. The inevitable threat of COVID had meant she was stuck at home after she was laid off from her position at Ulta, a beauty department store.
Mikayla Nogueira. Image: Instagram @mikaylajmakeup.
With free time on her hands, she used her boredom to her advantage and began making videos online. Her own brand was built on being brutally honest and incredibly knowledgeable.
In just three short years, Nogueira managed to amass over 14 million followers and almost 1.1 billion likes overall.
But last month, the beauty guru's budding empire threatened to come undone.
In a TikTok video, Nogueira shared her review of the new L'Oréal Telescopic Lift mascara.
The beauty guru shared a review of the product online and it has garnered immense criticism. Image: TikTok @mikaylanogueira.
While applying the product to one eye, she said, "This literally just changed my life. This looks like false lashes, how, what?"
Then after applying one coat of mascara to both eyes, she told the camera she would be back after adding "a second coat".
After coming back on camera, her lashes looked noticeably longer.
"Look at the length," she said. "I am speechless. I’m not sure anyone is ever going to be able to compete with this mascara."
Watch the full clip of Mikayla Nogueira sharing her viral review. Post continues after video.
Instantly, the clip began to draw criticism from fans who were convinced she was wearing fake eyelashes on one eye.
The video has since gone viral, racking up almost 55.3 million views in five days, 1.2 million likes, and 67,000 comments.
The majority of the comments had just one question: Is she wearing fake eyelashes?
"Did you just add individual eyelashes?" asked one user.
"I’m so disappointed to see this," another wrote. "I have no doubts that this mascara is great, I LOVE the original telescopic, but you can clearly the falsies here."
Listen to Lowbrow, hosted by Holly Wainwright and Shannen Findlay, as they debunk the Mascaragate controversy. Post continues after audio.
A third added: "I love you so so much, but I reeeeaaally feel like you’re wearing lashes at the end."
A third commented: "Girl did you just add falsies at the end."
One response garnered the most conversation though, and it came from controversial beauty brand owner Jeffree Star. In a viral video, the guru shared he would be bringing back his once formidable makeup product reviews.
"Oh, I definitely have been hearing you loud and clear this week," he said to his followers on TikTok. "You've woken up the motherf**king beast and I'll be reviewing makeup again starting next week!"
@jeffreestar I hear you LOUD and CLEAR 🚨🚨🚨 Makeup reviews coming back this week. #makeup #beauty #makeupreview ♬ original sound - Jeffree Star
He added, "A lot of foundations and mascaras and certain things I hear may be fraudulent. So if y'all want an unbiased motherf**king b***h that's been reviewing makeup for 10 years, that has never accepting a f**king coin from one brand to ever say a product is 'amazing' - then stay f**king tuned because the b***h is back."
The clip received over two million likes. In another clip, he shared his own review of the product and said that while it "was cute" and "looked pretty," it wasn't the "greatest" mascara.
Read more: Bankrupt to millionaire: Behind the YouTube documentary with 63 millions views and counting.
Star finished off the video by warning followers not to be "influenced so easy" by content creators and to "be careful".
"A lot of these people are accepting money," he said. "It makes me very uncomfortable. The beauty space has changed immensely and there's only a few top dogs now."
Nogueira went quiet on social media for a week before returning. She didn't address the drama and instead promoted her Valentine's Day makeup tutorial.
"I'm sure we all know why we've gathered here today," she said, seemingly alluding to the controversy. "It's the month of love, b****es!"
The TikTok star holds the top spot for the most liked video and has over 55.3 million views - plus her very own viral hashtag #mikaylashgate.
Feature Image: TikTok @mikaylanogueira.
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