The Love Island Hair Hack That's Taking Over TikTok

When you're stuck in a villa in Fiji with no Wi-Fi for six weeks, you're bound to get creative with your beauty routine. That's exactly what happened during the Love Island USA Season 8 semifinals, when winner Trinity Tatum grabbed a tube of beige concealer and started painting “fake highlights” into her jet-black curls.

Needless to say, her fellow Islanders were just as confused as they were intrigued. “I’ve never seen that before,” her castmate Kayda Bosse deadpanned — and fans of the show were equally divided. Some called the hack “genius,” praising it as a low-commitment way to try chunky, Y2K-inspired highlights. Others thought the streaks looked more gray than blonde: “I fear this would make me look 600 years old,” one TikTok user commented.

Either way, the clip quickly went viral, with plenty of people trying the technique for themselves. But can concealer actually pull off the illusion? Ahead, a hairstylist weighs in how to recreate the look — and which product might work even better.

How To Rock Faux Highlights

Like any good set of highlights, placement makes all the difference. Instead of painting concealer over the outermost pieces of hair, hairstylist Becca Nilsson says faux streaks look much more believable when they're tucked underneath the top layer.

“I probably wouldn't do it right on the perimeter of the hair,” she tells Bustle. “If you're going to try the look, keep the color underneath so it's more subtle.”

That tiny tweak helps the product blend more seamlessly, while the lighter pieces still peek through underneath. If you're going for something more colorful than blonde streaks, concealer can also act as a base for eyeshadow, helping bright shades show up more vividly on dark hair.

Another tip? Make sure you’re coating the entire strand from root to tip, and keep each section relatively small — unless you’re intentionally going for a striped, scene-kid raccoon tail hair moment.

Lastly, it’s important to trust the process. At first, the concealer might look a little greasy. Since it’s meant for the skin, not the hair, it sits on the surface instead of soaking in. Brushing it through while it’s still wet helps distribute the pigment more evenly, and once it dries, the finish looks less painted on.

That said, if your goal is to fool people into thinking that you actually got highlights, temporary hair color sprays and powders are a more convincing option. “They work better than concealer because they actually stick to the hair,” Nilsson explains.

Her personal favorite? Color Wow's Root Cover Up powder. It's typically used to camouflage gray roots, but she says it's just as handy for creating faux highlights. Otherwise, a misting of hairspray helps lock the concealer into place.

Bottom line: This concealer hack probably won’t replace your usual salon appointment, but it is a fun way to experiment with color without the commitment. And if you do love it? You’ll know it’s time to call your colorist.