10 Beauty Products That Provide Such Instant Gratification, You Can Literally Watch Them Work

You may recognize this mask from Instagram, where celebs have shared selfies of the “Hanacure Old Lady Face.” When you apply the viscous gel to your skin, it dries in a way that makes your skin look seriously wrinkled, but when you remove it you’ll be baby soft and line free. The star of the show here is Octolift technology, which firms and tightens skin and reduces the appearance of blemishes.

This tightening eye cream recently went viral on TikTok, thanks to the instant skin-firming results it offers, and according to derms, it really is the real deal. “This product works immediately,” says Rachel Nazarian, MD, a board-certified dermatologist based in New York City. “The ingredients create an invisible film that tightens as it dries, keeping skin looking smooth and firm…it’s a nice quick cheat for people with expression lines and bags.” Though it can provide temporary relief for eye bags, it’s worth noting that it doesn’t do a whole lot to change them over time, but it’s still the perfect product to slather on when your eyes need a temporary boost of brightness.

This mit has been a mainstay in Morrocan Hammams for centuries, and offers a visible level of exfoliation that soft-skin dreams are made of. Scrub your body with it, and watch the dead cells pill away from the surface of your skin like the remnants of an old cashmere sweater. Follow it up with a moisturizer and you’ll be silky smooth all over for days to follow.

Lauded as a “vacuum for your pores,” you can literally watch this mask pull grime out from beneath the surface of your skin. The star ingredient here Activated-X charcoal, which purportedly pulls out 500 times its weight in dirt and oil. It’s paired with a blend of five alpha-hydroxy acids (lactic, glycolic, mandelic, pyruvic and tartaric acid) which act as gentle exfoliants to melt away the dead skin cells that tend to trap acne-causing bacteria, as well as salicylic acid, a beta-hydroxy acid that’s small enough to get way down deep into your pores, clearing them from the inside out and helping to prevent the accumulation of dead skin cells, debris, and oil. Apply the mask to your skin, wait a few minutes, and watch the grossness bubble up to the surface so that you can whisk it away for good when it comes time to rinse.

Cancel your brow lamination appointment, because this tiny tube—from celebrity makeup artist Patrick Ta—will help you achieve the same pro-grade results at home. The formula coats each individual hair in pigment, making them look fuller and thicker on their own. Then, you can use the flat side of the sculpting wand to brush your brows and set them in place for a look that mimics Cara Delevigne’s.

This lip-plumping gloss has got both the derm and beauty editor stamp of approval for its ability to help you fake fuller lips, no needles required. “It has several ingredients that contribute to its success as a lip plumper,” says Michael Somenek, MD, a facial plastic surgeon based in Washington, DC. “It contains Capsicum Frutescens Resin which is a wild chili pepper, and Cinnamal, the oil that gives cinnamon its spice. The irritants in these two ingredients cause a tingling or burning sensation when applied to the lips and can temporarily increase the size of the lips.” Plus, it leaves behind a wet, shimmery finish that makes your lips look, well, kissable AF.

If you’re looking to fake the appearance of lash extensions without a trip to the salon, this stuff gets the job done in just a few simple swipes. It’s made with magnet core technology, which allows magnetized pigments to stack on top of each other in order to lengthen your lashes beyond their natural size. The difference is so dramatic, you won’t be able to resist the urge for a dozen before-and-after selfies.

Hungover skin is no match for this moisturizing serum, which acts like a jolt of caffeine for a tired complexion. It reduces puffiness and other signs of fatigue, and if you apply it before bed, you’ll wake up with skin that looks like it slept a full (non-wine-disrupted) eight hours.

A layer of this primer will make visible pores disappear, creating a smooth canvas for you to apply your makeup on top of. The hero is the formula’s oil-absorbing spheres, which work to mattify skin and diffuse light, helping to minimize the appearance of pores, lines, and wrinkles. Red clover flower is in the mix, too, which rebalances your skin to reduce the appearance of pores over time. Smoother-looking skin (at least, temporarily) is only a single application away.

If you’ve seen this product come across your TikTok feed, you know that it evens skin tone in a matter of minutes. It starts out green, which helps balance out any red tones in your skin, then blends to match your natural complexion. Its star ingredient, Centella Asiatica Complex (otherwise known as “tiger balm”), works to calm inflammation and protect from environmental stressors to help to reduce redness over time.