When Tiffany Mitchell applies makeup, she hears Erica Taylor’s catchphrases, spoken in a Queens accent, in her head.
“Uncomfortably high to lift your eye.” (Apply shadow almost up to the brow bone.) “Over the river and through the hood.” (Extend eye makeup up and out beyond a hooded lid.) “The apple fell from the tree.” (Place blush higher on the cheek.) “Let’s go!” (Self-explanatory.)
“I’m telling you, this woman is speaking to me — she has seen my face,” said Ms. Mitchell, 45, a phlebotomy business owner turned reality television contestant. Ms. Mitchell, who lives in suburban Detroit, has previously been on “Big Brother” and “The Challenge,” and will appear next on “The Traitors.”
With 2.2 million followers on TikTok and 1.7 million on Instagram, Ms. Taylor, 49, teaches a primarily over-40 audience how to apply makeup to facial features that may not look like they once did. Her tutorials feature a combination of humor, relatability and mnemonics that her audience adores.
Her most popular video, with almost 10 million views on TikTok, is titled “Common Mistakes That Age Our Face.” The split-face style in the video has become one of her signatures.
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