'Ocean Eyes' trend: What it is and how you can do it, too
They say that beauty lies in the eyes of the beholder, but a new social media trend seems to have given that phrase a whole new meaning.
If you've been scrolling through TikTok lately, you might have come across videos where users pinch their fingers close to the camera before parting them and revealing their eyes.
Social media users have hopped on the trend dubbed "Ocean Eyes" since it became hot, even including Filipino stars like Ivana Alawi, BINI Mikha, and Klea Pineda.
'Ocean Eyes'
It's not easy to trace how the trend began, though it's said to have emerged as a way to promote eye makeup in the beauty community using Billie Eilish's 2017 song Ocean Eyes, specifically the lyrics, "You really know how to make me cry, when you gimme those ocean eyes."
As the singer is known for having grayish blue eyes, social media users initially used the song to highlight uniquely colored eyes such as blue, green, hazel, among others.
As seen online, the makeup community eventually adapted the trend and used it to advertise colored contacts, eye shadows, and other beauty products.
With its popularity, some have also put their own twist on it, such as revealing the eyes of another instead of their own. One person even surprised their viewers by revealing the eyes of their pet cat as it stared into the camera with its big eyes.
Celebrities who have hopped on the trend—plus how to do it, too
Several local and international celebrities have already made their own version of it, such as Ivana Alawi, who mesmerized her fans with her brown eyes and curvy eyelashes.
@ivanaalawi 👁️👁️ #fyp ♬ original sound - billyrics
Fans of the P-pop girl group BINI were also treated to a dreamy clip of member Mikha doing the trend.
@bini_mikha Where are my brown eyed girlies at #bini #biniph ♬ original sound - billyrics
Actress and model Klea Pineda also wowed her followers with her own hypnotizing take on the challenge.
Filipino stars aren't the only ones who are riding the wave as K-pop idols Yunjin from Le Sserafim and Sunoo from ENHYPEN have also flexed their gorgeous eyes.
But the one that takes the cake is that of the Philippine Eagle Foundation, which let the sharp eyes of the national bird take center stage.
@phileaglefdn Philippine Eagle’s signature metallic blue-grey eyes are peak ocean eyes 🌊🦅
♬ original sound - billyrics
"The Philippine Eagle’s signature metallic grey-blue gaze isn’t just mesmerizing, it’s built for spotting prey high above the forest canopy. Ocean eyes—but evolved for thriving in Philippine forests!" the foundation wrote in the caption.
If you want to try it for yourself, several users have posted tutorials on how to achieve it. All you have to do is put your phone's camera on selfie mode and hold your two fingers close to the lens before pinching them shut.
As the song plays, move your head closer to the camera before parting your fingers as the "Ocean Eyes" lyric comes around.