Wait, Your Tongue is a Beauty Zone Now?
Or has K-Beauty hopped the shark?
Hello, Gorgeous!
As a rule, I go down every beauty rabbit hole possible - so you don’t have to. Imagine my surprise to discover that tongue tinting is a thing…or at least one company is trying to make it a thing. Let’s discuss. And then let’s all agree to sit this one out.
Remember breath strips? Those thin little dissolvable films were placed on your tongue and breath was instantly fresher! People were so excited with these that Time magazine named Listerine PocketPaks one of the best new inventions of 2002. And here’s another delightful little rabbit hole I’ll help you avoid falling down.
Listerine didn’t invent the concept. In fact, a Pfizer executive discovered the original product made by a Japanese company called Hayashibara known for manufacturing breath fresheners for smokers. Pfizer licensed the concept, improved the flavor, and added the same germ-killing oils used in liquid Listerine, and boom! A trend was born.
But back to the rabbit holes.
Rabbit Tongue Tint Film
Emulating bunnies as a beauty trend was definitely not on my beauty bingo card for spring 2026. And yet a Korean brand called Brissé has taken the idea of breath films and evolved them (dissolved them?) into a new angle of insecurity (as if fear of marionette lines and elevens haven’t traumatized me for life) If your tongue is weirdly white or cola-tinted from too many soft drinks, you can reset the look of your (searches for a cute way to say tongue but falls flat). In fact, this new tongue tint film is attempting to market its product as targeting hygiene AND aesthetics. The key ingredient called out on the packaging is pullulan — which is actually the same base ingredient as those original breath strips! So you can freshen up, all the while showing off a ladylike tinted tongue.
In case you didn’t know it: My first book Hello Gorgeous! Beauty Products in America ‘40s-’60s (A New York Public Library Book of the Year/Book for the Teen Age), studied the advertising targeting women in the midcentury. Every dang product promised dainty or ladylike results. It feels like this tongue tint would have felt right at home in the Mad Men era. Bonus points if you’ve ever spotted ads from my book in the opening credits for the show!
In case you’re clamoring for this very silly and wholly unnecessary product, I’m guessing it’ll drop soon on reputable K-beauty sites like Olive Young Global or StyleKorean.com which both carry popular K-products and ship to the U.S. But I’ll be honest, this is one beauty trend you don’t have to hop on. In fact, it inspired me to create a new section for Hello Gorgeous!
Skip It.
And this? This is the first one.
Are you even remotely interested in this trend, or can we all agree to skip it? Let’s meet in the comments to discuss!
Rachel, Your beauty concierge 🐰💋
Quick note: I included some affiliate links and from time to time some sponsored products which means I might earn a small commission on sales made through these links, but I also throw in stuff I love just because. Prices are current at publish time.
Maybe just get a tongue scraper?
…But this would make a good April Fools post: real product or did I make it up?