By Soo Kim

Copyright newsweek

A TikTok user’s attempt to discreetly apply a face mask mid-flight has ended up making her look more like “a witch” than a beauty influencer—and viewers can’t get enough of it.

The video, shared by Emma Darling (@emmamdarling), a TikTok user from London who works in the beauty industry, shows her stepping out of the bathroom on an Air China flight wearing a collagen sheet mask and a sharply pointed black hoodie.

Text overlaid on the clip, which has had 1.6 million views since it was shared on September 26, reads: “When you try to hide your face mask from the other passengers but just end up looking like a witch.”

Darling posted the clip during a long-haul journey to Japan. It has since garnered widespread attention for its humor and relatability, with users applauding her commitment to mid-flight skincare—and laughing at the unintentionally spooky effect.

“I wanted to feel refreshed on the other side,” Darling told Newsweek. “Otherwise, on shorter flights I usually just wear SPF [sunscreen].”

The video shows her wearing a Biodance collagen sheet mask, draped under a hooded black sweater pulled tightly over her head, creating a look some likened to the Grim Reaper.

“I’ve done this mask before on a flight, but this time I was wearing this hoodie,” she said. “I woke up from sleeping and went to use the toilet. I wanted to hide my face, so I put my hood up. I didn’t realize it looked so pointy.”

In the caption shared with the post, Darling added: “Pride has gone out the window but at least I’ll have plump and hydrated skin…”

@emmamdarling Pride has gone out the window but at least I’ll have plump and hydrated skin featuring the collagen overnight mask by @biodance_official and hoodie by @RICK OWENS ONLINE #SkincareInTheSky #AgeDefyingSkin #41AndThriving #funnytiktok #travelglow ♬ Monkeyshine-JP – Lt FitzGibbons Men

Why Skincare in the Sky Matters

While Darling’s video was meant as a joke, skincare experts say she’s not wrong to prioritize hydration during air travel.

“Our bodies lose water every hour that we’re on a plane, through normal breathing and transepidermal water loss—the loss of water via the skin,” double board-certified dermatologist Dr. Angela Casey told Newsweek in a previous interview.

Casey noted that cabin air is “very dry due to the lack of humidification,” which can lead to parched skin. She recommends layering hyaluronic acid serums—which “bind 1000x their weight in water”—followed by a moisturizer to lock it in.

Moisturizing facial mists like Avene Thermal spring water can also help, but should be sealed in with lotion right afterward. “It’s important to apply a moisturizer right after spritzing in order to lock the moisture into your skin,” Casey said.

Dr. Anna Guanche, a board-certified dermatologist, also told Newsweek that many travelers use sheet masks before landing to rehydrate skin. “Some people go to the lengths of wearing a soothing cooling mask 30 minutes before they land to rehydrate the skin,” she said.

And perhaps most critically, travelers shouldn’t skip sunscreen—even while inside the cabin.

“For every 1,000 feet increase in altitude, the sun’s intensity increases almost 10 percent,” dermatologist Dr. Kenneth Mark previously told Newsweek.

Plane windows typically block UVB rays but allow up to 50 percent of UVA rays, Casey added. “UVA penetrates to the depth of collagen in our skin and is the major culprit in causing wrinkles and skin laxity.”

‘The Reaper Walking Toward You’

TikTok users flooded the comments with jokes and support, turning the moment into a shared laugh for anyone who’s ever felt awkward while trying self-care in public.

“Imagine u was asleep and u woke up seeing the reaper walking towards u,” wrote user NBS films.

“I thought u was pretending to be ghostface,” commented Chelsé.

“It’s definitely less embarrassing to just come out with the face mask,” Dico added.

But as user @billnyepie summed up in the comments: “I feel like it would be less embarrassing just to walk out with the face mask on… not hiding it because GURL.”

Others were quick to defend Darling’s routine as completely normal—and something to be embraced rather than hidden.

“Girl don’t hide—be the trendsetter that you’re meant to be,” user @karolinaki342 wrote. “You’ll come out of the plane looking gorg.”

“Wearing a face mask is literally so normal lol,” Luisa Maria | UGC & Fitness added. “I just walk around the plane with my face mask because why would I hide the fact that I’m taking care of my skin.”

A screenshot from a viral TikTok video showing a woman wearing a black hoodie with a sheet mask on her face.

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