I believe that the hype is not real. I don't use any of the TikTok products in my bag or bathroom drawer.
It is impossible to scroll through TikTok's 'For You' feed without seeing another beauty product endorsed.
As an elder Gen-Zer, I have seen social media channels go from platforms that played a significant role in connecting family, friends and community across the globe to becoming #sponcon.
Social media has an impact on buying habits. Constant marketing inundates us with an overwhelming flow.
Consumers began to make more informed buying decisions after thepandemic.
We made changes in our lives, including our approach to beauty, after we took the opportunity to reexamine our priorities.
I tried the makeup trick that involves lubrication. The results didn't surprise me. The post goes on below.
'I tried the lube makeup trick. And the results kinda surprised me.'0 seconds of 3 minutes, 21 secondsVolume 0%My beauty rituals were changed and less was done. As I shifted my focus towards values, my beauty principles were renewed.
If the products weren't good for my skin, planet, and pocket, I wouldn't use them.
That changed when TikTok entered the conversation.
TikTok democratised influencer culture and championed authenticity and creativity. However, as the app exploded into popularity, my screen time dramatically increased, and I found that a lot of what I disliked about social media was hidden on TikTok.
Content creators were talking about how the product dramatically changed their lives and would change mine too, when every other video was a new skincare or makeup hack. I fell victim to the hype even though I was switched on.
As I peruse the comments section of another glowing review or beauty hack, I find comfort in seeing other users say things like, "Stop, I'm broke" or "on my way to Sephora before this sells out."
Another aesthetic is something I think about. I just entered my era of clean girls.
I know that social media has made people want to feel like they are part of the latest trends in order to be seen.
The proliferation of micro-trends and viral content has been taken to a new level by TikTok. A blind spot is created because of the promotion of beauty products.
In one of her videos, the creator of TikTok applied the shade 'Hot Chocolit Heat' to her beauty products. The comments section of her website was flooded with questions.
@kimberleypossible_ Replying to @Hafoosi #fentybeauty #glossbombheat #glossbomb #glossylips #gifted #hotchocolatebomb ♬ original sound - KimberleyPossible_
Thousands of beauty content creators sewed her video with their own videos trying on the same lipgloss.
Within a few days, the Gloss Bomb Heat in 'Hot Chocolit Heat' had sold out all over the world.
The trend peaked a few weeks after the videos were posted. In the comments of those videos, users were talking about how they regretted their purchase because they didn't know that it had a plumping formula, or that it was not worth the high price tag.
The cycle of hype, purchase, and regret is what fuels overconsumption on #beautytok.
There is more.
Deinfluencing is a new trend taking over TikTok. Deinfluencing involves content creators sharing their negative experiences with certain products and suggesting alternatives.
It seems like a solution to the constant pressure to buy new products, but it's actually another tactic to keep adding items to our carts.
In one popular de-influencing TikTok video by creator Valeria Fride, she discusses what she believes to be over-hyped as well asunderappreciated beauty products, including Charlotte Tilbury and OUai.
@valeriafride Don’t buy everything you see on here 🥹 #deinfluencing #beautytips #sephorahaul ♬ Her Way (Sped Up) - PARTYNEXTDOOR
Some people admitted on the video that de-influencing was just influencing them more.
I used to go to websites like Makeupalley to get beauty product recommendations. If they are honest and trustworthy, we often turn to them.
I have found some TikTok-endorsed products that have become my favourite, even though my makeup bag is full.
There are also Alya Skin Pink Clay mask and Hourglass Instant Extensions Mascara.
I want to leave from the mentality that TikTok made me buy anything.
I can de-influence myself by asking these questions instead of relying on content creators.
Is this product even necessary?
Customers are not using social media.
Is the brand ethical and moral?
TikTok has made me obsessed with the newest products. It is important to remember that we can opt out of the constant influx of trends if we so choose, only for the product to not work for us.
Naa-Lamle has more to say. More of her work can be found here.
Do you like to buy beauty products? You can share your thoughts in the comments.
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