Many of us will have been “swayed” into buying something that has gone viral online, but now some social media users are trying to “sway” their followers and take a stand against overconsumption
TikTok fights back against influencers by “uninfluencing” trending products (Getty Images/Tetra images RF)
Every week it seems like influencers have a new dreamy beauty product that they use to solve all your skin or hair problems and whether they’re high-end or low-budget products, many of us will run to buy it.
Be it a mascara that gives you the “ultimate” false lash effect, or a lipstick that somehow has the perfect color for everyone, the new “it” beauty product has to be bought if you want to stay on trend.
This isn’t a new concept, but with the all-encompassing impact of social media, it can be difficult to ignore the pressure to keep up with must-haves. However, some users are fighting back against this overconsumption with a new trend of “swaying” to help people not overspend on things they don’t need or that are a waste of money
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Gone are the days when you bought 15 lipsticks because your favorite influencer told you, TikTok has had enough (Getty Images/iStockphoto)
The influence is a direct result of years of asking teenagers and young adults to purchase extensive collections of often expensive makeup, clothing, and various other products.
While YouTube’s beauty guru era may be over, there is an overwhelming number of influencers still offering products across all platforms.
“Mascara gate” was the breaking point for many makeup fans when influencer Mikayla Nogueira shared a video promoting Maybelline’s Telescopic Lash, saying it was “like fake lashes.”
She was accused of wearing false lashes at the end of her review, which the Boston-based influencer denied.
This led to widespread criticism online of influencers and the way they promote products, with controversial beauty figures like Jeffree Star and James Charles also sharing their thoughts.
Mikayla’s viral video opened the floodgates for beauty fans to take stock of what they’re actually buying and why.
TikTokers like @michelleskidelsky are turning the power of influence on its head to stop us from spending frivolously.
Michelle has a popular online influencer series where she talks about some of the “must have” products she’s bought and why many of them ended up being a waste of money on her.
In Part 13 of her De-Influencers series, Michelle brings forward the £21 Clinique Almost Lipstick in Black Honey, which has seemingly been on the lips of every influencer over the past year. This translucent red-toned lipstick aims to be the perfect color for anyone who wears it, hence its popularity.
Michelle said, “If you already have a lot of lipsticks that you don’t need to wear or use up, you probably don’t need another one.”
However, if you really want to try it out, she recommends going to the store and seeing if you like it first rather than blind ordering, as it’s “impossible to tell” how the shade will turn out without you testing it first.
Similarly, the de-influencer, 20, has opened up about how she’s bought a plethora of items from cult-favorite Glossier over the years, including sweaters and cloud-paint blush in shades she felt didn’t suit her right looked.
She claims she knew they wouldn’t fit her when she bought them, adding, “I still just wanted to have them, I wanted to own them.”
Michelle also showed off her multiple versions of the same £11 tube of lip balm, which she also had unopened spares of. Again she confessed, “I didn’t need to buy that many, I just wanted them.”
Most of her products were unused and unfinished, although they had been purchased years ago when she was a teenager.
“You don’t have to be looking for the latest and greatest when you have things that work for you,” the ‘de-influencer’ added in another video.
“The best way to de-influence yourself is to unfollow the influencers,” added Michelle. “De-influencing is really about understanding that everything influencers tell and show you is a lie. If you don’t follow this, you will be ‘de-affected’.”
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