It’s no secret that content creators, specifically on Tik Tok, are heavily influencing the human population. It seems as though there is always a new product to try. Through Stanley Cups, slicked-back hairstyles, Poppi Sodas, Rare Beauty Products, and Revlon Hair Brush Blow Dryers, microtrends have been significantly changing the retail demand. However, the problem is that more and more content creators are promoting the same aesthetic, oversaturating the media, and there’s been a dissociation of viewers’ personal styles. Are practices genuinely loved and valuable to the individual, or are they simply curated by social media?
Currently, the main trends are related to makeup and beauty products and it appears to have a ripple effect. There is one name that seems to have influenced all: Alix Earle. With her casual “Get-Ready-With-Me-Story-Time” Tik Tok videos, her persona has boomed in the past couple of months. She’s now a verified creator and has attended many influencer events including traveling to Dubai with Tarte, the cosmetic company. People love her and a common saying is, “What would Alix Earle do?” Why is she so popular? Some answer that she is relatable, but no one really knows. Products she uses, such as the White Nyx Jumbo Stick Eyeliner and Charlotte Tilbury Contour Wand, have not just simply been “popular”; they’ve severely disrupted the supply chain selling out in beauty stores such as Sephora and Ulta, creating an impatient rage in customers. Her Amazon storefront that displays the lighting and equipment she uses to film has even sold out of stock for the next month. Earle, along with popular Swedish content creator Matilda Djerf, have dazzled viewers with their shiny, blowout hair look, which they achieve by using the brand Gisou. Gisou products such as the Honey Infused Hair Oil and leave-in treatments have been primarily used by black women for their hair type, and because of Djerf’s and Earle’s influence on the sell-out, those women have vocalized their frustration as they don’t have access to the products that they need to keep their hair healthy. Supply chain problems are shockingly very evident when it comes to influencers.
Social media interactors seem to just pick a person and make that person the top influencer; “It Girls,” so to speak. Other Tik Tok creators have tried to top Earle through their own “Get-Ready-With-Me” beauty routines, but the products are the same along with the basis of the video. The “Clean Girl” aesthetic is also shared amongst many influencers through satisfying, minimalist interior spaces, relaxing skincare and bedtime routines, and “Day in My Life” videos. It’s actually quite interesting when thinking back to the earlier 2013-2016 phase on Youtube with vlog-style, routine videos that were produced by creators such as Bethany Mota and Alisha Marie. This truly goes to show that trends in the media almost always resurface. Today on Tik Tok, there’s not just Lauren Loveless or Paige Lorenze; there are thousands of accounts with similar content and follower counts. This creates an alienation in niche creators and personal aesthetics as more and more people, Tik Tok influencers or not, are dressing and living alike. In the past, influencers were unique to the public and were able to build a well-known brand. Now, it’s becoming harder and harder to be a full-time content creator as nothing is “original” anymore, and viewership demand changes by the day.
It will be interesting to see if this continues and if/when the media becomes completely homogenous and oversaturated. Some may argue that this can be good, as using the same things as others creates a collective group of people who bond over certain products and practices that are helpful to them. All in all, people have the freedom of choice and can invest in whatever products they desire.