TikTok influencers may have a habit of bending the truth when it comes to the products they recommend to their viewers.
Many influencers are sponsored by the companies these products are born out of, so it’s difficult to predict if the review is encouraged by financial gain.
I’ve had the pleasure of being influenced into buying many items from the beauty community on TikTok–some of these products have truly been lifesaving, while others have made me mourn every cent lost.
I bought them so you don’t have to! The most overrated products of 2022 are listed below, in no particular order.
Laniege Lip Mask
I bought the Laneige lip mask with the highest hopes and the praises of several influencers. I thought this product would give me the most hydrated lips that would maintain throughout the day. Unfortunately, all I got was overpriced pink petroleum jelly.
I’ve given this lip mask chance after chance after chance, only to be disappointed each time. It dries off of your lips within minutes and does not penetrate your skin. You’re 100% better off using Aquaphor or vaseline to hydrate chapped lips.
Amazon’s Heatless Curl Device
I thought I found the solution to the age-old question of how to have beautiful hair without risking heat damage. As the owner of long, high-porosity hair, I don’t always have the time or energy to give myself a perfect blowout.
I’m always looking for a solution that will leave my hair looking perfect but with minimal effort involved. Heatless curls sounded like a wonderful solution, especially since every TikTok influencer is known to use the technique these days.
I impulsively bought the heatless curl device from Amazon after seeing several positive reviews. Not only was the device uncomfortable to sleep in, but the curls fell almost instantly.
The other factor to consider is that this awkwardly shaped device cannot be used for anything else, and I fear that thousands are already headed to the landfill.
The pink stuff
I’m a self-proclaimed cleaning fanatic. I love to keep my space clean, organized and glistening. Of course, having a multi-purpose product makes this whole process easier.
I saw many TikTok influencers ranting and raving about how amazing The Pink Stuff is. They claimed it took care of anything that other products couldn’t fix. For example, scuff marks, coloring marks, stains, etc. While it did work well for some of these issues, I wasn’t obsessed.
The Pink Stuff comes in a tub and has an awkward, grainy texture like a paste. It’s hard to figure out how to apply it and what to use with it. I also felt like I had to make a huge mess in order to even use it.
If the product were re-formulated it would be perfect, but until then, I’ll stick to lysol wipes and multi-purpose cleaner.
Dior Lip Oil
Dior lip oil was trending so heavily last year that nearly every beauty store remained sold out for months. I couldn’t even get my hands on the product, so my anticipation was high for the coverage and the formula.
This product is definitely on the luxury end of the price range, coming in at around $40. Unfortunately, you would never be able to tell.
The product is decent, but like any lip product disappears from eating, drinking and all-day wear. For that reason, no product is worth that amount of money to me.
Additionally, there are too many dupes available for this product to be worthwhile.