Just like most people my age, I’m on TikTok. Like most people, I’ve been influenced to buy many things I didn’t know I needed. Here are five things I’ve bought and how I’d rate them.
1. Ring Light
Most TikTok influencers have this. Honestly, if you’re on TikTok, you’re encouraged to buy a ring light. Basically, it’s a tripod with a ring light that you attach to the top of the tripod so it provides amazing lighting for photos and videos at all times. It has a place for your phone and it usually comes with a Bluetooth remote that connects to your phone so you can take pictures without touching your phone. This happens to be one of my more recent purchases and all I can say is, I wish I would’ve bought it sooner. My photo game went from 0-100 real fast. Overall, I would rate the ring light a 10/10.
2. Blue Light Glasses
Since classes are remote now, we spend a lot of time on our computers. Blue light glasses filter out the blue light emitted from digital devices that can potentially harm your eyes. It’s basically a wearable night shift mode. I bought these because they looked really cute, were fairly cheap, and I thought they were going to be helpful. In my opinion, they’re cute but I could probably live without them. They’re slightly tinted, which I don’t really like, and if you have a night mode feature on your phone or laptop, it does the same thing blue light glasses would. Personally, I would rate them a 6/10.
3. Silicone Shower Scrub
The silicone shower scrub exfoliates your skin by using soft silicone bristles. I personally bought it because I wanted a more sanitary version of a loofa. I use my silicone scrubber every time I get in the shower and it’s one of those things that I can no longer live without. My only critique of the silicone shower scrubber is that it’s a bit harsh on the face (I should note that I have both a body and face silicone scrubber) and if you’re someone with sensitive skin, it might irritate the skin instead. Personally, I would rate it an 11/10.
4. The Ordinary
The Ordinary got a lot of recognition around spring/summer when beauty and skincare TikTok influencers raved about how good the quality was for such a low cost. I was easily swayed by the influencers and bought the hyaluronic acid serum, niacinamide serum, and AHA/BHA peeling solution. Personally, I found better and cheaper alternatives for their hyaluronic acid. It was nice as a first-time hyaluronic acid serum but it was really thick and sticky. It did its job but I wasn’t a huge fan of the texture. The niacinamide serum was my favorite of the bunch –– it helped even out my skin tone on my face and made my skin noticeably brighter. My least favorite was the AHA/BHA peeling solution. It was way too strong for my face and it burned when I used it. However, I did not have any major facial skin issues so I really didn’t need it in the first place. The Ordinary is a good first brand for people who are dipping their toes into skincare. They have quality products that don’t break the bank. I would rate The Ordinary a 7/10 but I have to add an extra point for affordability. Overall, 8/10.
5. Electric Milk Frother
The last TikTok purchase I’ll include in this list is the electric milk frother. For a while, I was on Café TikTok where they showed you how to make café drinks at home. These TikTokers raved about their electric milk frother –– it makes your coffee or tea more aesthetically pleasing to look at and aerates your drink. I was really excited about this purchase and used it religiously for the first week. However, after the hype was gone, I realized I liked my coffee better without it being frothed. I could add more liquid by just adding regular milk whereas I had to sacrifice how much milk I added because frothing the milk increased its volume with bubbles. Overall, the milk frother was not worth the $35 I paid for it. I’d give it a 6/10.