The 6 Products That Went Viral On TikTok That We Hated. And What To Try Instead.
by The Candidly Team
We admit. Seeing actual unpaid, non-influencer people try products and get real results on TikTok can be deeply satisfying, not to mention influential. So when things go viral, we like to test them for ourselves.
Sometimes, we find that the hype is extremely well-earned. Like in the case of these 9 truly transformative products.
And sometimes, it really…isn’t. Like with these 6 things that took flight on TikTok but that really let us down when we tried them.
But listen, we’re not here just to hate. Part of the reason certain things get hype to begin with is because of the idea of what they can do. The problems they attempt to solve.
So rather than just lay out the 6 things that left us underwhelmed, we’ve included the things to try instead. For over 35 women like us, whose skin just isn’t the same as most 22-year-old TikTok creators, they have made a wooooorld of difference. So, here is our list of the products you can skip, followed by the ones that deliver.
Cerave Facial Cleanser
As much as we want this to be the holy grail drugstore item it’s long been speculated, this madness has to stop. It’s nothing. It strips. It leaves us dry and desperate for moisture.
Try this instead:
Peach & Lily Power Calm Hydrating Gel Cleanser
Why we love it: We’ve turned to A LOT of Peach & Lily’s products to create a regimen that gives us the glass skin we dream about. This is a gentle and soothing cleanser that doesn’t harm or strip our skin’s barrier. It does calming things like reduce redness and create a smooth even surface to absorb all the other lovely creams and serums that do real work on our skin.
Price: $29
Maelove’s The Refresher Triple AHA Cleanser
Why we love it: This cleanser strikes the perfect balance of dealing with the excess oil we reeeeally thought we wouldn’t have anymore now that we’re over 40, while also (miraculously) leaving our skin with enough moisture to remain delightfully dewy. It’s why we crowned it our favorite cleanser for oily skin, but in truth, it works exceptionally well for all skin types.
Price: $23
2. Charlotte Tilbury Beauty Highlighter Wand in Pinkgasm
We LOVE Charlotte Tilbury. Many of their formulas are pure genius, like THIS one and THIS one. But we must admit this trending highlighter shade is waaaay too shimmery for textured skin. If you’re blessed with perfect (and we mean perfect) glass skin, then go for it. Otherwise, it’s like putting a shiny pink spotlight on any unevenness, blemishes, and wrinkles we possess.
Try this instead:
Why we love it: We wrote an entire ode to this blush, because it has maximum glow with zero wrinkle enhancement. While most powder blushes on women over 35 tend to sink into any line or wrinkle they can find and leave a cake-y finish that dries us out and ages us up, this one gives cheeks a natural glowy, flush that’s light and blurring of blemishes and lines.
Price: $46
3. First Aid Beauty KP Bump Eraser Body Scrub
We love the idea of a product that addresses those pesky red bumps that appear on our arms and legs. But we’re sorry to say this did nothing for us. We faaaaar prefer THIS scrub from Peach & Lily.
Try this instead:
Peach & Lily KP Bump Boss Microderm Body Scrub
Why we love it: It’s like a peel, microdermabrasion, and pore de-clogger all in one, smoothing over bumps and blemishes for a glassy finish. In addition to all the smoothing and calming it does on “strawberry legs” (can we call it something else?), it’s also plenty hydrating, so our skin is left nicely nourished.
Price: $29
4. Peter Thomas Roth Instant FIRMx Eye Temporary Eye Tightener
We really love the “idea” of something that tightens under our eyes in an instant, and admittedly, the results from the above viral video do look impressive. But sadly this product does not sit well under makeup. It leaves a “dusty” finish, which makes it less than ideal for those of us who want any sort of coverage under our eyes in addition to a tightening effect.
Zoom in on the photo below to see how the product can look caked on and flaky on a real person.
In truth, anything that claims to “remove” wrinkles tends to be a scam or to have egg whites or some ingredient that’s not realistic for everyday wear, unless you’re doing it for photos or something extremely temporary. But if you want something that lasts, that brightens, and that doesn’t look “makeupy,” you have these two glorious options:
Try this instead:
Milani Supercharged Brightening Undereye Tint
Why we love it: First of all, this undereye tint is so natural, yet effective that it can be worn alone to make our eyes look bright. It blends even with nothing else over it but can also be layered beneath whatever else we apply, leaving the same brightening effect.
Price: $11
Bobbi Brown Skin Corrector Stick
Why we love it: The most honest secret we’ve discovered on our own delicate skin under our own tired eyes is to invest in a corrector. It truly is the only way to get rid of darkness. We love this one, because it’s stupidly easy to use and works reeeeaally well. Make no mistake, it’s hard to find the right shade so DM us with a photo, and we’ll tell you which one to buy.
Price: $35
5. L'Oréal Infallible Fresh Wear 24HR Foundation
This powder/ foundation can be cakey and uneven on skin that has even an ounce of dryness. As much as we love and long for an affordable option (we even write long lists of our favorite drugstore dupes), we find time and time again that powder is just NOT the place to save. It literally determines the smoothness of our skin, aka the most important final step of all our other glowy efforts.
Try this instead:
Givenchy Prisme Libre Loose Setting and Finishing Powder
Why we love it: A plain and simple miracle product. It simultaneously blurs and smooths, while illuminating for a warm, natural glow.
Price: $60
Charlotte Tilbury Refillable Airbrush Flawless Finish Brightening Powder
Why we love it: We get told time and time again about the value of a finishing powder. It sets our makeup and determines the final texture of our skin. This one brightens. It blurs. It even creates a sort of lifting effect. It’s the essential, light, yet effective finishing powder of our dreams.
Price: $48
6. Olaplex No. 4 Bond Maintenance™ Shampoo
We can’t say for sure whether Olaplex hair products cause breakage and hair loss as some TikTok users have complained. What we can say is that we’ve tried things that work better when our hair gets weird and brittle and confusing. Like these 7 shampoos, for example.
Try this instead:
K18 Biomimetic Hairscience
Peptide Prep™ pH Maintenance Shampoo
Why we love it: It’s splendidly cleansing while being so gentle and nourishing. With promises to protect our hair’s pH balance and keep the cuticles closed during washing, we trust this careful formula to not strip, break, or damage are already delicate hair. Use it with Redken Extreme Anti-Snap Anti-Breakage Leave-In Conditioner (yes, we said Redken). Our hair has never felt softer in the harsh winter. Or smelled better.
Price: $36
And here are some more of our favorite things if you’re over 35 and want actual results:
At The Candidly, we try a lot of stuff so you don’t have to. We only recommend things we truly love, and that we think you’ll love, too. All products are chosen independently by our creative team, and all details reflect the price and availability of products at the time of publication. If you buy something we link to, The Candidly may earn a commission.
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