TikTok, the biggest influencer on the Internet

Briana Wilson is an avid TikTok user who can vouch for the app’s power and use of beauty products and fashion trends. Photo Submitted Briana Wilson

Solutions that improve skin, hair products that create shine and beauty regimens that help people radiate confidence — these products are sought out by millions of people and are found trending all over the popular app TikTok.

The influence of the viral social-networking app is not something to be overlooked. With 800 million users and 2 billion downloads in the App Store and Google Play, the platform connects people worldwide through shared interests and hobbies.

TikTok beauty trends are some of the most popular videos on the app. However, it’s more than just a cycle of the hottest products. These videos are a representation of the power the app possesses when creating viral trends. Because of TikTok, millions of people give their undivided attention and time to the same product. 

TikTok allows effortless communication and connectivity, leading products to become quickly adored by millions of people. This overnight fame causes drastic and sudden changes in demand and pricing. 

The change in price was seen with Magic Shaving Powder, a product that gained intense popularity almost overnight. The hair remover is marketed as being formulated for Black men, and it has caught the interest of women of all races around the country. 

Thousands of videos popped up showing individuals using and reviewing the product, giving input on whether it delivered on the promise of smooth and silky skin. The product quickly garnered praise and high demand. 

Honey, an application used for finding the best price of products online, completed a price history of the powder on Amazon. On June 18, the product was listed for $4.99. Just one day later, the listing rose to $14.95.    

Another product that gained popularity through the app was a purifying facial solution created by a beauty line named The Ordinary. Same as the powder, the product drastically increased in price online. On Sept. 27, the solution was listed for $11.49. Four days later, it had a twelve dollar increase, selling for $23.95 on Amazon. 

Junior Briana Wilson is an avid TikTok user who can vouch for the intensity and power the app truly holds. 

“It’s more than just an app,” she said. “It has a great deal of influence on many different types of people because it reaches such a big audience. When a video blows up showing a certain product, it definitely changes the price because of the drastic desire for it.”

Wilson is proof of the app’s influence, having bought many of these trending pieces herself, including hair care, The Ordinary skincare products and Magic Shaving Powder. 

“I don’t normally spend my money on items like those, but they were compelling enough for me to make an impulse buy,” she said.

Wilson is one of the millions that are convinced that spending their money on these types of products. While many see it as merely an entertainment app, it is a platform that connects millions of young people and dramatically influences their spending habits. 

Wilson recognizes the power the app truly holds and doesn’t think it should be underestimated. 

“TikTok has the ability to influence millions of people of different ages,” she said. “Whether something simple like a beauty product or something truly world-changing like information on who to vote for in the presidential election, the abilities that it holds in persuading audiences is astounding.”