Lots of us are guilty of letting social media tempt us into buying something we don't need—but you may be surprised to learn of the extraordinary power that TikTok has over real-life sales.
Sometimes all it takes is for one video of a TikTok star gushing over how much they love a product to go viral, and before you know it, they have sparked a massive trend and the product becomes unavailable to buy for love nor money.
From cult beauty brands and magical cleaning products to jeans that fit just right and even cheese, Newsweek has rounded up twenty products that have seen a boom in sales after going viral on TikTok.
You may need to resist the urge to go on an online shopping spree when you're done...
Feta Cheese
Feta cheese faced a shortage when a feta pasta recipe went viral on TikTok. The recipe involves baking a block of feta with tomatoes, olive oil, and salt, before mixing together and adding cooked pasta.
The simple but tasty recipe went viral, (the hashtag #FetaPasta has 857.7 million views while #BakedFetaPasta has 106.4 million), leading to stores running out of the tangy cheese.
The Pink Stuff
TikTok went crazy for the affordable yet effective cleaning product aptly named The Pink Stuff.
#ThePinkStuff hashtag has amassed more than 111 million views while #pinkstuff has attracted more than 90 million views.
Epicurious reported that The Pink Stuff repeatedly sold out in the U.S. and was subjected to price gouging.
CeraVe
Long-established skincare brand CeraVe saw a boom in popularity when TikTok users discovered and shared its products last summer.
The #CeraVe tag currently has 753.9 million views, and its popularity on the app translated into sales too, with British retailer Superdrug reporting a 65 percent week-on-week increase in sales of CeraVe products in June 2020, as reported by i-D.
Aerie Leggings
The Aerie crossover leggings sold out more than six times and amassed a waiting list of more than 150,000 people after going viral on TikTok.
According to TODAY, the Aerie leggings' popularity stemmed from a video posted by Hannah Schlenker in November 2020. The #AerieLeggings hashtag has had more than 10 million views on TikTok.
KVD Good Apple Foundation
TikTok is obsessed with the KVD Good Apple foundation: the #GoodApple hashtag has more than 64 million views while the #KVDGoodApple tag has more than 48 million.
Numerous shades of the foundation are currently sold out on the KVD website and on Ulta online.
@ashleyquiroz_ Is the @kvdbeauty foundation worth the hype? And does it cover tattoos? 👀✨ #kvdbeauty #kvdgoodapple #foundation #foundationreview #fyp
♬ Runaway - AURORA
Zara Jeans
These pink Zara wide-leg jeans have won over TikTok (a video by TikTok user @the_real_lin_shady showcasing the jeans in pink, yellow, and green, has been viewed more than a million times) and most sizes are currently sold out online.
Plus, the #ZaraJeans hashtag has nearly 50 million views, with many of the top videos featuring Zara's hi-rise wide-leg ripped jeans that are currently sold out online.
Elf Camo Concealer
The #elfcamoconcealer tag has more than two million views—but TikTok users are clearly showing love for the high coverage concealer outside of the app too, as the concealer has sold out and is still currently unavailable on Amazon.
Isle of Paradise Tanning Spray
A TikTok user revealed that using Isle of Paradise's tanning spray water refill with a misting bottle was the key to her fake tan, and viewers took note.
A spokesperson for Isle of Paradise told Shop TODAY: "After this most recent TikTok trend took off, our Water Refills sold out at Sephora in less than 48 hours.
"Not only has Isle of Paradise quickly become the No. 1 self-tanning brand at Sephora, but it is also now one of the top-searched and top-selling brands in the entire skin care category."
The Ordinary's Niacinamide
The Ordinary's products have held cult status for a while, but a particular product saw a boom after being featured in a viral TikTok.
Videos about The Ordinary's Niacinamide 10% + Zinc 1% have amassed 6.5 million views under the #TheOrdinaryNiacinamide hashtag as TikTok users sing its praises.
Prepdeck Preparation Kit and Storage
TikTok got so excited over this Prepdeck Preparation Kit and Storage that it sold out on Amazon and is currently out of stock. The handy kitchen gadget amassed more than 10 million views under the #prepdeck hashtag.
@teresalauracaruso One of the coolest kitchen gadgets ever! Thank you @whitneynrife for the inspo! 💕 #amazon #prepdeck #amazonfinds #kitchen #gadget #amazonprime
♬ original sound - Teresa Caruso
eos Shaving Cream
TikTok user Carly or @killljoy made a video about eos's shaving cream, telling her viewers to use it if they want to "Bless your f****** cooch." The video has amassed nearly 18 million views and is linked to a 25X order increase on eos' website and a 450X increase in website visits to its shave category—and is currently sold out on eos' website.
The viral TikTok has even inspired eos to create its own "Bless Your F*ing Cooch" branded cream featuring directions directly quoted from Carly's video. The "ultra-limited-edition" range is not available to purchase but instead, TikTok users should message eos on TikTok for the chance to be gifted the cream.
Dr. Jart Cicapair Color Correcting Treatment
TikTok users can't get enough of the Dr. Jart Cicapair color-correcting treatment which they say neutralizes redness and evens out skin tones. The #drjartcicapair tag has 6.5 million views and Glamour reported that the product's popularity on TikTok resulted in an 809 percent increase in Google searches.
Seasum Leggings
The Seasum Leggings are all over TikTok, with the #seasumleggings hashtag receiving more than 1.6 million views.
They are currently listed as the number one bestseller in the women's workout and training leggings category on Amazon, and some sizes are currently sold out or will be in stock soon.
Maybelline Lash Sensational Sky High Mascara
TikTok users are obsessed with Maybelline's Lash Sensational Sky High mascara—the #MaybellineSkyHighMascara tag has more than 39 million views.
As a result of TikTok users showing off their extraordinary lashes, the mascara was difficult to purchase for weeks.
Cat Crack
This tasty cat treat, the "Cat Crack Catnip" was so popular on TikTok—with 11 million views under the #CatCrack tag—as viewers shared videos of their cats going crazy over the snack. The company completely ran out of inventory and the catnip is still unavailable on Amazon.
@officially_lunch2.0 Reply to @shanentai_505 Here ya go! Original audio without the music 😆 #fyp #foryou #nomusic #audio
♬ SELF CONTROL - Lunch
Bissell Little Green
TikTok users will not be surprised to learn that another cleaning product has gone viral—the #cleaning tag has more than nine billion views. But a particular product has won over fans of cleaning videos: the Bissell little green portable carpet cleaner.
The #BissellLittleGreen tag has 12.5 million views and the #LittleGreen tag has 18.4 million views.
Its popularity may be a combination of TikTok content and the pandemic resulting in people spending more time at home, but a Bissell spokesperson told Shop TODAY that they had seen a 59 percent increase in sales on average (compared to the same time period last year) for Little Green since the stay-at-home order first went into effect.
BlissLight
The #BlissLight tag has been viewed 9.6 million times while the #BlissLights tag has amassed more than six million views.
This product projects a starry sky across the room and TikTok users can't get enough of showing off how magical it makes their spaces look.
Beauty Blender Washing Machine
For a fun and effective way to clean their makeup sponges, TikTok users are turning to the beauty blender washing machine. The #BeautyBlenderWashingMachine tag has more than 12 million views, with videos featuring TikTok users demonstrating how they clean their sponges.
@breeezyxbaby i bought a beauty blender washing machine from amazon and holy shit im shook 😂😨 #foryoupage #fyp #makeup
♬ American Boy but Shibuya is there too - goalsounds
Shower Head Filter
The Zen Body showerhead features in many of the top videos under the #showerhead tag (which has more than 150 million views) and the #ZenBodyShowerhead tag alone has more than four million views.
TikTok has clearly made an impact—the Zen Body website currently says that due to high demand they will try to ship out everything next week.
Revlon One-Step Hair Dryer
The #RevlonHairDryerBrush has been viewed a massive 98.5 million times. TikTok users can't get enough of the Revlon One-Step Hair Dryer that they say is a dupe of the Dyson AirWrap.
At $57.99 on Amazon, the Revlon One-Step Hair Dryer is a budget-friendly alternative to the Dyson AirWrap, which retails for $549.
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