I hate how much I love this.
I hate how much I feed into it.
Yet…here I am.
For the past few weeks, I’ve been diving deep into sustainable beauty for my reporting class, trying to tear apart the ridiculousness of overconsumption. Do we really need ten different lip oils? Do we need a 15-step nighttime skincare routine? Do we need to buy that new concealer just because it went viral on TikTok?
Spoiler alert: no, we don’t. But also…yes, we do?
Let’s talk about the “morning shed” trend on TikTok because it’s honestly wild.
If you don’t know it, the premise is that you slather yourself in an excessive amount of skincare at night, so that by morning you “shed” all those layers to reveal glowing, fresh skin.
If that sounds a little extra—it is.
But also, it’s a perfect metaphor for beauty consumption: pile every single product you could ever think of on your face and boom — you wake up feeling renewed and glowy.
Until you realize you have to do it all over again — and again the next day.
It’s a never-ending cycle where you convince yourself that you’re improving while all you’re really doing is buying into what they’re trying to sell you.
Now I’ll admit, I rolled my eyes so hard the first time I heard of the morning shed.
But then, I took a look at my own makeup drawer, and suddenly, it made a little too much sense. I looked at all the glosses I’ve accumulated over the years — it’s not that I need all of them, but I just love how they make me feel. Then, I turned to all of my serums that cost as much as a nice dinner — even though I have another drawer full of half-used ones.
I buy these products because I love the ritual, the indulgence and the promise of soft, glowing skin that lasts about five minutes before the inevitable next purchase.
And that’s the thing. It’s so easy to sit here and critique overconsumption. We often mock the influencers who pile on products or debate whether we really need the latest dew drops — spoiler alert, you don’t.
But then, it hit me — I’m guilty of it too.
I see that shiny new lip gloss trending on TikTok, and before I know it, I’ve clicked “Add to Cart” without a second thought. I look at my shelf full of perfumes and “holy grail” products and realize that I’m the problem.
I want to be the girl who isn’t tempted by the next “must-have” beauty drop and who doesn’t feel a rush of dopamine when I manage to get my hands on a sold-out product.
But I do.
I want to be the kind of person who walks into Sephora, picks up a product, checks the price and puts it right back down, saying, “I don’t need it.”
But I don’t.
I buy it every time. The irony isn’t lost on me — I’m literally minoring in public relations. I know the tactics brands use to try to sell to a consumer, and I see them right in front of me. Yet I still fall for it!
I love it, but I know every “clean girl” aesthetic, every dewy no-makeup makeup routine and every “morning shed” ritual is just another layer of consumerism dressed up as self-care.
But knowing doesn’t stop me. If anything, it makes me more fascinated. I don’t just want to use these products — I want to understand why we want them so badly in the first place.
Beauty is fun and it’s absurd in the best way. It’s an expression of self. Who doesn’t love a good skincare routine? Some might be a little over the top, and we could all survive just fine with a handful of essential products — but that’s not the point.
Beauty is about confidence.
It’s about having a moment to feel like your best self. It’s a “you got this” when you’re staring at yourself in the mirror with a face full of serums and a unicorn sheet mask.
So, what now? Do I toss everything out and vow never to buy another overhyped product?
Nope.
Honestly, I’m not ready for that kind of commitment. But I can rethink what I’m buying, why I’m buying it and whether I actually need it — or if I’m just chasing that feeling of satisfaction that comes with unboxing a new product.
