It's Alix Earle's (Beauty) World, We're Just Living In It
Alix Earle is truly one of the rarest phenomena to come out of internet stardom. Very rarely do you see influencers be a topic of discussion on traditional media outlets and invited to A-list celebrity events such as Miley Cyrus’ New Years Eve party.
I, like many of her followers, started following her on TikTok because her “Get Ready With Me” videos have such a unique appeal and approach that left me entranced and most certainly influenced. Watching her videos feels comforting, like the morning debrief being on FaceTime with your best friend after you’ve had a fun night out, except your best friend was just invited to Coachella and she’s getting ready with you. Best phrased by TikTok creator Samantha Tannor, Alix’s influence can be characterized as the “cool best friend effect,” extravagant, influential, yet simultaneously relatable. I’ve always dubbed her as “the real life Serena van der Woodsen,” with her easygoing charm and party girl lifestyle, but where she truly is the “it girl” to me is her beauty product recommendations. The rest of her following and beauty brands certainly agree––according to marketing company Ubiquitous, she can increase searches for a product by up to 100% in a day! Talk about crazy effective SEO strategy!
As an avid follower of the products Alix has made trending, here are the ones I’ve tried:
Drunk Elephant D-Bronzi Anti-Pollution Sunshine Drops
It’s only right to start with the product that started the storm that is the Alix Earle effect as everyone became obsessed with mixing these drops into their accompanying Drunk Elephant face cream. I remember when Alix first made these go viral, I was scouring around every Sephora and Ulta in my area for a few weeks to get my hands on them. These drops are still to this day my favourite bronzing product for its lightweight texture and added skincare benefits. Even though I have combination skin with an oily T zone, the drops worked so well and didn’t feel sticky. The anti-pollution and niacinamide skincare benefits are always welcomed pluses, having lived between several major cities with high pollution levels. I always appreciate skincare that protects your skin from not only internal pollutants, but also external factors.
2. Charlotte Tilbury Lip Cheat in shade “Love Trap”
Although Charlotte Tilbury has always been known for her picture perfect liners that “cheat your way to fuller lips” as she describes it, when I saw Alix line her lips with the shade Love Trap, I decided to branch out of my “Pillow Talk” liner comfort zone and try the peach-brown colour that she says is her favourite. I love how pigmented and versatile the shade is for any occasion, whether it be a brunch or a night out.
3. Alix’s viral “eyes popping out of her head” mascaras- Too Faced Better Than Sex & Benefit Roller Lash
Alix has had and continues to have so many viral moments throughout her time on TikTok, but the one moment that likely skyrocketed the sales of these two mascaras was probably when she revealed her lash routine and the Internet was both amazed and a little startled at how she curls her lashes.
When I tried her routine, my lashes definitely had never looked more lifted than ever. (I also pinched the curler so hard that one of my contact lenses popped out of my eye, but it was well worth it lol!)
The first mascara she uses is the waterproof version of Too Faced’s most iconic mascara, Better Than Sex. She says she specifically opts for the waterproof one because she feels it holds the curl best. While I haven’t tried the turquoise, waterdrop-engraved tube, the original pink one I went for when I wanted the illusion of false adhesive lashes. With the wand and bristles being so thick, I usually saved it for more formal occasions.
Then, to separate her lashes, she goes over them with the Benefit Roller Lash. I was elated to see her using this mascara, as I’ve loved it since I was in high school. The packaging is, in my humble opinion, immaculate: the pink script-type labelling over the black background tied together with the silicone lid in the same baby pink. I also love it for its dual ended wand for my straight and downward-pointed lashes––I use the inside curve to lift my lashes and the outside curve to lengthen them.
4. Laneige Lip Glowy Balm in shade “Berry”
A long-time favourite of Alix’s that even made an appearance in her Allure 10 Minute Beauty Routine, the tube version of Laneige’s Lip Sleeping Mask is another item that Alix sold out. While I haven’t tried the colour that Alix loves, I have the Peach shade, which is a baby pink that blends in nicely to my natural lip colour and adds a healthy glow to my lips. I’m keen to try the Berry shade next, as it’s a more intense pink “my lips but better” shade that looks beautiful on Alix.
5. YSL Beauty Candy Glaze Lip Gloss Stick
Finally, we conclude with the hydrating tinted lip balms from YSL Beauty. She uses the shades 2 (Healthy Glow Plumper) and 15 (Showcasing Nude), and I opted for the clear one. I love using this balm with a pink liner when I’m going to my Pilates lessons and I want something that doesn’t feel too heavy on my lips––it is lightweight yet so moisturising and leaves a beautiful shiny gloss.
Having tried some of the products Alix has recommended, I feel that she has immaculate taste in her beauty selections, adding credibility to the “Alix Earle effect” and furthermore to the brands she works with. There is no denying that she has brought the already exponentially growing influencer marketing industry into a whole bigger ballpark, and I wonder how she and other influencers will shape marketing as a whole in the long term.
