Forget the days of elaborate makeup routines and overflowing vanities. On TikTok, a new beauty movement is taking center stage, and it's all about embracing less. The "underconsumption core" trend brings forth a minimalist approach to beauty, prioritizes quality over quantity, and focuses on products that genuinely enhance your routine.
This isn't just about hopping on the latest bandwagon—the underconsumption core movement is resonating with people who value authenticity and sustainability. In the beauty space, consumers are taking back control by ditching the seemingly endless cycle of buying new products peddled by picture-perfect influencers and only using what works for them until they run out.
What is underconsumption core?
Searching "underconsumption core" on TikTok will give you videos of people showing off their capsule wardrobes, highly pared-down beauty shelves, or even worn-down sneakers. Don't be fooled, however. This trend isn't just about buying fewer things—it's also about making the most out of the things you already have in your collection.
@kbedfinance Underconsumption Core???? Just a reminder that you dont need to be buying a million products to feel pretty and to take care of yourself?????????? #underconsumption #minimalist #femalefinance #budgeting #financialtransparency #savingmoney #CapCut ? original sound - speedz!
It's seen as a follow-up on the TikTok trend of "de-influencing" from a couple of months back, where creators started calling out overhyped items and encouraging their viewers to focus on what truly works for them. It was a rebellion against the constant "peer pressure" to buy into the latest beauty trends and products and fall victim to FOMO-fueled purchases.
However, de-influencing was just the first step towards being a more conscious consumer—underconsumption core takes it to the next level. It's all about ditching the clutter and focusing on high-quality, multi-tasking products that deliver effective results and not just having our beauty shelves be filled with "one-time-use" products.
@dainty.nugs Some underconsumption tips ive been trying to follow this year, i am actually spending WAY less already than last year on material items and way more on experiences, traveling, hobbies and spending time with loved ones! #underconsumption #deinfluencing #underconsumptioncore ? original sound - speedz!
Underconsumption Core in the Beauty Space
And in the beauty space where brands churn out release after release and influencers peddle them as their "newest holy grail," it can be easy to get left behind or feel FOMO. This leads to people buying shades they already have in their collection, purchasing skincare products that don't turn out to be hiyang for their skin, and more. They end up donated or unused—or worse: thrown in landfills.
As Cosmo's resident beauty girl, I admit that I can be a cause of overconsumption—I do write about everything beauty, including new releases, for a living, after all. And like many people, I am not exempted from that sweet, sweet rush of finding out there's a new beauty drop and wanting to try it out in the hopes that it makes it to my list of tried-and-tested products.
Don't even get me started on the free products I get from beauty brands. As a beauty editor, part of my work means I get first dibs on the latest beauty releases so I can write about them and let you guys know what works and what doesn't. And when it comes to bigger collections such as bases or lipsticks, brands tend to send all the shades available. While I'm definitely grateful for their generosity—and it really is helpful info to me as I write about how inclusive (or non-inclusive) their shade range is—I find no use for them in my routine once I hit that "publish" button, save for a few shades in my skin tone or colors that I really like.
How can I practice underconsumption core in my beauty routine?
With all that said, it can be hard to practice underconsumption core, especially since the beauty market is constantly churning out new products and "must-haves," but it doesn't hurt to try. Not only can you save some serious pesos, but you will also be minimizing your impact on the environment and enjoying healthier skin (cos, y'know, fewer products means fewer potential irritants!).
Here's how you can jumpstart your underconsumption journey:
- Declutter your beauty shelf. Take note of what you actually use and toss out anything that's expired (yup, it's time to let go of that year-old lippie!)
- Invest in multi-tasking products. One way of really minimizing your beauty routine is by using multi-use products, like a tint that you can use for your lips, cheeks, and lids, or a sunscreen that also doubles as a makeup primer.
- Make sure to fully empty out your products before buying something new. I know it can spark feelings of joy when you buy a new product, but it's equally—if not more satisfying—when you completely empty out a product. That's how you know it's tried and tested!
- Focus on investing in high-quality products instead of buying dupes. These days, it's a trend for brands to market their products as affordable dupes to high-end products, but we all know that they just don't work the same in most cases, IYKWIM. Personally, I've spent enough on supposed "dupes" that I would've been able to buy the "real" product instead!
Of course, it's hard to preach about underconsumption core without walking the talk and leading by example. Personally, here are a few things I've done to practice it:
- Give away my extras. Whenever a brand sends me an enormous collection, what I do is keep only the shades I know work for my skin tone and give away the rest to my teammates, family, and friends. It doesn't make sense for me to keep everything, anyway!
- Keep a tighter edit on my daily makeup kit. I was v guilty of always changing up whatever was in the makeup stash I took with me to work, but that also meant it took me twice as long to empty out products since I kept switching things up. What I do now is I curate my kit and make sure to finish them up before changing its contents.
- Stick with my HGs. If I find something that really works for me, I tend to just repurchase it instead of trying out new products. Admittedly, this is harder for me to practice since my job is literally to test out new things, but this is where I practice my first rule of giving away extras!
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