- Earle has sparked discussion on TikTok for recommending a $10 oil that's mostly intended for Black hair.
- Her use of a Maybelline concealer in a deeper shade for contouring also raised some eyebrows.
Alix Earle, who has become TikTok's de facto "it girl," largely thanks to her meditative and glamourous get-ready-with-me videos, has sparked discussions online over some of her recent product recommendations.
That's because the recommendations — namely a Mielle hair oil and a Maybelline concealer — are intended for mostly Black consumers, leading some TikTokers to speculate the items will sell out thanks to Earle's burgeoning influence and thus become inaccessible to the communities they were created for.
Critics also noted that beauty products for Black people are already less readily available in-store than products for white shoppers.
In a TikTok video she shared last week recounting her top Amazon purchases of 2022, Earle sang the praises of a $10 Mielle Rosemary Mint hair oil, which the company's website says can be used "on protective styles, including braids and weaves."
The recommendation immediately sparked a unanimous response from the Black TikTok community. "DAMN, now mielle is gonna be outta stock/expensive. Sisters we gotta start gatekeeping," one top commenter wrote.
Fearing diminished supply, hair and lifestyle creator Court Willis said she trekked to Target and Ulta, where the item was sold out (though she was able to purchase bottles at her local CVS and Sally's Beauty Supply stores). Another creator, TiffaniCVD, quipped, "Gotta start buying in bulk."
Creators also feared that Mielle might increase its prices or change its formula. The conversation reached enough fervor that the brand came out to deny the latter claim, writing in an Instagram statement, "We have no plans to change the formula for Rosemary Mint Oil or any of our products."
Other creators, like Steph Verde, offered a slightly different perspective on the debacle. She cheered the fact that Mielle was able to "find a market outside of their traditional one."
In addition to the hair oil, Earle is also facing criticism for using a Maybelline concealer in a darker shade as a contour. In her Amazon storefront, Earle recommends Maybelline Fit Me in the shade Cocoa. This, too, led to concerns the product might become inaccessible to those who actually share that skin tone.
"It's already hard enough for black women to find shades in their range in stores," said TikToker TallerThanUrDadBreh.
A representative for Earle did not immediately respond to Insider's request for comment.