Bethenny Frankel first became famous from “The Real Housewives of New York” and her SkinnyGirl alcohol brand. But these days, she is just as well-known for her lucrative career as a TikTok influencer.Fans tune in to hear her dating advice or beef with Chanel, but most stay for her brutally honest takes on viral beauty products.Frankel told Business Insider that she’s probably reviewed about one thousand products in the few years she’s been active on the platform.She first got on TikTok because she wanted to learn how to do her own makeup. “I didn’t know that people were being paid, and I did not know that there were filters,” she told BI. “I spent probably $10-50,000 in that year on stuff because I thought that everyone was telling the truth.”She eventually decided that most of the positive reviews were “99.9% bullsh*t,” particularly for the higher-end items. “I didn’t realize that everybody copies everybody, that every single brand copies Charlotte Tilbury or Drunk Elephant, and it’s widely accepted in the beauty industry,” she said.If you’re looking for quality skincare products, “the drugstore is every single bit as good as the luxury,” she said. “Hard Candy lip gloss is every bit as good as Dior. No stuttering, it really is.”Frankel shared some of her all-time favorites, including drugstore picks.L’Oreal sunscreen and moisturizerFrankel is a big fan of L’Oreal, which she’s also partnered with.”L’Oreal does the best job of any brand in bridging luxury and drugstore,” she said.
In particular, she loves the Revitalift SPF 50 sunscreen ($28) and Midnight Cream ($35), which she said is a “good, rich, excellent cream” and is popular for its anti-aging benefits.Bio-Oil body oilFrankel loves Bio-Oil body oil ($7), a product she recently spoke about on TikTok. She uses it as a body and hair oil because of how hydrating it feels.”It’s in every single drugstore, it’s not expensive,” Frankel said. To replicate a more high-end oil, she said “you could add some lavender or some fragrance and make it yourself.”Drugstore lotionsWhen it comes to body lotions, Frankel’s cycled through many affordable drugstore brands such as Palmer’s ($7). “I don’t love the packaging, but it’s inexpensive,” she said. She’s also a fan of Pond’s, Vaseline, and Aquaphor.Gerber washcloths as makeup removersAnother product Frankel recently mentioned on TikTok is Gerber’s baby washcloth ($8 for a 6-pack), which she told BI is an excellent substitute for standard makeup remover wipes.She said adding some gentle soap and water “will clean your face better than anything” because it’s gentle enough to be a baby product but “has those grains that will exfoliate your skin.”Beekman 1802 cuticle creamAnother low-budget pick, Frankel told BI that Beekman 1802 “has the best cuticle oil” ($20) because of its easy sponge-tip applicator. She said on TikTok that it helps keep her nails from drying out when she travels.TruSkin vitamin C serumFrankel said she likes TruSkin’s “comprehensive range” of serums and retinol, and particularly is hooked on its vitamin C serum ($39). Vitamin C is an antioxidant that has anti-aging benefits like fading fine lines and dark spots. TruSkin’s version is on the lower-end, price-wise, and contains hyaluronic acid to hydrate the skin.
