TikToker Goes Viral for Revealing the 'True Cost' of a Glow Up

One TikTok user is attempting to bring transparency to an issue that is so often obscured by beauty, wellness, and influencer culture: the financial toll of adhering to often-unrealistic beauty norms.

Elena, known on TikTok as @missesdramaqueen, has gained a following on the app for her deeply transparent "How Much Does a Glow Up Cost?" series, in which she tracks every step of her self-improvement journey.

In the series' first post, Elena explains her idea. "I'm mostly recording this so that I can see how much money I am actually about to spend on beauty procedures," she says. As she completes each treatment or goal—none of which are medical—she says she'll share the cost in addition to visual updates.

Soon after, Elena identifies the "categories" for her "glow up," which include hair, beauty, skincare, wardrobe, and body—categories that likely feel familiar to anyone familiar with the beauty and wellness industries.

Then came the procedures. She got her nails manicured, her brows tinted, and even had her Resting Metabolic Rate tested. She has also invested in new haircare, skincare, makeup, and wardrobe staples.

According to her most recent cost update, posted Tuesday, Elena has spent $2,893.49 on beauty and wellness in just over two months. And while she may have begun the series for herself, the mission clearly resonated with viewers. Her account has over 20,000 eager followers, and her most popular videos have up to 1.6 million views.

However, this being TikTok, commenters appear torn over Elena's approach. Some call her an "inspiration" and say her videos motivated them to "upgrade" their own lives. Others, however, feel like the purchases are a "waste" of money.

Earlier this week, Elena decided to address the controversy erupting in her videos' comments sections.

"Every time I post a video of what I look like versus the money that I've spent, people freak out, and I get a million comments saying that I wasted my money and the difference isn't worth what I spent."

"But guys," she continues, "That's literally my whole point of this idea."

She adds, "I feel like nobody ever thinks about how having a ton of nice products for your routines, re-buying them regularly, and then going to all these fancy beauty appointments is so expensive."

"Luckily, I have a shopping addiction," Elena quips, "I love to treat myself, and I'm here to talk about it."