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Los Angeles Times
Los Angeles Times
Business
Brian Contreras

What's 'de-influencing'? In an inflated economy, social media stars embrace the cheap

At first glance, Jacquelyn Mengel's TikTok looks like every other influencer video.

She stares directly into the camera, holds up name-brand makeup products and discusses how she feels about each one. It's a familiar scene on social media: someone trying to sell you something.

Except this time, that's not what's going on. She's telling you what not to buy.

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