TikTok Made Me Buy It: A Chanel Beauty Accessory for Under $50

The latest viral challenge on TikTok? Fashion aficionados buy the cheapest thing from their favorite luxury houses,56mnm like Chanel, YSL, Louis Vuitton, and Dior. In the videos, the TikToker will unbox said items on camera with one hand as they document the polished layers of packaging—undoing ribbons, removing box tops, and finally sliding their goody out of soft logo-adorned pouches. The videos always culminate in a nearly too-quick shot of the unwrapped item purchased. The point of the videos is mostly about reveling in the beauty of the packaging—that, yes, even the cheapest thing arrives in—and less about the product itself.

Usually, the #cheapestthing is not a fashion item but a beauty product since brands like Tom Ford and Dior have coveted lipsticks and fragrances that offer a relatively low entry point into their fashionable worlds—packaging included. But after watching sample-size perfume after sample-size perfume get a grand reveal, I was delighted to come across a viral video in which TikToker (@itsmemarinaa)’s unboxing unveiled a compact mirror from Chanel with the caption that read, “It’s definitely worth it, and can we appreciate the packaging?”

While the tissue paper, boxes, and bows are indeed something to write home about from an aesthetic point of view, it’s the product itself that felt as worth it as the TikToker’s caption read. The sleek dual-sided Chanel compact mirror features a standard mirror on one side and a magnifying mirror on the other—an elegant essential for my makeup bag. Its slim frame means I could also slip it inside a purse for a night or day out to (very chicly) check in on my face to make sure I’m free of rogue streaks of mascara or concealer. Emblazoned with the brand’s iconic double-C logo, the Chanel compact mirror feels like a luxury accessory well worth the $42 price tag.