This Woman Showed Off Everything She Bought In The US That She Can't Get In The UK, And Americans Are FASCINATED
As an American, it's sometimes hard to pinpoint what exactly *is* American culture or the items, ideas, and cultural norms people identify as "uniquely American." After all, we are a melting pot of many different cultures and identities.
It's always fun, though, to see "American-ness" perceived by a non-American, which is why I and 3 million others were hooked when UK content creator Mollie Layton, known as @mollielayton on TikTok, shared everything she got in her "America haul" during a recent trip to the US.
So, let's jump into everything Mollie included in her haul:
1.Tide pens.
"I definitely was not expecting 6 tide pens to be the start of this," one person wrote.
2.Two bottles of EOS 24H moisture body lotion.
"Now you can buy this in the UK," Mollie said. "Actually, I saw another creator talk about how she pays, like, £26 on Amazon to get this in the UK, but it cost me $8 in Target, so I had to bring a couple back."
3.Three decorative plush pumpkins from CVS.
"They were $3 each, which I think is kind of a bargain," Mollie said.
4.A decorative fall-themed pillow.
(Note, this was filmed in October.)
5.Deodorants, including a double pack of Mitchum deodorants, a Secret 72H gel deodorant she saw on TikTok, and a Dove deodorant she previously purchased on her last trip to the US.
"mitchum deodorant is the best and no one talks about it," one person wrote.
"This is hilarious bc when I go to the UK/France I get your deodorants, lotions, etc," another person said.
6.Some "hygiene bits," as Mollie put it, like Listerine strips and Crest whitening toothpaste.
Mollie told BuzzFeed that, in her opinion, deodorant and toothpaste are "for some reason so much better" in the US than what she can get in the UK.
7.Trader Joe's pumpkin spice and snickerdoodle cookie mix.
8.A tin of Trader Joe's pumpkin pie purée.
9.Chick-fil-A sauce.
This commenter called the sauce a "top tier grab."
10.A mini bottle of Hidden Valley ranch.
"We have no ranch," Mollie told BuzzFeed.
11.A bottle of Taco Bell sauce.
12.A bottle of Alfred vanilla syrup.
"I think this is a little bit of a rip-off; I can't lie," Mollie said in the video.
Many American commenters were quick to point out that they've never heard of Alfred Coffee (likely because it's a chain specific to Los Angeles with one location in Austin, Texas).
"When you said 'worlds famous' it reminded me of that scene in ELF with the coffee," this person wrote.
In case you haven't seen the movie, when Buddy the Elf travels to NYC for the first time, he passes by a "World's Best Cup of Coffee" sign in a random shop (which is likely there to bait naive tourists) and runs into the store to congratulate them for the achievement. Here's the clip.
13.Ok, next up: A bottle of Trader Joe's spicy honey sauce.
14.Two bottles of Trader Joe's pumpkin pie spice.
15.Two bottles of Trader Joe's everything bagel seasoning.
16.A "crunchy chili onion sprinkle seasoning blend" from Trader Joe's.
"I feel like choosing condiments instead of snacks was really forward thinking," one top comment read.
17.A couple bottles of Trader Joe's hand sanitizer spray.
@mollielayton / Via tiktok.com
18.A $5 pumpkin candle from Target.
19.A Trader Joe's tote bag.
And lastly:
20.A bottle of ZzzQuil.
People were quite amused by Mollie's choices. "Bringing back zzzquil and pumpkin pie puree is actually sending me," one person wrote.
Overall, Americans were thoroughly entertained.
And honestly, a majority of people stood by Mollie's picks.
One person even said they suddenly "have a new appreciation for all of these items."
Sometimes all we need is a shift in perspective!
Mollie shared her reaction to the viral response to her haul with BuzzFeed, saying, "I wasn’t expecting at all. But it’s been amazing seeing all the Americans commenting on their opinions and giving me help on what to purchase next time I come."
She explained that she was spending the summer in California, exploring a variety of American products, and initially created the haul to share her experience with her UK followers. "Some Americans thought what I bought was absurd, but they don’t realize we don't have access to most of what they have," she told BuzzFeed.
"The UK hasn’t got anywhere near the products the US does," she continued. "We don’t share similar beauty products from deodorant to body wash. The food is hugely different — the UK doesn’t legally allow certain products or ingredients. For a good reason, I’m sure, but when in America, I love indulging in everything I can while there."
Mollie told BuzzFeed that while she believes there are overall better options in the US, the UK "loves a good supermarket" and has better chocolate. "Dairy milk over Hershey's! We just have less sugar content in our food. And we have some smaller brands for beauty products, which is nice, but America's are just better," she told BuzzFeed.
"US does a lot [of things] better," she added. "Better beauty products, better dental care, and better skincare by a mile. We have to get prescriptions here for certain things like skincare, creams or even melatonin, where you can buy it all in Target in the US."
On her next visit to the US, Mollie said she'll be restocking her Trader Joe's goodies, deodorant, toothpaste, ranch, and the EOS products she can't get in the UK. "I just really buy into the marketing of products in America 'cause we lack so much here," she told BuzzFeed.
What do you think!? If you're American, what products do you think are better to grab while you're abroad? If you're not American, what's better in the US to take back home with you? Let us know in the comments!
