For 'Mormon Wives' star Whitney Leavitt, great MomTok videos are 'all about the lighting'
There are few places where Whitney Leavitt hasn't made a TikTok: on a plane, in a parking lot, in a soda shop drive-thru, in the middle of a marathon, and even in a NICU. (OK, that was one time.)
Now with more than 3.4 million followers across all of her social media accounts, the 32-year-old mom of three leads a busy life as one of the stars of Hulu's The Secret Lives of Mormon Wives, which follows a group of Utah-based Mormon influencers known collectively as MomTok. As such, Leavitt has mastered the art of filming on the fly, curating a toolkit of portable (and affordable) gadgets that come with her everywhere.
"It's funny, the more that I've gotten into being a content creator, it's the cheaper stuff that I love more," she said. "You can buy the lights that are bigger than this, you can buy the tripod that's bigger than this. But I'm always on the go, and also I'm a mom, and I'm not gonna fit that kind of stuff in my diaper bag."
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Fresh off of Secret Lives Season 2, Leavitt sat down with Mashable over a video call to reveal her content creation essentials and other tech she can't live without.
An Octobuddy phone mount
Leavitt uses a hot pink Octobuddy to affix her iPhone 15 Pro Max to windows while she records TikTok dances and lip-syncs, preferring to film in environments with plenty of natural light.
"I think it's all about the lighting, I really do," she said. "I just think it makes or breaks the video, to have some good lighting. ... I'll always look for a window."
An LED selfie light
If Leavitt can't find a good source of natural lighting, she defers to the "amazing" Newmowa LED selfie light she bought based on a glowing recommendation from TikTok megastar Alix Earle. "She raved about it, and I was like, oh, that makes a huge difference in my videos," said Leavitt.
A vacuum suction phone holder
Leavitt forgoes a traditional smartphone tripod in favor of a VIBE USA stand that she bought through TikTok Shop. There's a vacuum suction mechanism and magnets on its base that let her easily mount it to non-glass surfaces that the Octobuddy can't stick to. "This is so cool, you can literally stick it to anything," said Leavitt, demoing the gadget on a nearby wall.
The Splice app
Leavitt edits most of her videos right in the TikTok app before cross-posting them to Instagram Reels and YouTube Shorts. However, she also dabbles in Splice, another mobile video editing app she likes for its simplicity and resemblance to TikTok.
"CapCut didn't really resonate with me," she said, "but I love Splice. Super easy to use... If I just wanted to edit a video without having to upload all my videos on TikTok, then I'll just upload them on Splice."
An 'everyday cute little purse'
Leavitt's content creation tools live inside of this faux leather shoulder bag, her "everyday cute little purse," alongside a pair of Apple AirPods, cuticle oil, and a Chomps meat stick. "You know, the essentials," she quipped.
A Celluma PRO light therapy device
Beyond her filming must-haves, the Celluma PRO is one gadget that Leavitt reaches for daily without fail. She sits under the medical-grade red light therapy device every morning for 30 minutes.
"I don't know if you've ever heard of Paris Hilton's tanning bed that's LED red light therapy, but that's the goal," said Leavitt. "That's where I'm trying to get at in life, is being able to have something like that at my house."
A Ninja air fryer
Leavitt also counts her Ninja air fryer as a tech essential in her routine. "I meal-prep my meals, and I hate reheating them in the microwave, so I'll pop 'em in the air fryer," she said. "I just feel like it keeps it crispy; whenever I reheat food in the microwave, it gets soggy."
Some Secret Lives fans might be surprised to know that Leavitt doesn't have a soda maker in her kitchen, given the cast's well-documented love for Swig, a popular dirty soda shop chain in Utah. But Leavitt wants to preserve the sanctity of her Swig runs.
"I love the experience of actually going to Swig and picking up a drink," she explained. "I know some of the [Secret Lives] girls have those soda-making machines and their line of purees and syrups. I don't have that, because if I did have that, it would get dangerous really fast."
Haley Henschel is a Chicago-based Senior Shopping Reporter at Mashable who reviews and finds deals on popular tech, from laptops to gaming consoles and VPNs. She has years of experience covering shopping holidays and can tell you what’s actually worth buying on Black Friday and Amazon Prime Day. Her work has also explored the driving forces behind digital trends within the shopping sphere, from dupes to 12-foot skeletons.
