Are you ready to embrace the anti-beauty trends?
Gone is the glossed perfection from the glory days of high-octane glamour fashion shows. A pretty flush of blush, some gloss, glimmer and perfectly applied winged liner just doesn't cut it. Big bouncy down-to-there, expensive-looking hair, served with a sprinkling of that untouchable, hierarchical fashion-y feel? Not so much. It's been replaced with what can only be described as the anti-beauty brigade: Greasy couldn't-give-a-f**k, day-three hair, insomniac eyes, and sobbing make-up face are all getting air time on our social channels. Models and influencers looked vacant, like they'd been up all night, on the prowl or crying into their pillow, with Spotify's Down in the Dumps or Depression playlists on repeat. Or maybe it's just looking through their latest utility bill. Who knows.
TikTok make-up content creator,@zoekimkenealy with her vulnerable, cherub-doe eyes and pillowy lips, created Crying Face that has clocked up over 4.1m views and almost 600k likes to date.
It's a kind of gritty realness taking over. Retouched smiley faces #livingmydreamlife perfection, are giving way to a new wave of authenticity. New York Magazine's The Cut called it out, heralding a 'vibe shift' and i-D Magazine called it the 'dissociative pout' and asked: 'Why this lobotomy-chic, dead-eyed pose is taking over your Instagram feed and becoming the duckface of a nihilistic era?'
Fredrika Thelandersson, a researcher at Lund University and author of the new book: 21st Century Media and Female Mental Health, studies online girl cultures and communities. She told The Guardian: 'In the current landscape, celebrities and brands want to have authenticity, to appear real,' she said. 'One way to do this is to disclose a diagnosis or reveal a trauma. So it's literally profitable to show some kind of vulnerability.'
So, as with everything in our fast-paced world, even gritty realness can be monetised.
In a twist of fate, conceived by r&d, the marketing department or the content creator Gods, there is conveniently a whole roster of products to help us achieve this new nihilistic beauty vibe – and it seems even our 'authentic selves' need a helping hand.
CRYING BEAUTY TUTORIAL
Fenty Beauty Double Cheek'd Up Freestyle Cream Blush Duo, £30
Fenty Beauty Double Cheek'd Up Freestyle Cream Blush Duo, £30 – buy here
MAC Dazzleshadow Liquid in Not Afraid To Sparkle, £18.50
MAC Dazzleshadow Liquid in Not Afraid To Sparkle, £18.50 – buy here
Gucci Éclat De Beauté Effet Lumière Gel Face Gloss, £18
Gucci Éclat De Beauté Effet Lumière Gel Face Gloss, £18 – buy here
Glossier Generation G Sheer Matte Lipstick in Crush, £14
Glossier Generation G Sheer Matte Lipstick in Crush, £14 – buy here
Laura Mercier Artist Eyelash Curler, £16
Laura Mercier Artist Eyelash Curler, £16 – buy here
DYSTOPIAN LINER
Pat McGrath Labs Legendary Velvet Kohl Eye Liner RP in Xtreme Black, £27
Pat McGrath Labs Legendary Velvet Kohl Eye Liner RP in Xtreme Black, £27 – buy here
Charlotte Tilbury Rock 'N' Kohl, £21
Charlotte Tilbury Rock 'N' Kohl, £21 – buy here
SURRAT Smoky Eye Baton, £34
SURRAT Smoky Eye Baton – buy here
GREASY HAIR
Kérastase Elixir Ultime L'Original Oil, 100ml, £36
Kérastase Elixir Ultime L'Original Oil, 100ml, £36 – buy here
OUAI Rose Hair and Body Oil, £26
OUAI Rose Hair and Body Oil, £26 – buy here
COLORWOW Dream Coat Supernatural Spray, 200ml, £27
COLORWOW Dream Coat Supernatural Spray, £27 – buy here
Culture Whisper is your curated guide to the best of London. We may earn a commission for items purchased through our retailer links.
