In Support of Emotional Aesthetics

      Ah, the delightful signs of spring beauty—a smudged eyeliner, a subdued color scheme, and a hint of dried flowers. I'm clearly being sarcastic. It hardly conveys the most vibrant "spring" image, right? Nevertheless, my discussions with professionals, editors, and others in the industry over recent months have been filled with dramatic buzzwords: gritty, worn out, furious, unfazed. It appears that beauty is in a rebellious phase, and it's only expected to escalate in the upcoming weeks. This spring, while you show off your fresh, glowing cheeks, I will present a dose of cold teenage angst. The emergence of the "Brat-ification" trend has undoubtedly played a key role. However, if you thought this was merely a temporary, summer 2024 fad, you are quite mistaken. Charli XCX (with her notable group of It girls) has become the face of a much broader movement towards bold, defiant beauty—and this movement has been long anticipated.

      You probably know that beauty trends swing like a pendulum, but at present, we are in the thick of it. "As we reach the midpoint of a decade, there's typically a backlash against what's come before," says celebrity makeup artist and beauty historian Erin Parsons. The early '90s were characterized by minimalistic, supermodel-style makeup, which transitioned into the grunge movement a few years later. The 2010s, filled with beauty vloggers endorsing full makeup looks, quickly gave way to the "clean girl" trend in 2020. Now, as we approach 2025, the focus has shifted again toward bold, imperfect grunge styles. Consider Tom Ford for Gucci's fall/winter 1996 makeup, which is experiencing a revival. According to a popularity index by consumer data company Spate, this aesthetic has increased by 6.5% across platforms compared to last year, and has jumped by 45.2% on TikTok.

      While trend cycles do fluctuate, it's not merely natural changes at play. Beauty and fashion do not exist in isolation; our current geopolitical environment has stirred feelings of frustration, fear, and anxiety (the perfect recipe for angst, as my therapist would say). Therefore, it makes sense that one would prefer an edgy eyeliner look over the soft, rosy cheeks typically seen during this season. "History tends to repeat itself in beauty, but I believe politics heavily influence it as well," Parsons notes. "When someone feels angry or rebellious, they often express those feelings through their appearance." Historical trends support this, notably during the Jazz Age, a time marked by youth rebellion, the women’s rights movement, and a transformative beauty landscape. "In the 1910s, when makeup was frowned upon, the flappers wore it proudly while cutting their hair in a bob a decade later," Parsons mentions. (It's worth noting that bobs are currently more trendy than ever.)

      The current political and economic instability has triggered a similar shift in the fashion and beauty narrative. Data analyst Molly Rooyakkers, who manages the Instagram account Style Analytics, indicates that workwear is the most anticipated trend for spring/summer 2025. This trend could signify a yearning for control and power, along with a decreased emphasis on the male gaze. "Structured suits and corporate attire resonate with what many women want to convey right now: authority, professionalism, and self-determination," she explains. This trend also reflects exaggerated proportions, loose silhouettes, and gender-neutral elements—all characteristics of what TikTok dubs "man-repellent" fashion. "Initially, some TikTok videos showcased styles that were unappealing (even intimidating) as a form of self-defense. Now, this has evolved into a celebration of oversized garments that tend to repel men," Rooyakkers observes. Given the existing threats to women’s rights (including gender equality and reproductive freedom), this is likely no coincidence. In a sense, fashion serves as an undervalued form of armor. Could messy eye makeup play a similar role?

      "Oh, without a doubt!" responds celebrity makeup artist Jaleesa Jaikaran. "Baggy silhouettes and rebellious makeup serve a parallel purpose: rejecting the male gaze by embracing looks that veer away from traditional notions of 'beauty' or 'refinement.'" This connection has never been more evident on this year's spring/summer runways: At Kim Shui, lead makeup artist Romero Jennings chose smoky, grungy tones to complement the designer's leather corsets and debut menswear, while models at Area sported deep black on their lips. Area's collection also included a "Bans Off Our Bodies" T-shirt, created in partnership with Tinder to advocate for reproductive rights—essentially a "man-repellent" look made explicit.

      At the same time, "unapproachable" makeup is soaring in popularity on TikTok. The aim? To intimidate men. A sister trend to "man