Not long ago, the clean girl aesthetic was the biggest trend. Think long skincare routines, slicked back hair, minimal make up (or make up that looked minimal), neutral outfits and just generally being a clean person with wholesome activities such as farmer’s markets and journaling.
Think the “that girl” trend. We’ve all seen it the TikTok’s. I was never a fan of that trend myself, I felt like it was so incredibly unattainable for so many people.
Most of us can’t get up at 5am, head to an Pilates class, drink green juice and spend loads of money on high end skincare. I feel like it prompted women to try and achieve an unachievable level of perfection and productivity. Same goes for the coquette aesthetic – a curated pink perfection infused with ruffles, lace, romanticism and girlcore vibes.
But like all trends, the clean girl aesthetic is beginning to fade and in it’s place comes a far more fun trend which I can totally get behind.
The messy girl aesthetic.
The messy girl aesthetic puts all of those unnatural and unachievable habits in the bin and instead, focuses on a less refined look. It takes a heavy inspiration from 90’s grunge, like Winona Ryder, Courtney Love and Pamela Anderson.
Want to achieve the messy girl aesthetic? Here’s how you can do that!
Smoky dark eye make up
Of course the first thing is the smoky eye make up. Think eye bags, smudged eye-liner (left over from the night before!) and smoky eye looks. Of course you can get creative with the different types of smoky make up looks but you want to stick with darker shades.
Fun black slogan tees
We’re saying goodbye to neutrals and saying hello to darker clothing, asymmetric styles and grunge fashion. Fun slogan tees are a great way to incorporate this into the messy girl style, so you might want to check out Y2k shirts or even Y2k crop tops. This Y2k shop has a range of options to choose from.
Tousled and un-styled hair
We want un-styled and a more tousled hair style for the messy girl trend so no slick backed buns here! You might want to consider space buns or loose braids but if you’re leaving your hair loose, you could using a textured spray for some extra volume and messiness.
Layered jewellery
Don’t be afraid to go for it with your jewellery. You don’t want anything small and dainty but instead layer up your favourite necklaces, invest in some ear cuffs and don’t be scared to stack your rings.
Distressed clothing
We don’t need anything refined for this look, so if you have any distressed clothing, don’t throw it away if you want to try this look!
Stained lips
Deep nudes for the lips are a great option for the messy girl trend as the contrast against paler make up and darker eyes looks very striking. We probably don’t want to overline the lips too much, so a gentle lip stain is a great option for this.