On TikTok, beauty trends shift in seconds. The latest to captivate Gen Z is the “Tired Girl” look, a makeup style that highlights what many once tried to hide: dark circles, pale skin, and slightly messy touches. Rather than covering imperfections, the trend turns them into a statement of authenticity.
Traditionally, makeup has been used to erase signs of fatigue. Concealers and correctors promised to mask tiredness, long seen as a marker of poor health, aging, or unattractiveness. But teens today are flipping that idea. The Tired Girl aesthetic suggests that vulnerability can be powerful ? and even fashionable.
Wednesday Addams, reimagined in Tim Burton’s Netflix series with Jenna Ortega, has become the style’s unofficial muse. Her stark look stands in direct contrast to the conventional standards of polished, youthful beauty and challenges long-held expectations of femininity.
Actor Lily-Rose Depp and influencer Emma Chamberlain are among the contemporary famous fans who have embraced the style. Numerous tutorials on how to achieve the look have racked up hundreds of thousands of views. Unlike heavier goth makeup or South Korea’s aegyo-sal style, the Tired Girl trend is low-maintenance, deliberately undone, and slightly rebellious. One makeup artist described it as “a celebration of realness.”
Yet the appeal extends beyond cosmetics. The look reflects a broader cultural pushback against the perfectionist “clean girl” aesthetic that dominated social media feeds. In a climate shaped by stress, uncertainty, and constant pressure, flaunting tiredness has become its own form of resistance. For Gen Z, it signals: I’m human, I’m imperfect, and that is enough.
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1. What is the “Tired Girl” look and where did it become popular?
2. How does the Tired Girl trend treat imperfections differently from traditional makeup styles?
3. Who is mentioned as the unofficial muse of this style?
4. Which celebrities have embraced the Tired Girl aesthetic?
1. Why do you think Gen Z is drawn to trends that celebrate imperfections?
2. How can embracing vulnerability be seen as empowering or fashionable?
3. How might social media influence the popularity of trends like the Tired Girl look?
4. What do you think is the impact of beauty trends that push back against perfectionism?
On TikTok, beauty trends shift in seconds. The latest to captivate Gen Z is the “Tired Girl” look, a makeup style that highlights what many once tried to hide: dark circles, pale skin, and slightly messy touches. Rather than covering imperfections, the trend turns them into a statement of authenticity.
