Move over clean girl—there’s a new aesthetic in town, and she’s ready to let loose. Raw and lived-in, messy girl has emerged as a counterpoint to the no-makeup makeup look and the clean-girl lifestyle. Celebrating imperfections, bold makeup, and unapologetic authenticity, the messiness trend is more about personal expression and fun than it is about recreating a particular look, and it extends across all beauty categories.
“I feel like, these days, there are no rules. You just need to embrace it,” Chanel makeup artist Julie Cusson says of what it takes to pull off a messy look. For Cusson, the key to bringing it from your Pinterest board to real life lies in aiming for balance. “If you always choose one element, you will always have a beautiful balance,” she says, pointing to smudged blue eyeliner, a blurred lip, or a glossy texture on eyelids achieved by applying Chanel’s Baume Essentiel over a colourful shadow.
Lily-Rose Depp for Chanel Denim Makeup Collection © Chanel.
Whether makeup’s intentionally worn in, like the smudged liner seen on influencer Emma Chamberlain and the blurred lip signature of French makeup artist Violette Serrat, or something hyper glam—check out the colourful looks favoured by Addison Rae, Zara Larsson, and Chappell Roan—what ties each approach together is that the makeup itself is highly visible. It’s a radical departure from the classic clean-girl approach.
Offering makeup lovers plenty of options to get creative, many of this year’s highest-profile product launches have gone well beyond no-makeup neutrals to incorporate bold, unexpected colours. When Fenty Beauty launched its new Fine Linez Lash Line-Enhancing Eyeliner, it included five unconventional shades in the 10-piece collection including navy, rose mauve, and baby pink. For its Deeply Blooming Collection, Nars created a series of lipsticks and blushes in floral-inspired plums, berries, and pinks that are anything but demure. And for an easy entry point to unconventional colour, Dior added new, intensely pigmented shades to its Diorshow Overvolume mascara range, marrying intense colour with volume for a result that Peter Philips, creative and image director for Dior Makeup, describes as bringing the power of colour to lashes.
Akon Changkou wears Diorshow Overvolume mascara in shade 971 Overplum.
Experimentation is also being empowered through unconventional application techniques. Make Up Forever’s new Artist Color Cream is a high-pigment cream available in shades such as cobalt, plum, and a duotone beetle chrome that can be used to create everything from smoky eyes to a wash of colour on the lid or sharp, graphic lines. Meanwhile, Chanel’s new Denim Collection brings the cool factor of faded denim to makeup through an illuminating powder, eyeshadow quad, eyeliner, mascara, nail lacquer, and lipstick. It revolves around a selection of can’t-miss-me blues varying in intensity from satin baby blue to shimmery anthracite and indigo, an invitation to play with tonality.
In hair, the messy trend is decidedly undone and involves leaning into your natural texture. Take Pamela Anderson, who traded Baywatch blond for a ginger shag at Paris Fashion Week last September, and Odessa A’zion, the breakout star of I Love LA and Marty Supreme with an impressive halo of curls. Hair-care brands are taking note, launching new products designed to cater to the needs of textured hair. In January, Oribe put curls front and centre when it changed the name of its Moisture & Control line to the Eternal Curls Collection and launched the new Polish & Protect Oil, a nourishing treatment for curls that features a blend of 17 botanical oils. “It’s about loving your natural hair and finding products that embrace its uniqueness,” says Michele Burgess, executive director of product development.
And because being messy isn’t just a look—it’s a whole vibe—perfumers are amping up formulas for wearers who want their sillage to be noticed, including two new flankers. Dolce&Gabbana’s The One Eau de Parfum Intense, a reimagining of the 2006 original, uses notes of pink pepper, jasmine, and vanilla to leave a lasting impression. For Dior J’adore Intense, Francis Kurkdjian looked to Rihanna to inspire a bouquet that pushes the flowers in its original 1999 bouquet to a smooth, enticing peak of power. “This image of bold, unapologetic femininity does not undermine power or independence in any way,” he explains. “Looking seductive and being independent, which were previously seen as opposing qualities, are now seen as compatible in real life.” At Guerlain, perfume creation director Delphine Jelk was inspired by the origins of the word perfume, per fumum, which means “through smoke” in Latin, to create Tabac Sahara. Part of the maison’s Aqua Allegoria Collection, it weaves together a raspberry accord and amber notes with a haze of smoke, a possible nod to the habit of smoking, which, along with wired headphones and curated clutter, has become emblematic of the overarching messy aesthetic.
Dior’s J’adore Intense. Photograph by Jeanne Lucas.
When it comes to navigating today’s anything-goes beauty landscape, there’s no better inspiration than actress and model Julia Fox. From bleached brows and clown makeup to wigs galore, Fox embodies the joy of getting messy with beauty boundaries. “I feel like I’m the artist, but I’m also the canvas,” she said on the popular Zach Sang Show. “And that’s really fun.”
Read more beauty stories.
