Viral trend: Gen Z embraces ‘Tired Girl' look to represent burnout culture, wears fatigue as fashion

Mint

15 hours ago

Gen Z has embraced a bold new makeup style called the 'Tired Girl' trend. Instead of hiding fatigue, the viral social media trend highlights it. Actress Jenna Ortega, especially in her role as Wednesday Addams, has become the face of this aesthetic.
There are dark smudges under the eyes. The skin is pale. Lips are tinted with muted, bruised shades. Thus, a deliberate look of exhaustion is created. It's both rebellion and art, rejecting social media's polished perfection.
Ortega's look uses soft charcoal shadows, matte skin and diffused lips that appear natural yet curated. While inspired by 1990s grunge and K-beauty's 'hangover makeup', this version reflects today's burnout culture.
On social media, creators share tutorials measuring smudge levels and colour tones with precision.
Fiona Horne, the lead singer of Def FX, linked today's 'Tired Girl' makeup trend to her own past in the 1990s. She recalled seeing a TV segment on the look, where hosts joked it was nothing new since grunge had the same messy vibe.
This made her reflect on her band days, when her makeup artist purposely enhanced her tired, edgy appearance for music videos. For Fiona, it proves Gen Z's tired look may be trending now, but artists like her were pioneering it back in 1993.
'So here's to leading the 'tired look' charge… way back in 1993,' she wrote on Instagram while sharing a video of her popular song.
However, experts believe that the new trend, unlike grunge fashion, does not involve depth.
'Grunge grew from anti-establishment values, music scenes and community solidarity, where aesthetic and cultural rebellion were inseparable,' CNN quoted The Future Laboratory's Dan Hastings-Narayanin as saying.
The trend forecaster calls the new trend 'fleeting, commodified and poised for replacement by the next viral moment'.
Jenna Ortega's Wednesday look in Season 1 was created by hair and makeup artist Tara McDonald.
'The core principle was to achieve a polished but natural look using minimal products and highlighting Jenna's natural features,' CNN quoted McDonald as saying.
McDonald kept Jenna Ortega's under-eye area natural rather than covering it. It made her dark circles stand out against the lighter foundation.
The makeup artist applied eyeshadow lightly to add depth without looking heavy. For the lips, the effect aimed to look naturally flushed, giving a slightly bitten look.