Goodbye Clean Girl, Hello Chaos: The Return Of The Messy Girl Era

Do you remember those nights from your younger years, stumbling out of a nightclub with mascara slowly dripping from your lashes, eyeliner smudged beneath your eyes, and dark lipstick smeared around your mouth—all thanks to wild dancing, passionate kisses, and that infamous 4 a.m. walk of shame through the sleeping city streets? Then crashing into bed without touching a single step of your skincare routine and waking up around noon the next day with your makeup perfectly slept-in, just to shuffle to the nearest shop in search of a few paracetamol tablets?

If yes, we bet those times of indie sleaze and grunge style feel deeply nostalgic—especially when listening to rock icons like Courtney Love, with her chaotic bohemian energy and nonchalant grunge look, or rewatching early noughties series like Skins, where characters like Effy embodied that troubled, smoky-eyed rebellion. And you know what? You’re not alone. There’s a whole bunch of us out here missing that wild, trashy aesthetic. In fact, recent stats show that messy girl makeup and its chaotic allure are steadily gaining popularity again.

It became especially clear after the release of Brat by Charli xcx, which actively revived the trashy-glam look—think free-flying curls and thick, black smudges rimming tired eyes. And we can’t forget the ongoing influence of YungBlud’s rockstar aesthetic: smudged eyeliner under morning-after smoky eyes, and hair that looks like it hasn’t seen shampoo for a good couple of days.

@marie.shaar physically cant keep my room tidy #messy #room #cleangirl #relatable #repost #messygirl #messygirlaesthetic #foryou #real #girlhood #teenager #depressionroom ♬ Messy – Lola Young

But now, the messiness has gone beyond makeup. Girls on TikTok are showing off the chaos in their bags, beds, and bathrooms—the total opposite of the “clean girl” aesthetic that dominated not long ago, with its minimalist apartments full of aesthetic beauty products, flawless makeup, and slicked-back buns. And when looking at this recent radical shift in aesthetics, we couldn’t help but wonder—maybe this trend isn’t just about style after all. maybe the return of grunge is rooted in something deeper, shaped by the social and economic chaos we’re all wading through.

And indeed, living in a world ruled by social media—where faces are so polished that visible pores are treated like flaws to be erased—can be mentally exhausting. Beyond photoshop and smoothing filters, we now have AI that generates a flawless version of you on its own, perfectly aligned with unattainable beauty standards. So of course, the return of the grunge look—once loved before the rise of Instagram perfection—feels like a breath of fresh air. It helps people feel better about themselves by normalising real human faces, offering a more honest reflection of the human body—and life itself—which is far messier than anything curated online.

Also, if we look beyond messy makeup and delve deeper into the full messy girl aesthetic—lifestyle, spaces, and all—it becomes even more clear why this trend is gaining popularity. It offers a more grounded and accurate reflection of how people actually live today. With sky-high rent, rising costs of everything, and schedules packed with work, college, relationships, family, gym, hobbies, and just trying to stay afloat, the polished “clean girl” aesthetic starts to feel completely irrelevant—more of a performance than a reality.

@aesthetics.vic04 I gave up on becoming a clean girl #aesthetic #pinterest #messygirl #messygirlaesthetic #xyzbca #fyp #goviral #trending ♬ som original – Lana🌸

Because honestly, who has the time or energy to wake up at 5 a.m., slick their hair into a perfect bun, cook an Instagram-worthy breakfast, and head to Pilates in a colour-coordinated set? In this context, the clean girl aesthetic starts to feel like a set of rigid norms—yet another societal expectation that pressures people to look and live perfectly.

Meanwhile, the messy aesthetic does the opposite. It offers freedom—freedom for self-expression, for rejecting perfection, and for simply being yourself. Whether that means being vulnerable, nonchalant, bold, or unapologetically chaotic, it allows people to drop the polished mask (both literal and digital) and stop pretending everything in their life is sorted.

We’re not trying to rage-bait or vilify the clean girls who’ve managed to get their shit together in every aspect of life—from the bathroom shelves to the email inbox. Of course not. Fair play to them. But it’d be naive not to admit that most of the content on social media is just a romanticised performance. It rarely reflects reality. Instead, it creates an illusion that can make people feel even worse about their imperfect appearances and messy lives.

 

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That’s why messy makeup aesthetics hit so hard—it reminded people what real life and real human faces actually look like. The flood of images showing complete chaos, yet freedom, brought back a sense of honesty that’s been missing for a while.

And now, as we inch closer to the end of summer—with darker shades and hybrid styles already creeping into the season—it’s safe to say this trend is only going to keep growing. Expect to see the return of chaotically cute energy: think Kate Moss in a fur coat, silk dress, high heels, disheveled hair, smudged eyeliner, and unapologetically slapped-on red lipstick—once again inspiring our outfits, moods, and makeup bags.

Words by Dana Shmyha