In Defense of Angsty Beauty

Ah, the sweet hallmarks of springtime beauty—a smudged ring of eyeliner, a muted color palette, and a whiff of dry, dead flowers. I'm, of course, being facetious. It certainly doesn't paint the most "springy" picture, does it? Yet my conversations with experts, editors, and industry folk over the past several months have been punctuated by pouty buzzwords: gritty, exhausted, angry, unbothered. Beauty is in its rebellion phase, it seems, and it's only expected to soar in the coming weeks. This spring, I'll see your dewy, flushed cheeks and raise you a serving of ice-cold teenage angst.

The Brat-ification of, well, everything has surely played a significant role. But if you thought it was just a fleeting, green-tinged summer 2024 phase, you are sorely mistaken. Charli XCX (with an honorable mention to her troupe of It girls) has become the poster child of a much larger movement toward intense, defiant beauty—and the movement was a long time coming.

You likely already know that beauty trends exist on a pendulum, but right now, we're smack-dab in the middle of the ride. "As we go into the middle of a decade, there is always a pushback on something that existed prior," celebrity makeup artist and beauty historian Erin Parsons explains. The early '90s were defined by minimal, supermodel makeup, which evolved into the grunge era a few years later. The 2010s—brimming with beauty vloggers championing full beats—were quickly followed by a "clean girl" era in 2020. Now, as we enter 2025, the tables have once again turned toward intense, imperfect grungy looks. Think Tom Ford for Gucci's fall/winter 1996 makeup, which has recently seen a renaissance. According to a popularity index by consumer data company Spate, this aesthetic has grown by 6.5% across platforms compared to last year, and has surged by 45.2% on TikTok.

While the trend cycle does ebb and flow, it's not just natural tides at play. Beauty and fashion do not exist in a vacuum, after all, and it's no secret our current geopolitical climate has incited frustration, fear, and anxiety (the perfect recipe for angst, my therapist would say). As such, it makes sense why one would opt for an angry slash of eyeliner over the sweet, blushing cheeks we typically see this time of year.

"History repeats itself often in beauty, but I think politics plays a large part in all of it too," Parsons adds. "If someone is feeling angry or rebellious, they will often use that feeling through physical self expression." History backs this up—most notably in the Jazz Age, marked by a youth rebellion, the women's rights movement, and a brand-new beauty script. "When makeup was shunned in the 1910s, the flappers wore it open and proud whilst bobbing their hair a decade later," Parsons notes. (It's not lost on me that today, bobs are more popular than ever.)

The current political and economic uncertainty has sparked a similar shift in the fashion-and-beauty narrative. According to data analyst Molly Rooyakkers, who runs the Instagram account Style Analytics, workwear is by far the most projected trend for spring/summer 2025. This trend could convey a desire for control, power, and, perhaps, a deprioritization of the male gaze. "The structured suit and corporate wear align with what many women want to project right now: power, professionalism, self-determination," she says. Within that trend, we also see exaggerated proportions, baggy silhouettes, and androgynous elements—all components of what TikTok calls a "man-repellent" outfit. "The first few [TikTok] videos I saw featured styles that were awful (even scary) worn as a form of self-defense. Now, it has evolved into embracing unflattering, oversize garments that are generally unappealing to men," Rooyakkers adds. Given the current threat to women's rights (including gender equality and reproductive freedom), this can't be a coincidence. In a way, fashion is underrated armor. Could messy eye makeup fulfill the same purpose?

"Oh, absolutely!" answers celebrity makeup artist Jaleesa Jaikaran. "Baggy silhouettes and rebellious makeup serve a similar function: [They] reject the male gaze by embracing looks that aren’t traditionally 'pretty' or 'polished.'" On this year's spring/summer runways, this connection has never been clearer: At Kim Shui, lead makeup artist Romero Jennings opted for smoky, grungy tones to complement the designer's leather corsetry and debut menswear pieces, while models at Area sported caviar-black pigment on the lips. Area's collection also featured a "Bans Off Our Bodies" T-shirt, created in collaboration with Tinder in support of reproductive rights—a "man-repellent" outfit quite literally spelled out.

At the same time, "unapproachable" makeup has been blowing up on TikTok. The goal? To intimidate men. A sister trend to "man repellent" dressing, the look subverts a minimal beat by spotlighting bold, smoldering tones on the eyes and lips. It may seem benign, but it’s surprisingly effective. "You'd be floored by how many clients I have who are like, 'This is what I want to do, but my fiancé or husband doesn't like when I wear this much makeup,'" Lila Childs, an NYC-based makeup artist, shares.

That's not to say heavy makeup is the only way to convey this frustration. According to Childs, "You can express anger through makeup in so many different ways, whether it's not wearing it [at all] as an 'F-you' or doing the most and making yourself look very intense." No matter what, it's far from quiet luxury. "When you’re feeling angry—or even just fierce—you might go heavier on the liner and be a bit less precise with application or lean into deeper, moodier tones," Jaikaran adds. "Smudging and messiness can feel liberating, almost like controlled chaos on your face, and it just works."

On the topic of angsty beauty, I'd be remiss not to bring up nail art, which, as celebrity manicurist Juan Alvear says, is a rebellious expression in its own right. After all, nothing challenges tradition quite like spiked, elongated talons. "I can’t think of a better time than now to embrace and explore your own perspectives, build community, and challenge the status quo, and nails are such a fun and freeing way to do that—or at the very least, an escape from it all," he adds. Anything grungy (dark colors, studs, spikes) and irregularly shaped, he says, can easily portray a counterculture vibe.

"It's fascinating how nail color and shape can convey powerful emotions, like anger and passion," adds celebrity nail artist Naomi Yasuda. She also cosigns deep, rich polishes (such as black, red, brown, gray) with pointed tips to represent elegance and a strong, assertive presence—a balance we'll surely see all season. "Personally, I'm a big fan of dark nail colors," she adds. "I'm excited to see how we can adapt those deep shades for spring and summer by exploring 'syrupy' dark tones—think glossy, translucent versions."

While not as obvious as a streak of liner or studded nail art, fragrance can also help express this inner angst. Sweet, floral scents have already started to take their reign (groundbreaking, as Miranda Priestly would say), but several recent launches have darker elements looming in their blends. "I love drab '70s stuff," David Moltz, perfumer and co-founder of D.S. Durga, says regarding his new Brown Flowers fragrance. "It is more about dry, dead flowers than fine, fresh ones, which seemed new and exciting to me." It's not overtly rebellious (it's a bit whimsical, actually), but it certainly defies the traditional floral spritz. When you think of springtime scents, chances are you don't imagine wilting blooms. Similarly, Aesop's Aurner Eau de Parfum is described as a "defiant" floral subverted by spice and metallic notes—a far cry from the soft, airy scents we tend to see come spring. Coinciding with the launch is an in-store, limited-edition ear cuff designed by Patcharavipa, meant to reflect the emotive tensions (read: angst) within the aroma.

Vanilla scents—which arguably dominated the 2024 fragrance space—are also becoming a little less… palatable. "Consumers are gravitating toward fragrances that feel a little edgier, moodier, and more unconventional—scents that don’t just sit pretty but have a distinct point of view. People are craving depth, texture, and a bit of contrast in their scents, much like they are in beauty," says Chriselle Lim, founder of Phlur. The brand just announced its new Vanilla Smoke scent—a smoldering and intense blend of incense, birch, and cacao blanc that's far from sweet, despite what its moniker might have you believe. Lim actually calls it "a little dangerous." She adds, "It’s for those who don’t want to blend in with the season but instead bring a little edge to it—like trading pastels for something a little moodier and more unexpected."

"Moody and unexpected" is the beauty blueprint at large, and Childs doesn't expect the angst to waver. If anything, looks will become even more "melty" amid rising temperatures. Imagine Euphoria makeup, "how the glitter emphasizes this 'unshowered,' heavy look," she notes. Jaikaran agrees, dubbing it "glossy grunge." Expect lots of dark, wet-looking textures with lived-in eyeliner and eye shadow. Aside from a pot of glitter or multipurpose balm (like Aquaphor or cream highlighter), all you'll need is a kohl eyeliner. Apply it to the eyelids and lower rims, using your fingertips to blend (aka smudge). "This gives a lived-in look, as if you’ve slept in the makeup," Parsons explains. "One product makes it effortless, and allowing the formula to crease a bit gives a less 'vain' attempt—as if you don’t necessarily care about beauty but want to display anger through your makeup. Self-expression through makeup art." Follow with a spritz of "drab-chic" fragrance for good measure.

Muted colors, messy lines, and an ignited sense of IDGAF—that's spring beauty reborn. And if you prefer to toss a baby blue eye shadow or Brat green lacquer in the mix? Please, carry on. "The seasons are all on the fritz anyway," assures Moltz. "You can wear whatever you want, you rebel!"