Is The Clean Girl Retiring?

For too long, the clean girl reigned supreme. Perfectly feathered brows, glazed skin, and high-shine lips defined her beauty code. Hair was sleek and polished—no fly-aways on sight. Even fashion pared back: basic wardrobe staples that rivaled quiet luxury, muted accessories, and simplicity as the ultimate sophistication.

Was perfection simply too exhausting? Or have we begun craving something real—an aesthetic that embraces imperfection and authenticity over polish?

RELATED: Is Indie Sleaze Back—Or Just Everything, All at Once?

The Runway Bible

The runways have always set the tone for beauty’s next chapter. At Ganni, Giorgio Armani, and Chanel F/W25, graphic liner took centerstage. Sofia Tillbury brought back high drama at the Harris Reed F/W25—complete with gilded lids, smokey eyes, and lashes as bold as feathers. These weren’t everyday looks, but they certainly made beauty exciting again.

By S/S26, things got delightfully undone. Chanel, Dior, and Hermès embraced slept-in hair, whether pin-straight with fly-aways, tousled waves, or simply imperfect textures.

The Comeback of the Cut Crease

Trends love a comeback, and 2016 glam seem to be finding its way back—not through the harsh cut creases, carved cheekbones, or overdrawn brows per se, but through fearless creativity. The glam and drama of it all. And with King Kylie’s renaissance, the return of bold lids and sculpted lips feels inevitable.

Perhaps the clean girl is not retiring—but is evolving. The new beauty language blends gloss with grit: The polish of clean girl, the edge of indie sleaze, and the vibrance of 2016 glam. Everyday makeup will flirt with smoky liner; ultra-glam will revive glitter cut creases, softened by dewy skin and high-shine lips.

Because in the end, beauty—like fashion—is self-expression. And this next era? It’s about to get a whole lot more colorful.

Featured Image and Photos: HERMÈS, HARRIS REED, KYLIE JENNER, ZENDAYA, BRETMAN ROCK (via Instagram), GANNI, CHANEL, GIOGRIO ARMANI (via Website), MEGA ARCHIVES

Moira Del Rosario

Digital Content Writer

Once immersed in fictional writing at UP Diliman, Moira del Rosario eventually traded imagined worlds for the fast-paced landscape of digital media as a Digital Content Writer for MEGA Asia, covering women’s stories across the region alongside the latest in beauty.

They spotlight women shaping culture today through profiles, exclusive features, and roundups on Asian representation at global fashion events. They also write about beauty through a growing lens—covering makeup, skincare, wellness, nails, and fragrance with curiosity and a strong eye for emerging trends.

Having worked in digital media for years, Moira is drawn to stories that beg to be unraveled—from the ever-changing landscape of pop culture and the inner workings of beauty to queer voices that deserve to be seen, celebrated, and championed.

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