Glowing skin, minimal makeup application, slicked back hair, glossy lips, gold hoops, and fluffy brows – This is what the mainstream media has been calling the “Clean Girl Aesthetic.” An easy, effortless no makeup, makeup look that's been making rounds on TikTok since 2021.
Now widely popular among celebrities (TikTok and Hollywood alike), its resurgence is being viewed in a negative light, specifically the lack of diversity promoted and a lack of acknowledgment to those who paved the way for this sought-after style.
Why the Clean Girl Aesthetic is Problematic
We see a lack of diversity in those primarily promoting this look. So it’s likely that while researching this trend, you haven’t seen a ton of makeup tutorials for dark skin.
Representation and proper recognition are important. Many communities, including the Latinx, African American, and Eastern Asian communities, have been rocking the Clean Girl Aesthetic long before it was considered cool. Many considered this trendy look to be “ghetto” or “ratchet” back in the ‘90s and the early 2000’s when it was popular.
“Clean” beauty heavily implies that the opposite of this trend is unclean. That needing anything other than the most minimal of tinted moisturizers to help cover texture or hyperpigmentation is “unclean” makeup.
That’s just not going to work for us.
The Mented Way
What is “Clean Girl Aesthetic” the Mented Way? We start the way we always do, inclusivity. We believe every woman should be able to find herself in the world of beauty, no matter her skin tone. We know you'll love being put first - because when it comes to beauty, no one deserves to be an afterthought. We prefer to think of ourselves as Minimalist Mavens anyway.
No trying to fit into that restrictive box here. This is a minimalist makeup look that still allows you to embrace the style without sacrificing what makes you feel comfortable. Here are a few of our Mented favorites so that you can achieve the look in a way that feels truthful to you.
Get The Look Just The Basics Routine Bundle
Our Just The Basics Routine Bundle has just what you need to get you started on the Minimalist Maven journey! We address all the categories of face, eyes, lips, and cheeks! Select your perfect match in Skin by Mented foundation and we have the rest covered.
This routine features:
- Your Skin by Mented Foundation Shade
- Long Live The Lash Mascara
- Balms Away Coconut Lip Treatment
- Blush in an Amazingly Flattering Shade
Lightweight Foundation Duo
The Skin by Mented foundation stick has a lightweight, buildable formula with a natural finish that feels like your skin. Choose your level of coverage, though this particular trend calls for a light base.
Apply your highlighting shade of Skin by Mented as you would a concealer, using it to brighten certain areas of your face. Focus on applying your concealer around your nose, forehead, chin, and brow bones. Use your foundation brush to buff out the product to blend in with your skin.
Make this trend work for you! Place a little extra Skin by Mented to the areas where you think you may need more coverage such as any blemishes or hyperpigmentation.
The Perfect Prime Primer works perfectly with your Skin by Mented foundation. It creates a smooth, poreless canvas for your foundation in just a few swipes! Skipping foundation today? This mattifying stick works on its own! It works to blur imperfections with a transparent finish, while controlling shine from day to night.
Unlock your best looking skin with both the Skin by Mented Foundation and the Perfect Prime Primer in the Perfect Skin Bundle from Mented Cosmetics. This duo can’t be beat and will leave you looking flawless!
Blush & Highlighter For Dark Skin
The Clay Too Much Blush is a subtle muted red shade that will give just the right hint of color for this look. Remember, just like all our products, our blush is pigMENTED! Lightly tap your brush into the powder and pat into the top of your cheekbones, bringing the product up towards the corners of your eyes. This placement will help lift your face.
We can’t help ourselves by indulging in a little shimmer, so topping this look off with the tiniest bit of the Glow On shade of our Sunkissed Highlighter Palette is a must.
Long-Lasting Lip Treatment
Our Balms Away Coconut Lip Treatment is just the product you need to get you that shine you want and the lip care you need. Infused with lip-loving ingredients like shea butter and castor seed oil, this long-lasting treatment is also deeply hydrating. You can stop here, or layer on some color!
Softly line your lips with your favorite Mented Lip Liner. You want to round out your lips with the liner and you can use your finger to blur out the edges.
Next up is gloss! Gloss is super important for this look, so you’ll want to pick up one of our lip glosses. You’ll find that a sheer gloss is the popular choice, but if you’re looking to turn the look up a notch, you can always opt for a tinted gloss instead.
Our favorite tinted gloss for this trend would have to be Send Nudes or Mauve Over. Send Nudes is a truly nude deep tan gloss for brown women of all hues. Mauve Over is deeply pigmented and works to give even the darkest lips a gorgeous soft pink shine.
Minimal Eye Makeup
You won’t find overly filled-in brows here! Think minimalist and take the spoolie end of your High Brow Pencil to fluff out those brows.
Feel free to flip the pencil over and lightly fill in any specific areas of your brows that need a little more love. But remember, minimal is the name of the game.
The ultimate dedication to this trend would be to go with no mascara. If you’re like us though and can’t turn down a little pigment, we suggest reaching for the Long Live The Lash Mascara. Use this sparingly, only applying one-to-two coats to avoid your mascara looking too thick or clumping.
We like to concentrate Long Live The Lash around the corners of the eyes on the outer lashes to elongate the eyes. This is a simple way to make a big impression!
–
Despite probably being an accidental expert in this trend due to always rushing out the door, we invite you to ditch the Clean Girl mentality and embrace being a Minimalist Maven!
“It is not our differences that divide us. It is our inability to recognize, accept, and celebrate those differences.” - Audre Lorde
