For some time now, the world has been losing its color, and so have our faces. Shimmering eyeshadows have disappeared from our eyelids, and lip balms try to mimic our natural shade, reducing whimsy to a simple layer of shine. While the clean-girl aesthetic is reflected in mirrors, some creative souls are breaking away from this beige and brown look. Content creator @divineswimming proves that it's never too late to use the colored powders in your palettes.
Bringing color back to the center of faces
In just a few years, we've gone from a world saturated with color to a sterile environment, stripped of its vibrancy. Even makeup follows this monotonous and sadly impersonal artistic direction. The clean girl sets the tone in front of the mirror. Her understated style has almost become the absolute standard.
The minimalist tutorials on social media have led us to believe that color is too extravagant for everyday looks and even visually aggressive. While moderation was the norm in the 2000s, today everyone is toning down their makeup brushstrokes. So, the most vibrant and promising eyeshadows in our makeup bags remain untouched. We only use them for a major event, a special occasion, or New Year's Eve. We wait until we have a good reason to use them without risking looking like a clown.
Conversely, a woman who dusts her eyes with green, pink, or yellow and doesn't follow current beauty trends is subjected to the most vulgar adjectives. As if the slightest touch of whimsy were unprofessional, cheap, or childish. Color may be a terrible faux pas according to societal norms. Yet, for the most creative among us, like Simone from the @divineswimming account, it's an essential element, an accessory in its own right, a reflection of her personality. She refuses to let dictates affect her skin and intends to use up every last bit of her most pigmented eyeshadows.
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A makeover doesn't have to comply with an order.
Simone, a true painter on skin, sees her face as a blank canvas, not as a replica of an ideal of beauty. And her artwork is the antithesis of imposed minimalism. The young woman, whose imagination guides her every gesture, doesn't settle for a rosy blush and a line that blends into the flesh. While women's magazines and self-proclaimed beauty queens of the internet combine sparse lips with minimal eye makeup, Simone fills every empty space of her matte complexion with patterns , neon prints, and rainbow constellations.
Many would judge her makeup as carnival-like, garish, or too immature for her age. Society has quickly taught us to confuse creativity with eccentricity. Color, organic shapes, stars, or psychedelic flowers are signs of great freedom, not mental retardation.
In a world that seeks to homogenize all women, Simone chooses to be herself. “No one gets to dictate what is ‘normal’ or not,” she regularly reminds us, her eyes resembling butterflies or her striking gaze. Because makeup should never be something imposed upon us, but rather a conscious choice, based on our own personal rules. Simone uses it not to create a new look or resemble someone else, but to have fun, to tell her story, to express her style. And that, in itself, is a beautiful example of letting go.
Let's put an end to the clean girl cult
With her rosy cheeks, barely lined lips, and innocent eyes, made up without really being made up, the clean girl gave the illusion of a return to naturalness. However, this meticulously crafted aesthetic, which seemed to require little effort in front of the mirror, became ingrained in our habits, making any other makeup look grotesque and inelegant.
Yet, behind this apparent simplicity lies a real imperative. One must have a perfectly even complexion, disciplined eyebrows, subtly plumped lips, and delicately enhanced cheeks. Nothing should be out of place, nothing should be conspicuous, nothing should betray the slightest imperfection. Even "natural" now seems subject to a set of specifications.
Seeing the same faces constantly on our screens makes us forget that makeup can also be a playground. Why should electric blue be reserved for carnival, purple for parties, or glitter for New Year's Eve? Why should a woman wait for a special occasion to wear the color she likes on her eyelids?
Makeup knows no age, and there are certainly no universal rules for how to use it. It can be subtle or dramatic, monochrome or multicolored, sophisticated or completely extravagant. As long as it reflects something about the wearer, it has already fulfilled its purpose. Life is dreary enough without having to live it in shades of gray, beige, or nude. There's no need to add another layer to your face.
