Don't Skip Your Baddie Era. Clean Girl Aesthetic - Where? Not Here.
The classiest girls had the most aggressive baddie era.
There has been a rise in the clean girl aesthetic: an effortless, minimalist countenance that I…personally don’t care for.
I mean, it’s a cute little moment when you have to run errands or are doing some daytime activities here and there but that should not be the look for a girls night out or a special event.
No sir. No ma’am.
The little dots of concealer I’m seeing in GRWMs and makeup tutorials are insufficient. By the time you walk down the stairs, it’s going to evaporate and be non-existent.
Bring back the thick application of concealer with fat doffers as applicators. 2016 makeup was long lasting, full coverage, and screamed “this is my life and I own it”. It was clear that you woke up two hours earlier than you usually did to make sure you stepped into the world prepared to face it — with a full face.
The sleek, faint, almost ignored but barely there pieces of accessories, the basic shoe styles. The outfits that look like they are put together — but didn’t take much effort…nope.
Bring back effort. Bring back the bandage dresses. The statement shoes. The heels with platforms that you can actually walk in, while giving height and a sexy sashay. The chunky jewelry that winks at the world every time you move.
Bring back taking up space.
Bring back commanding attention.
Coinciding with the clean girl aesthetic — has been the additional conversation about presenting oneself as “classy”. Clean. Classy. Reserved. Why are we having reservations about being a baddie with the introduction all of these reserved aesthetics?
They say it has something to do with a recession (that has absolutely nothing to do with me *proceeds as usual*).
But, we can still be baddies on a budget. It’s doable. In fact, I’m finding that the clean girl aesthetic can actually be just as expensive as the budget for being a baddie; and, depending on where you are buying your clean girl aesthetic products, it can even be more pricey to look like you aren’t doing too much. So…I don’t buy the finance excuse there.
And to be honest, when you reflect back on the lives of the current trending classy and clean women — they had the most aggressive baddie era, prior.
So actually, if you want to have a more refined and concise look, it seems like the prerequisite is going through your baddie era. It’s a right of passage, and from my observation — it works.
Don’t skip your baddie era. It’s the cheat code to your next look. Ask Sofia.
Ask Blac Chyna (Angela White).
The baddie era was also an era of fun. People danced on table tops and actually busted a move in the middle of the dance floor. Instagram feeds had group photos with friends — the ones they actually liked and not just the ones who made them look cool. Not everyone was trying to do things for a viral moment. People just lived, in their moments.
Now, everything is just basic. Everyone is trying to be as minimalist and “faux-effortless” as much as possible, to the point that there is not enough deviation for diversity. It gets boring.
Let’s bring back passion and bold statements.
Let’s bring back making an appearance that speaks before you open your mouth.
Let’s bring sexy back.
And if you are thinking about retiring the Giuseppe Zanotti heels — hold off for a bit.
They might inspire someone to step into their baddie era.
Xoxo,
Victoria Achieng’