Belly pooches are in – the rise of TikTok viral beauty trends eschewing traditional beauty standards
- While make-up trends like Hailey Bieber’s clean, ‘glazed donut’ make-up look remain popular, others that look surreal and wildly fanciful are gaining ground
- A beauty trend forecaster explains how people are highlighting parts of their bodies typically hidden – like belly fat – and are leaning into alienesque make-up
Make-up and fashion have taken a surreal and wildly fanciful turn in 2023 – think Spanish singer-songwriter Rosalía’s red vampire fangs on Instagram – and Gen Z cannot get enough of it.
This approach to fashion and beauty, the opposite of what is seen as traditionally “pretty”, has struck a chord with a growing number of social media users, making things like toned bodies and soft, glam make-up seem restrictive and conformist.
According to Chua, people are beginning to embrace the trend on a more widespread level.
This spans everything from so-called feral girl make-up looks – a trend that has racked up over 380 million views since going viral on social media platform TikTok this summer – to purposefully highlighting features that go against typical Western beauty standards.
