The unapproachable makeup trend is going viral on TikTok
You can’t sit with us
TikTok has officially become the birthplace for all the best (and most viral) beauty trends of 2023 so far.
The minimalist vanilla girl trend and strawberry makeup (for the summer-obsessed) have both cemented themselves as crowd favourites for users of the app seeking to emulate the effortless style of celebrities like Sofia Richie Grainge and Hailey Bieber.
Similarly, the unapproachable makeup trend has shared a parallel trajectory.
What is the unapproachable makeup trend?
An offshoot of TikTok’s fascination with the dark feminine and the Julia Fox-endorsed ugly girl trend, #unapproachablemakeup is gaining popularity points with frustrated and fed-up Gen-Zer’s, with the hashtag amassing 67.2 million views on the app. The term is defined as a makeup look that discourages people (usually men) from approaching women and female-identifying people. It’s an added layer of body language that expresses a clear lack of interest in male attention.
Inspired by the effortlessly cool energy of fashion’s it-girl Bella Hadid, Lily Rose-Depp’s pouty glare, and Euphoria character Maddy Perez’s entire demeanour (read: simmering rage and an IDGAF attitude), unapproachable makeup isn’t so much a specific makeup look as it is a projected aura. Visually it’s giving siren eyes, but energetically it’s saying “get the f**k out of my face”.
Getty
Getty
Getty
How to achieve the unapproachable makeup trend
Like we’ve mentioned, unapproachable makeup isn’t specific, but there are some key characteristics of the trend to note.
1/ A flawless base
Get the memo: we’re not trying to look like the approachable girl next door, we’re aiming for ‘ethereal, angelic alien goddess’.
People who nail the unapproachable makeup trend do so because they ensure their skin looks flawless. We’re talking a finish so airbrushed it looks like you’ve been photoshopped to the high heavens.
In technical terms, you want to marry the less-is-more principle of no-makeup makeup with photo makeup techniques.
For example: Try spot concealing with a fluffy makeup brush to diffuse the base product for an undetectable finish, and then dust some pore-blurring translucent powder over the top to smooth away any imperfections and mattify where needed.
It also pays to be light handed and calculated when it comes to application of products like contour, blush and bronzer; streaky or patchy makeup just isn’t going to cut it if you want to nail this look.
@biancapompeiano My attempt on the “unapproachable” makeup look #unapproachablemakeup #makeup #makeuptutorial ♬ Glory Box - Portishead
2/ Dark eye makeup
There are many variations of unapproachable eye makeup; feline eye makeup, a minimal line of patent black liquid liner, and a smouldering smokey eye are all acceptable articulations of the trend. However, the one thing all unapproachable eye makeup looks have in common? A dark and moody colour palette.
Unapproachable makeup products we recommend:
Mecca Max Wink Ink Super Liquid Liner ($19 at Mecca), Glam By Manicare 58 Bella Lashes ($9.99 at Chemist Warehouse) and Nudestix Dark Romantics Eye Mini Kit ($49 at Sephora Australia).
Mecca Max Wink Ink Super Liquid Liner
Glam By Manicare 58 Bella Lashes
Nudestix Dark Romantics Eye Mini Kit
That’s precisely why the best advice we can give you when it comes to unapproachable eye makeup is to simply have fun and play with your makeup.
But, if you are having trouble figuring out what works best for your eye shape or what speaks to your personal style, we suggest trolling through the thousands of unapproachable makeup tutorials on TikTok for inspiration.
The best unapproachable makeup tutorials on TikTok
@hayleybuix Finally learned how to do the unapproachable make up #makeuptransformation #unapproachablemakeup ♬ samsinclairfx on instagram - Sam Sinclair
@xx.alicelinnea.xx This is my take on “unapproachable” makeup and I honestly think I did a pretty good job😌🖤 #unapproachablemakeup #unapproachable #darkfemininemakeup #effortlessmakeup #eyelinerideas ♬ Freak and Art Deco Transition by Lana Del Rey - dylan
@carolinehxr Did it work? 😂 #unapproachablemakeup ♬ оригинальный звук - MIR
Image credit: Getty
Briar Clark got her start in the media industry in 2017, as an intern for Marie Claire and InStyle. Since then, her keen interest in fashion and beauty has landed her gigs as a Digital Content Producer and Beauty Editor with titles like Girlfriend, Refinery29, BEAUTYcrew and beautyheaven. She loves the way seemingly innocuous topics like skin care and style have the ability to put a smile on people’s faces or make them think about themselves a little differently. A big believer in self love and experimentation, Briar has made a point of becoming the Australian beauty industry’s unofficial guinea pig for unusual treatments and daring hair trends. When she’s not testing out the latest beauty launches, Briar is big on broadening her horizons, mostly in the form of food but she’s also partial to travelling to new destinations both near and far (and of course, allocating an extra bag to bring their best beauty offerings home with her).
