By KARIMA FATIH
I am sure by now, everybody knows the viral TikTok trend that consists of attributing the terms demure, cutesy, and mindful to anything and everything, ranging from women to parallel parking. The demure set of words became so viral that I look at a “flushing is demure” poster every time I go to the bathroom.
After a month on my floor, I totally understand why that poster is there. Even brands and companies started advertising campaigns claiming that their products are cutesy and mindful. Anyone and anything can be demure and cutesy and should be mindful.
However, when it comes to trends that blow up this big, one should in fact be mindful of taking the trend in a bad direction. Aside from being funny and slightly addictive (I must confess), massively using TikTok slang is sometimes blindly adhering to a movement that is way deeper than we think.
One could argue that this trend is anti-feminist, specifically when considering the fact that the terms “ can be seen as feminine characteristics.
Along with the “clean girl aesthetic”, “cutesy and demure” serve sometimes (not that serving) to imply that mindful, calm, demure, clean, docile, and not too much, are good traits ESPECIALLY for women. Pardon the long list, but if that was tiring to read, then imagine how tired women are of hearing this.
I also deeply wonder, when did the internet cancel the colorful eyeshadow and bury the glam makeup looks under the “clean girl” label? Hello ??? Why be so rude to thick 2016 eyebrows? In my opinion, it has a lot to do with the evolution of makeup and skincare lobbies.
The Internet will back up a movement that will help market and sell more products. So maybe trying to tell women that they should embrace their skin and love themselves to be “clean girls” is not as much empowerment as it is just a way to start selling a different range of products.
At the end of the day, every individual should be able to wear the makeup that they vibe with, and not have to follow a specific trend or standard. It is an art and a form of self-expression that shall not be weaponized against its artists. Beauty lays under the 360 layers of foundation as much as it peeks through naturally dilated pores and pimples.
Well on a glorious summer day this past August, Jools Lebron started the demure era—not so surprising regarding the crushing male expectations that come with the last name huh—On the other side of TikTok—not so far still—we can find bratty Apple dances, extravagant outfits, and fun colors. To be fair, in contrast, the Brat trend is more anti-conformist, and a freedom-inspiring movement. God bless Charli XCX and her 360° vision of femininity and demure-ness 🙂 Even if a lot of TikTok trends are harmless and pure humor and brain rot, some of them should be appreciated with precaution, because everybody has access to the internet and makes different use of it.
Remember to demure moderately kiddos!
Featured Image: Sophia Nitsche’25
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