How Beauty Aesthetics Help Us Embrace, Experiment With, and Redefine Womanhood

We live in the age of the internet aesthetic. Whether we're being told to romanticize the more boring aspects of our day or adopt "main character energy," we've found ourselves in a time when it's normal, maybe even encouraged, to step outside of our lives and look through a different lens. Let's say, for example, I'm going to the grocery store. If Instagram and TikTok have taught me anything, I'm not just going to the grocery store. I'm meandering the aisles of my local shop, listening to early 2000s music, and searching for the perfect ingredients to make a "girl dinner." (Bonus points if you wear a breezy rom-com blush to fit the vibe). If I'm spending a Saturday at home, I'm not just spending a Saturday at home. I'm living my best cottagecore life, sipping herbal tea, reading a book, and embracing a "slow living" lifestyle. (Here, I'd recommend wearing mascara for fluttery lashes, putting a scarf in your hair, and swiping on a juicy lip oil.) You get the picture.

If you're a fan of internet aesthetics, you probably see them as a well-intentioned practice in novelty and gratitude—cultivating excitement and contentment in the otherwise ordinary areas of life. If you're a critic, you probably won't hesitate to point out how many exist and how they give you "aesthetic fatigue." Both are valid. As a beauty editor, though, I see internet aesthetics as an opportunity for agency and expression. Flitting between them, choosing different looks, and highlighting all sides of my personality feels a lot like freedom. To me, it's not about playing a character or adopting someone else's style; it's about embracing all the facets of one's own. It's about expressing ourselves in ways that, historically, haven't been possible. Maybe internet aesthetics are so popular because they allow us to embrace, experiment with, and redefine womanhood.

Consider, for example, how some of the most popular internet aesthetics are contradictory. The simple, sweet life of cottagecore is juxtaposed with the success and high stakes of quiet luxury. The girlish and innocent coquette is juxtaposed with the sultry and dominating "revenge makeup." Internet aesthetics are a visual representation of our multifaceted identities. Below, explore six of the most popular ones.

I see the coquette aesthetic as a reclamation of a youthful identity that has been (and sometimes still is) seen as being shallow or superficial. Growing up, we get the message that girlhood is soft and silly, whereas boyhood is based on strength and momentum. ("You play like a girl" is a pertinent example of this.) When women embrace that side of themselves, they reject the narrative and build a different one—that you can embrace pink blushed cheeks, shiny lip gloss, and silky hair ribbons and still be strong, capable, and complex.

On the flip side, popular beauty aesthetics like revenge makeup and siren eyes embrace a darker, sultrier side. Think voluminous hair, kohl-rimmed eyes, and blood-red lipstick. This look displays maturity, domination, and a strong sense of self. It's sultry but not sexualized—a critical distinction.

Shop the Coquette Aesthetic

Shop Revenge Makeup

The cottagecore aesthetic evokes a sense of simplicity, which is alluring to people (like me) who feel stressed and chronically tired in this day and age. It's linked to a rise in homesteading accounts on IG and TikTok, and as such, it reflects a lifestyle of gardening, home cooking, and general slow living. It translates to beauty via cherry-red lips and cheeks, effortless hair, and accessories with a handmade or vintage feel.

Quiet luxury seems to be in direct opposition. Instead of down-to-earth simplicity, it belies expense, status, and success. Popularized by beauty icons such as Sofia Richie Grainge and shows like Succession, the look involves a fresh yet flawless complexion, expensive-smelling perfume, and either slicked-back hair or a voluminous blowout. It implies a certain power and influence. As the adage goes, "True wealth whispers; it doesn't shout."

Shop the Cottagecore Aesthetic

Shop the Quiet Luxury Aesthetic

While the term "clean girl" is problematic, it's dominated social media for most of the past year. This look is the epitome of minimalism. Think skin-first makeup, fluttery lashes, and a slicked-back bun. It's associated with ideals of self-care and health and wellness, and it emphasizes choosing and prioritizing oneself.

Then, we come to one of the newest aesthetic trends—the so-called mob wife trend. It's the epitome of maximalism. It's based on iconic TV characters like Carmela Soprano and Adriana La Cerva. These characters were enigmatic, influential, and complex, and the associated beauty look portrays that. While no single element stands out, it's the combination of voluminous '90s-esque hair, boldly lined lips, and sun-tanned skin that creates the intimidating mob wife effect.

Shop the Clean Girl Aesthetic

Shop the Mob Wife Aesthetic

This article was originally published at an earlier date and has since been updated.