The Modern-Day Indie Sleaze: Messy Makeup, Clean Ingredients

When society exits one distinct trend cycle, we often shift to a starkly opposing aesthetic. Think of it like a pendulum swinging from one side to the other, then back again. This pattern helps the "new" trend feel, well, new again. 

Trends typically cycle in 20-year periods. While one aesthetic may resurface from a couple of decades prior, the end result will inevitably be slightly different given the natural shift of modern culture, industry innovations, and other compounding trends. 

About a year ago, we entered the "clean girl" era, thanks to (what else?) TikTok. This look consists of slicked-back buns, gold hoop earrings, minimal makeup, and a perfectly consistent (read: almost impossible) lifestyle of working out, eating 100% clean organic foods, and going to sleep at 8 p.m. If you want to learn how to master the makeup portion (and why we're not totally into this trend), we've covered that before. 

Davy is no stranger to indie sleaze, as she lived through this trend in her late teens and early 20s, more or less keeping a similar aesthetic ever since. "It's essentially casual but, like, obscenely confident," Davy says about the look. 

The image of indie sleaze you have now is likely a reflection of the last time this trend was popularized in the late 2000s and early 2010s. Think of it like '80s party culture meets alternative hipster era. To be specific: The clothing choices are purposely random and lacking cohesion, everyone's hair is messy (but in a cool, I don't care sort of way), the dance music is loud, everyone parties (a lot), and nobody at the function would be cool if they were posing for a photo—club candids only. 

A few staples of the previous indie sleaze era, according to TikTok trend predictor Mandy Lee, include amateur-style flash photography, provocative advertisements, outdated technology, Tumblr quotes, and tons of music mashups. 

With the rebirth of this trend, we hope to leave behind some of the more problematic aspects of indie sleaze (no trend era is perfect, after all). The romanticization of eating too little (think negative body talk during the height of the 2012 Tumblr era), glamorization of excessive drug use, and lack of social and cultural awareness can and should all be left in the past. 

However, the new and improved version of indie sleaze on the rise may be exactly what we need post-clean-girl aesthetic. It's a refreshing blast of carefree energy with tons of room for self-expression and less pressure to perform on social media platforms. "I would go as far as to say it's actually embarrassing if you look too 'put together,'" Davy notes. 

Rather than stressing over a perfectly blended, full-coverage base, "embrace your natural skin," Davy says. Keep it natural and glowy: "If you look sweaty, that's fine," Davy reiterates. This trend is all about ditching the word "imperfection" when referring to skin. 

Let go of the idea that your blush needs to be placed in the perfect spot and your T-zone must appear poreless. "It has kind of a dirty edge to it that has to look effortless," Davy explains, like you're "living your best life partying in a warehouse wearing an American Apparel leotard." We can practically hear the electro-pop soundtrack.

If you hate filling in your brows, you'll be happy about this: Indie sleaze makeup calls for airy, natural-looking brows. "No powder-filled brows or concealer defining the lower edge of your brows," Davy emphasizes. 

"In terms of eyeliner styles, colors, and lip shades, I think you can still do whatever you love," Davy says. If you live for colorful, Euphoria-esque eye looks, keep it up. If a solid black wing is your ride-or-die, don't force yourself to let it go. Instead, just remember that nothing has to be perfect and, according to indie sleaze basics, maybe it shouldn't be. 

We're embracing individuality with this look, so feel free to add your own unique flair. As Davy puts it, "Reverting back to old trends is never interesting unless we merge it with other elements and create more of a mashup." This could be a pop of color on the inner eye corner, bleached brows (or a false bleach look), faux freckles, or any other personal staple. There are no rigid do's and don'ts in indie sleaze, so have fun with it.

Overall, the goal is to come as you are and do your makeup for your own enjoyment rather than pleasing someone else or capturing an Instagram-worthy photo.