This article was written by The Zillennial Zine’s senior fall editorial intern Lauren Sanchez. Find her on Instagram at @lauren.sanchezz. If you would like to share an article with The Zillennial, send us an email at thezillennialzine@gmail.com.
In a digital era where new aesthetics emerge weekly and the latest beauty products are pushed through influencers creating “Get Ready With Me” TikToks and “Beauty Must-Haves” videos, it’s never been easier to outwardly transform your makeup, hair, skincare and all kinds of beauty routines. But with the ever-changing trends coming and disappearing so quickly, a “Clean Girl” aesthetic with minimal makeup, a slick-back bun, and brushed-up eyebrows can change into a red lipstick, smudged-eyeliner “Downtown girl” all within a blink of an eye.
However, sometimes following what is in style and “blindly” partaking in a trend can lead people to regret their beauty decisions. Recently on TikTok, creators began posting and asking audiences about what kind of “blindness” they have, or in other words, “What beauty mistakes am I unaware of that I should fix?”
It goes without saying that anything you post on the internet is subject to all kinds of criticism and unsolicited advice from people who you will never meet in real life. However, what started as a light-hearted trend of asking people on the internet about their “beauty blindnesses” and playfully poking fun at past beauty mistakes, has shifted into a space filled with harsh comments such as, “Babe, you know EXACTLY what your blindness is,” and has brought the trend dangerously close to cyberbullying. So, is the beauty blindness trend really helping people improve their appearance and self-esteem, or has it become another outlet for targeting and attacking people’s looks?
What Kinds Of “Beauty Blindness” Are There?
According to VOGUE Australia, beauty blindness is a “playful label indicating our inability to see the perceived flaws in our makeup application”— meaning these small imperfections are something that we fail to see but others around us are quick to notice. We’ve all heard the saying that “less is more”, but in a lot of these beauty trends, we ask a new question of how much extra is too extra?
“Eyebrown blindness” has become one of the most frequently discussed types of beauty blindness online. Whether it’s people excessively plucking to create the razor-thin eyebrows of the 90s or drawing in their eyebrows like the infamous 2016 “On Fleek” eyebrows trend, eyebrow standards have dramatically changed. Now as a result of the “clean girl” aesthetic, the new eyebrow trend has people brushing up their eyebrows to create a more laminated look and continues to evolve the brow game.
“Lip blindness” tends to include beauty trends surrounding lip products and treatments people do to enhance or alter their lips. Lip fillers help make the lips look bigger and plump, but too much lip filler can lead to some seriously distorted results. Similarly, trends like overlining and using plumping glosses can give your lips a fuller appearance, but go overboard and you might end up with a look that borders along circus chic or appears incredibly unnatural.
If you are a blush connoisseur and user like me, you are aware of just how much of a necessity blush can be to your makeup routine. A swipe of blush can add a perfect pop of color to your cheeks and give your face that coveted sun-kissed glow. However, overdoing blush or picking a shade that doesn’t compliment your skin tone can leave you looking more red-faced than radiant.
Is This Trend Effective or Problematic?
There is nothing wrong with wanting to enhance the way you look for yourself and find ways to help boost your confidence. Seeking honest feedback and asking difficult questions on what you can improve or adjust can be incredibly valuable to one’s self-esteem and really beneficial in helping you fix the things you might not have noticed on your own. Oftentimes, we are our toughest critics, and having someone else guide you or compliment certain things about yourself can push away or heal deep-rooted insecurities. However within this trend, it is important to note that there is a very fine line between constructive advice and harsh attacks!
Comments on TikToks like the one above can be incredibly cruel, turning this trend into something hurtful and not worth partaking in. While people are actively seeking out advice on the ways to better their appearance, it should not give anyone the right to be downright mean and speak an opinion negatively. Regardless of whether you are an influencer, an average beauty lover or just someone who wants to better themselves and uses the internet to seek help, prioritizing your well-being and self-confidence over chasing the latest trends is of the utmost importance.
“Beauty is in the Eye of the Beholder”… Right?
Regardless of the beauty blindnesses one may have, the entire beauty industry tells us that the most desirable looks are the ones we currently don’t have, explaining why trends are so slow to stay and so quick to leave. However, if we all took a step back and realized that we don’t have to partake in every single beauty trend, it’ll inevitably help you — and you alone — determine how you want to appear to the world, free from the harsh influence of trends and ideals. Of course, that doesn’t mean you shouldn’t allow yourself to participate in trends, but it does mean that you shouldn’t let trends dictate how you perceive yourself. Whatever makes you feel the best, that’s what will help you look the best. It’s all about balance!
What do you think of the “beauty blindness” trend? Do you think it’s problematic or effective towards beauty standards? Let us know in the comments below!
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