NEW YORK, March 9 — There’s a fresh, new kind of romantic aesthetic blowing through social media. We thought users were obsessed with the gothic chic style of Netflix series Wednesday, but here they are already turning to beauty that evokes the sweetness of spring. And so it is that ‘coquette makeup’ has already inspired several million followers on TikTok.
Pink, pink, and more pink. We thought we were done with the flagship colour of the ‘Barbiecore’ aesthetic, but social network users seem to be wanting more. This time around though, it is not a hot pink shade but rather a soft rosy pastel pink, tinged with romance. ‘Coquette makeup,’ the new trend racking up views on TikTok, is flooding the web with pink, pearls, bows, and shimmer, blending innocence and coquetry. You can’t get more girly than this!
More than 10 billion views
When it comes to the Chinese social network, one trend follows fast on the heels of another, no looking back. After ‘shower makeup,’ ‘revenge makeup’, and the chic goth makeup associated with the heroine of the series Wednesday, now it’s time for an ample dose of nostalgia and romance with ‘coquette makeup.’ The beauty aesthetic is causing a sensation on TikTok with no less than 7.7 billion views for the hashtag #coquette, 1.6 billion for #coquetteaesthetic, more than 300 million for #coquettecore and over 120 million for #coquettemakeup. A surge that shows genuine enthusiasm for this aesthetic inspired by pretty, romantic stylistic elements.
This trend also celebrates an ultrafeminine style — that users own 100 per cent — celebrated with bows, pearls, lace, butterfly patterns, flowers, and other details that are each more kitsch than the next. And of course, don’t forget pink, the flagship colour of this slightly nostalgic beauty inspiration, which pays tribute to the romanticism of the 19th century. This is particularly reflected by retro accessories and packaging, from antique mirrors to gilded accents and ribbon-like headbands in the hair. Sort of a mix between Daphne Bridgerton and Blair Waldorf.
Blush and eyeliner as the basis
On TikTok, the beauty looks associated with the ‘coquette makeup’ trend vary considerably from one user to another, but it is clear that blush, the flagship beauty product of the year 2022, is once again in the spotlight. After working on the complexion as for a classic beauty routine, it’s a matter of applying a pink blush — stick or powder — to cheekbones, before finishing the whole look with a pearly powder. A luminous touch that is applied to eyelids, punctuated with a line of black eyeliner for a doe eye. For the mouth, matte lipstick is swapped for a pink or transparent gloss which adds the dose of signature prettiness and romanticism that characterises the ‘coquette makeup’.
Already popular with millions of people around the world, this beauty inspiration is expected to grow even more popular in the coming weeks, as spring approaches, and will likely spread to many other areas including fashion, with a passion for lace, ribbons, and bows. Romanticism seems to be gathering fans in the world of fashion, as we recently saw with the ‘Rom-Com Core’ trend, the aesthetic that looks back to the taste of the romantic comedies of the 2000s. — ETX Studio
