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Jenna Ortega's recent appearance on the red carpet, with her pale skin, subtly purple-tinted lips, and naturally shadowed under-eyes, has become the defining image of a rising Gen Z beauty trend: the "Tired Girl" look. In a cultural reversal, this style embraces the very features makeup once sought to conceal. Dark circles, muted lips, and an intentionally unpolished finish challenge long-standing ideals that fatigue equates to unattractiveness.
This aesthetic has roots in fictional and celebrity icons, from Ortega's Wednesday Addams to Angelina Jolie in "Girl Interrupted" and Natalie Portman in "Leon." Today, it's driven by TikTok tutorials, where influencers such as Lara Violetta and Emma Chamberlain show how to achieve the appearance of sleeplessness, sometimes dubbing it "moldy makeup." The style's appeal lies partly in its rebellious imperfection, signaling authenticity in an online world saturated with curated perfection.
Unlike goth, which employs heavier eyeliner and stark contrast, or South Korea's aegyo-sal, which focuses on youthful puffiness beneath the eyes, Tired Girl's charm is its casual execution. It aligns most closely with the disheveled energy of 1990s grunge, yet it lacks that subculture's deep anti-establishment roots. Instead, it belongs to the fleeting "core" trend cycle—akin to cottagecore or Barbiecore—where aesthetics are quickly commodified and replaced.
Makeup professionals behind Ortega's on-screen look reveal that minimal products were used to keep her natural features visible, deliberately avoiding heavy concealer to emphasize her under-eyes. For her character, beauty was never the priority; solving mysteries and embodying independence mattered more. In this way, the trend subverts the "clean girl" ideal popularized by celebrities like Bella Hadid, which celebrates flawless, fresh-faced presentation.
While Tired Girl makeup may fade as trends shift, its brief dominance underscores how beauty can act as a cultural mirror, revealing the values, challenges, and rebellious streaks of those who embrace it.
