The minimalist “clean-girl” beauty trend, defined by slicked-back buns and no-makeup makeup, is rapidly being overtaken by a maximalist “drama queen” aesthetic that embraces smudged eyeliner, bold color, and unapologetic texture—a shift visible on recent runways and in pop culture, reflecting a broader cultural move toward analog authenticity over digital perfection.
For half a decade, the clean-girl aesthetic has been the undisputed dominant force in beauty, its signature look of dewy skin, clear gloss, and Art-Tec brushed-back hair synonymous with a generation raised on TikTok. But as the fall/winter 2026 fashion season concludes, industry experts are declaring its end, replaced by what hairstylist Davey Matthew calls a movement toward “point of view; smudges, color, texture” in direct contrast to clean-girl uniformity.
This isn’t a minor blip; it’s a full-scale aesthetic revolution. The new drama queen ethos borrows from the rebellious spirit of Gossip Girl‘s Jenny Humphrey and the boho drama of Serena van der Woodsen, but melds them with 2026’s raw, analog sensibility. It’s the flushed cheeks after a night out, the bedhead that’s intentionally tousled, the winged liner painted to survive a dance floor until dawn. It rejects the performative simplicity of clean-girl for a look that feels earned, messy, and alive.
The evidence is overwhelming on the runways. At Gabe Gordon’s fall/winter 2026 show, designer inspiration came from the “controversial figure skater Tonya Harding,” channeling gritty, dramatic energy through his knitwear narrative. Elsewhere, Proenza Schouler sent models with smeared, just-kissed lips; Kim Shui showcased extremely long, dramatic nails; and Sandy Liang styled hair to look “as if you just rolled out of bed after a night of not sleeping” a deliberate anti-clean-girl statement. Even LaQuan Smith embraced graphic, long-wearing eyeliner designed for night-long endurance.
Celebrity culture has already mirrored this shift. While Hailey Bieber and Kendall Jenner were clean-girl poster children, the rise of the brat aesthetic—spearheaded by Charli XCX in 2024 with its smoky black eyeshadow and indie-sleaze vibe—paved the way for a more playful, rebellious look. Now, Emerald Fennell’s film Wuthering Heights amplifies this withSiân Miller’s beauty design: “steamy red blushed cheeks, crystalline face appliqués, and windswept hair held together with bright red ribbon,” a whimsical, dramatic departure from minimalism documented in Elle’s coverage.
- Key Runway Moments Signaling the Shift:
- Gabe Gordon: Tonya Harding-inspired grit and texture.
- Proenza Schouler: Smudged, just-kissed lips.
- Kim Shui: Statement-making extra-long nails.
- Sandy Liang: Intentional “sleepy girl” tousled hair.
- LaQuan Smith: Graphic, dance-floor-ready eyeliner.
- Celebrity & Pop Culture Catalysts:
- Charli XCX’s brat aesthetic (2024) normalized grunge-glam.
- Julia Fox and Gabbriette championed lime-green, edgy looks.
- Wuthering Heights (2026) offered a romantic, maximalist beauty vision.
Why now? The cultural climate is primed for this rebellion. A growing analog lifestyle trend—prioritizing offline connection, tactile experiences, and finding glamour in the mundane—directly conflicts with clean-girl’s inherently digital, curated origins as explored in Elle’s feature on disconnecting. Clean-girl, for all its popularity, was an aesthetic optimized for screens: soft, blurry, and uniformly pleasing. The drama queen is for real life—imperfect, sensory, and defiantly individual.
Critically, this trend acknowledges its roots while subverting them. The clean-girl look was heavily inspired by 1990s Black and brown women like Aaliyah and Janet Jackson, later repackaged for mass social media consumption by influencers like Sofia Richie Grainge. The drama queen aesthetic reclaims that boldness but strips away the dilution, embracing a wider spectrum from gritty punk to opulent glam as seen in the evolution of celebrity style. “Beauty and fashion have always been a safe place for expression,” Matthew shares. “You can say so much without uttering a word.”
Fan communities are already rallying behind this. On TikTok and Instagram, #DramaQueenMakeup is gaining traction as users share tutorials for “smoky eye blowouts” and “bedhead chic,” celebrating looks that feel personal而非 prescriptive. This user-generated momentum is crucial; while clean-girl felt imposed by influencers, drama queen feels like a collective sigh of relief—a permission slip to be messy, sensual, and daring.
The runway data is clear: this isn’t a fleeting micro-trend. From Romero Jennings, global director of makeup at M.A.C, who notes “people are ready to have fun again and are leaning toward richer color, glossy textures, graphic liner,” to designers across New York and Paris, the consensus is that maximalist, point-of-view beauty is here to stay signaling a permanent shift away from clean-girl’s reign.
For beauty consumers, this means a renaissance of creativity. The drama queen has no single rulebook—she might pair metallic eyeshadow with a red ribbon in her hair, or rock smudged liner with a bold lip. The only mandate is authenticity. As the world pulls back from endless scrolling, beauty is becoming a tactile, emotional language again. The clean-girl era taught us that less can be more; the drama queen era reminds us that sometimes, more is the only honest answer.
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