Slicked-back buns, gold hoops and the effortless makeup look trending on TikTok are credited to the Hailey Biebers of society for creating the "clean girl" aesthetic. 

The phenomenon dominating the platform has enamored millions of users to promote a lifestyle of having crystal clear skin, tame flyaways and a simple beauty routine. Although TikTok produces countless micro-trends and temporary aesthetics, the "clean girl" aesthetic has sunk into online users' subconscious. 

The trendy style is definitely not a new concept. 

Gold jewelry, nameplate necklaces, fluffy eyebrows and glossed lips existed among Black and Latinx women generations before white celebrities and influencers staked their claim on the aesthetic. A repacking of women of color's go-to looks is currently underway, and homage is not being paid to the actual trailblazers who have been historically frowned upon for embracing this style. 

A heritage for many has been lessened to a trend, with white women being put front and center. 

Along with this, promoted content on how to behave and look like a "clean girl" has further unveiled society's intrinsic ability to uphold Euro-centric beauty standards that are unattainable and racist. The clean girl aesthetic tailored around the Western vision of beauty is celebrated with a clear emphasis on what is acceptable and what isn't. A clean girl aesthetic for many is considered "ghetto" on others, which is why it is crucial to take back the narrative that highlights the lives of BIPOC women and not "whitewash" their culture or traditions. 

The controversy surrounding #cleangirl beauty is well-founded, as it is full of problematic messaging that those discriminated against or oppressed for their physical appearance can fully understand. The clean girl aesthetic consists of highly rated products such as a liquid blush and tinted moisturizer from expensive brands that usually lack a range of shades – already excluding women that do not fit or can afford these criteria. 

The clean girl aesthetic has gentrified a look attributed to women of color as a selling point. The trend applies to a specific target audience – thin, rich white women. A quick search of the hashtag will show you a stark lack of diversity represented. The trend alienates BIPOC women and fails to acknowledge or credit those who designed the blueprint. It's frustrating and shows how constantly we need to remedy where praise goes and how we need to be bold about who we are and what we have contributed. 

From experience, I've questioned whether I'd be treated differently if I traded my curls for straight hair to the point of heat damage, changed my hoops to diamonds and altered my physical appearance for a more socially acceptable style. Until recently, white counterparts adopted the same fashion started by Black and brown women. 

Like the clean girl look, streetwear style was labeled "hood" and deemed not socially acceptable. Lip liners, wigs and acrylic nails were mislabeled as cheap before it was ever incorporated into a fashionable, trendy aesthetic. For many of us, slicked-back buns and gold hoops are not part of a trend but rather embedded in our heritage. Speaking out against its ambiguous messaging is significant to counteract white influencers now capitalizing on a stolen concept. 

Regardless of how trends deviate, the harmful obsession with elegant beauty practices universally isolates those who lack nearness to praiseworthy standards of appeal. The clean girl aesthetic fortifies hierarchy and establishes forms of alienation in the beauty space, fueling a movement that uplifts white women and implies that those outside the aesthetic are not as worthy.

But what does a "clean girl" even mean? Does this imply that there is a "dirty girl" aesthetic, too? A full face of makeup, textured skin and acne seem less appealing, and the clean girl aesthetic punishes those that don't meet the "requirements." However, this trending aesthetic also echoes our society's values of the ideal woman, extending courtesy to tell us that being a perfect woman is the standard. 

Users that participate in the trend should consider a space where beauty uplifts everyone, and that includes being more intentional about the trends that we bandwagon on. 

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