TikTok has given us more beauty trends than we can count, and some of them turned out to be pretty polarizing. That certainly seems to be the case with “crying makeup”, the latest beauty trend that’s dividing users on this social media platform.
Makeup artist Zoe Kim Kenealy has been credited for putting this trend on the map in a viral video that she dedicated to “the unstable girlies”. She started the video by posing the question, “You know how we look good when we cry?” and proceeded to create a makeup look that makes it seem like you’ve been crying without shedding actual tears.
@zoekimkenealy #greenscreen crying makeup look tutorial 😅 Can I go as a crying person for Halloween or is that not a thing #cryingmakeup #tearmakeup #cryingeyes #makeupforhalloween ♬ Show Me How (Album V) – Men I Trust
“Crying makeup” is all about red cheeks, glassy, red eyes, and swollen lips, and Kenealy demonstrated which products you can use to get there. So did many other TikTok creators who followed in her footsteps and shared their own “crying makeup” tutorials with the world.
It didn’t take long for the critics of this trend to emerge, accusing it of glorification of mental illness. We live in an era where more people are trying to be open and more vulnerable about their inner struggles, and that’s a step in the right direction, but a lot of people are feeling icky about makeup artists trying to turn emotional pain into a cute and aesthetically pleasing look through such trends as “crying makeup”.
@ecemcelenli Credit @zoekimkenealy 🥀 Crying Makeup aka Pretty when You Cry Makeup 🥲 #makeuptutorial #StemDrop001 #makeup #easymakeup #beginnermakeuptutorial ♬ Pretty When You Cry – Lana Del Rey
