With the second half of Wednesday season 2 out now on Netflix, we’re being blessed with incredible press tour looks from every cast member, including star Jenna Ortega. With her gothic aesthetic and bold makeup choices, it’s no surprise to see the “tired girl” trend back in full force. Thankfully, you don’t actually need sleep deprivation to get this look yourself.
Tired Girl, Not Exhausted Girl
We’ve seen tired eyes pop up before online, especially on TikTok, where the trend has really taken off. But Jenna Ortega’s recent press tour looks seem to have brought back the trend in full force. Ortega brings a more grunge, emo aesthetic to the look, with dark, smudgy liner and often a darker lip pairing.
According to New York makeup artist, Natalie Dresher, the key to making this look work is the balance between tired eyes and clean, fresh skin. Hooded eyes and smudgy eyeliner aren’t the only hallmarks of looking tired—you’ll want to make sure you’ve addressed dull skin before going for this aesthetic. “Making sure your face makeup is clean and polished will make the tired girl look effective, not actually tired tired,” Dresher explains.
To create balance, you may want to lean toward fresh-faced looks that prioritize subtle glow. “To achieve the luminous look, I like to use a glowy primer as the base and then add a sheer liquid foundation,” says makeup artist Carmindy Kathyrn Bowyer.
It’s All About the Eyes
“The tired girl trend is really eye-heavy,” explains Dresher. “So, you want to make the eyes dark and smudgey, while still looking effortless and clean. To accomplish that, you’ll lightly smudge your eyeliner without dragging it too far away from the eye. You want a soft, diffused look.”
To really drive home the “tired” part of this trend, you’ll actually want to create under-eye bags. So instead of looking for color-correction and concealer for this area, you’ll accentuate that discoloration.
“Reach for a multi-use cream blush or a red-toned cream shadow and apply just under the lower lash line to create that just-woke-up, bleary effect,” Dresher says. “Use the same tones on the upper lid to create balance. You can even very lightly line under the eye to create the impression of an eye bag if you want to go that far.”
But the trend is about looking tired—not exhausted. Make sure your lashes are curled, long and visible iso that you don’t look actually tired.” Dresher says. “This helps open up your eyes and creates a more polished overall look.”