Smudged Messy Eye Makeup is Making a Comeback

Artificial intelligence has gotten scarily good, making it difficult for even the most savvy to parse real from fake content. And with the rise of AI influencers, there’s a sense of uncanny perfection that feels inhuman and wrong. Perhaps that’s why smudged, imperfect eye makeup is a refreshing counterpoint when social media feeds come across as curated and false.

As seen on Gucci’s fall 2026 runway, where models had raccoon-like rings of shadow and liner rimming their eyes as well in Charli XCX’s “Rock Music” music video, and countless “trust the process” TikToks where creators deliberately make a mess of their makeup, it’s a beauty look that’s being embraced for not just being attainable but more importantly: genuine and authentic.

For journalist and beauty expert Kristina Rodulfo, smudged eye makeup inspired her to create a social media video documenting the societal forces that make us want to be a little messy.

“There are beauty influencers who are AI-generated now with eerily airbrushed, perfect skin, computer-generated makeup. The imperfection of flaky mascara or eyeliner that looks like you slept in it is human. It’s cathartic,” she said. Add to that the prevalence of the “clean girl” aesthetic that was dominant over the last few years and Rodulfo cites that simmering fatigue with that look coupled with critiques that it is exclusionary or appropriative make audiences crave the polar opposite.

Makeup artist Mitch Yoshida agrees, “People are getting tired of makeup that feels controlled. Messy eyes bring back a sense of emotion, movement and unpredictability. It feels more lived-in and personal, almost like the makeup has a story behind it rather than existing only for the camera.”

No one embodies that lived-in, imperfect makeup aesthetic more than Charli XCX and her party-ready music, which has dominated pop culture over the last few years, once pandemic-era restrictions were lifted. Coincidence? Rodulfo doesn’t think so.

“People are eager to have fun, get sweaty and have their mascara run. Messy makeup embodies ‘going out,’ which, especially for those who spent their teens or early 20s in lockdown, is aspirational,” Rodulfo said.

Couple that with the imminent return of indie sleaze as well as the current political climate that breeds nostalgia for Obama-era optimism and it’s a perfect storm of influences for this look to take off, especially among teens and twentysomethings.

“For Gen Z or Alpha spending their formative years under Trump presidencies, who grew up on their devices, there’s a yearning for a time ‘before’ that they didn’t fully experience. The grungy-glam, sexy makeup is a representation of that era. Add to that Gen Z nihilism: the sense that nothing matters amidst current turmoil so you may as well party and get messy while the world burns,” she said.

For those wanting to get the look, Yoshida offers some advice, “Creamier products work best because they can move naturally throughout the day. I’d apply it on the eye area, then blend outwards with fingers or a small brush.” He’s a fan of MAC’s Pro Longwear Paint Pot or  Makeup by Mario’s Master Mattes Long-wear Cream Eyeshadow. Regardless of what you use, don’t over think it — strive for imperfection. “The key is to avoid making it look too intentional, leaving a bit of unevenness actually makes it more convincing.”