Topics: Beauty, Internet Culture, TikTok, Trends
Another day, another strange TikTok trend has taken over my For You Page. This time, it’s “trailer park cheekbones and low-income white girl eyes.” Yes, I just said that entire phrase, and I’m not the first. Do you think we’d reach the limits of 2024 with the “Solo Polyamorous Hijabi Amputee” meme or “Try not to get scared” TikTok? Think again. This dumpster truck fire of a year has birthed some of the best trends and memes, and my entire mental health is residing on them.
Today’s trend is more of a beauty aesthetic and finds its place among strawberry makeup, the glazed doughnut look, and cinnamon butter cookie hair. Creators across TikTok are asking their viewers whether they have “trailer park cheekbones and low-income white girl eyes,” and some makeup artists even claim this is something you can GET! Also… is this low-key offensive? Let’s find out as we desperately wait for 2024 to finally end, pls I can’t take anymore.
When this first stumbled onto my FYP, I assumed this was a degrading term (and I’m still not quite sure it isn’t). You’d think “low-income” refers to a tired look, such as dark circles under the eyes, a pale complexion, and a lack of makeup. It sounds like it’s referring to those working tirelessly, perhaps at multiple jobs to make ends meet, and unable to prioritize luxury facial products. As we all know, “low income” does not mean “low effort” in the slightest; in fact, it means far more effort. Being able to spend a 10-hour shift on your feet, memorizing orders, or doing extreme physical labor is no small accomplishment.
Essentially, it sounds like someone who looks less than put together and isn’t covering this up with makeup. But it turns out that this entire aesthetic centers on makeup, and you don’t even have to be a girl or white or have “low-income white girl eyes” — yay?
So, we covered what it isn’t; let’s now dive into what it actually is. This is basically the opposite of a natural makeup look, it intends to give the effect of someone who woke up after a wild night with smudged makeup. You want that vibe of waking up, barely remembering where you are, going to the bathroom to vom, and noticing how good you’re eye makeup actually looks. That look you’re never feeling well enough to appreciate. Think smudgy and clumpy.
Although let it be known, a small percentage of TikTok believe this is something people have or don’t, and it seems most that do have piercing blue eyes and a more hooded undereye look — my face right now is unamused.
So the name isn’t exactly flattering, but that doesn’t mean the look isn’t. Because say what you want, but it really makes the colors pop. TikToker Melody (@melodylauer780) decided to debunk the mystery behind this aesthetic and prove that anyone can have “low-income white girl eyes.”
Start by packing concealer underneath your eyes as well as above them. (I’m a lil confused as this is what I always do with my makeup, and now I’m wondering if I shouldn’t…). Next, apply a thin line of blue eyeshadow along your lids. Some users, like Melody, do the eyeliner first, but trust me, girlie, I know this shit. It should peep out slightly further than your eyeliner will. Once that’s done, run black eyeliner along the top and bottom lids. Smudge it out a bit for that ‘just woke up’ vibe. Finally, apply mascara and fight the urge to ensure it’s smooth and lengthening. Nah, girlie, we want some clumps. Clump it up! A lil bit of white shimmer or glitter, and voila, you’re done.
The rest of your makeup doesn’t matter too much, and especially avoid drawing attention to your lips. As for “trailer park cheekbones,” this seems to be something you either have or don’t have. Don’t worry, I don’t have them, and I think I’m offended by that.
Despite what the look entails, the name is kinda offensive. It’s reducing people on a low income or living in a trailer park to a specific appearance. Once again, we’re treating a feature of poverty or working-class conditions as an aesthetic rather than a reality. Users are taking their Charlotte Tilbury eyeliner to their lids as they fetishize a “low-income” appearance. Yikes.
Many users dispute that this is offensive and claim it isn’t intended to be an insult. Instead users are relating the term to similar aesthetics over the years, as shown by the comment section on Melody’s tutorial.
“This looks like 3/4s of the girls I graduated with in 2006… We went to an inner city high school,” @adhdRobot commented.
“I must be low income bc this is cute to me lol… how I did my eye makeup yesterday for a Christmas party lmao I thought I looked good!!” @nurseynurse17 wrote. (And I’m sure you looked GORGEOUS!)
Many share that they know exactly the look she is trying to convey and recreate but lack the words to explain it. Overall, the sentiment is that this is exactly how we all did our makeup as teens. I was a firm fan of the raccoon look with some sparkly blue eyeshadow, not that I’ll be sharing the evidence with you a lot.
Gen Alpha will never know the lows of stabbing yourself in the eye with a blunt Maybelline pencil and kissing a guy only to see your DreamMatte Mousse foundation on his chin. You call it “low-income white girl eyes,” I call it my villain origin story.
Brandy Melville vs. low-income white girl eyes
So apparently, a job at Brandy Melville doesn’t qualify as low-income, which shocks me as we’ve all heard about how they treat their employees. Also, why do people still shop there?? Have y’all not watched the documentary? Smh.
Night ruined, life ruined
I will never look in a mirror in the same way. I will forever be haunted by the Fibonacci sequence that is “low-income white girl eyes.”
Wait, is this play about us?
Look, girlie, I hate to say it, but yeah, you really do have “low-income white girl eyes.” I hope you manage to get a job soon, you’re very pretty, ok bye, don’t hate me.
Everyone is invested
I’m no expert, but I’m gonna say you don’t have them — was that right? God, are you there? It’s me, “low-income white girl eyes.”
Take our rights but not TikTok
This app teaches us so much, like how else would we have discovered we could maybe, potentially have “low-income white girl eyes”? The people need to know!!
