In a chaotic world, the clean girl aesthetic attempts to channel order

Emerging on TikTok in the early 2020s, the clean girl aesthetic, at its core, is all about effortlessly presenting your best self. It’s about living your most productive, put-together, self-aware life—or at least seeming like you’re doing so. 

If you missed the clean girl aesthetic at the height of its popularity, here’s your primer on what it is and why it's drawn some valid criticism over the years.

What is the clean girl aesthetic makeup look?

Popularized by influencers like Emma Mac and Hailey Bieber...