Perfection had a good run. But it’s starting to feel a little…tired. White sneakers that never show dirt. Ivory-hued poplin shirtdresses that fit just so. The carefully casual Millennial half-tuck. Cute, well-behaved rose gold… Enough.
Beauty at least is fighting back – and just in time for summer. Brows? They’re allowed to grow wild. The natural make-up look? It no longer needs 10 steps to cover every blemish. A few flaws are fine. Lipstick? We’re back to blurring it out with our fingers and using what’s left as blush. Ponytails? Tied quickly, strands left loose. On Reels, the Morning Shed features textured skin, acne stickers, even under-eye circles as part of the look.
We’re in our Be Real era, says beauty content creator Aishwarya Kandpal (@IndianSkinBlog). People “don’t want to fix themselves to fit beauty standards,” she says. “They’d rather have beauty standards expand to fit them. There’s a visible shift from perfection to relatability.”
And if it looks familiar, it’s because we’ve seen versions of this before. Remember the messy buns and smudged goth eyeliner from the ’00s? This time around, “what we’re calling messy is actually intentional; it is just curated to look effortless,” says Kandpal. So, a little less goth, a little more got-it-all-together.
It’s also partnering with minimalism now, says Hinal Dattani, celebrity makeup artist and co-founder of Groom Groom Balloon (@HinalDattani). “It is about knowing when to stop, letting the skin breathe, and allowing the skin’s natural texture to show. Your makeup should feel like you, just slightly enhanced.” So, don’t throw your beauty routine out the window, tweak it a bit. Switch foundation for a skin tint or tinted sunscreen, Kandpal recommends. “Bring the smudged kajal look back. And stop caring about what others think.”
Take a critical look at the new arrivals in the beauty section and you’ll realise how little people want to correct, conceal, sculpt and stand on ceremony. Product labels feature the terms butter, tint, melt, veil, balm, stain and oil – all words that describe texture, not utility. That messy minimalism echoes even with experts, who are putting their brushes down. “Use your fingertips to make the product look slightly worn in,” says Dattani. “Fingers warm up the product and help it melt into the skin. It instantly makes everything look softer and more natural; almost like it’s part of your skin rather than sitting on top of it.”
Kandpal believes that the real trick is truly being okay with not looking perfect all the time. “It’s so fun to take an autorickshaw and just let the wind caress your hair. Or, have your skin tint melt in the heat.” Messy extends to taking off the make-up too – rinse-off cleansing balms and oils are getting more attention than traditional methods that required cotton balls and wipes. Face looks like an oil spill in the process? It’s a feature, not a bug.
“I think this approach to beauty is popular at the moment because it is rooted in comfort and individuality,” Dattani says. “People are moving towards doing what feels right for them, whether that’s putting on minimal makeup or going out only wearing mascara.” Hair styles used to require that every strand be either poker-straight, flattened to the skull, or conquered by curls. But even celebrities are walking out in the lazy-girl’s chopstick bun. Who are we to fight it?
Kandpal titles the mood “performatively nonchalant”, a telling term. “We might preach that we’re not trying to be perfect, but in reality, we all are,” she points out. “Everything we do now is curated for the public eye, and that’s regardless of whether you are an influencer or someone with a social media presence. At the same time, we’re becoming more and more comfortable with our unique imperfections.” So while the rules are loosening up, they haven’t disappeared. Smudge your lipstick, put on an acne patch – to be messy now is to break one rule, only to follow another.
From HT Brunch, April 11, 2026
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