There is *nothing wrong* with anyone wearing a slicked back bun, gold hoops, a little brown/nude liner and gloss over it... it’s just ick to call that a “clean girl aesthetic.” There are two ideas at play here 1. This "aesthetic" is largely spoken about on platforms and on media centered around yt women when historically Latinx, Brown and Black women using the aesthetic were called ratchet or ghetto when I was a kid in the 80s and 90s. Now it’s suddenly #clean because of who uses the aesthetic. 2. Brands that use clean beauty in marketing with little scientific backing or critical thinking to imply other brands are "dirty" thus they are better, and more safe. "clean" is a loaded term IMO that I don’t feel right using to talk about safety which is ultimately what clean is trying to do (which is in theory a very good thing!). Important to note I don’t think brands fully understand the history of clean and this is part of the problem and why it’s become ubiquitous in marketing (shame is a great motivating force in beauty). So, if you feel that deep sense of dread and unease when you hear the word clean being used to describe things in the beauty industry... know that’s totally normal and this might be why. We can do better. Credit aesthetics, and brands that use the word in what I genuinely think is a well-intentioned way... let’s be more intentional with words. @thejordannicole on nylon and @darkest.hue for more reading on this. Happy skincare buying! #beauty #skincare #cleanbeauty #cleangirlaesthetic