It’s time to trade in your ‘Clean Girl’ vibes for the fierce elegance of the ‘Mob Wife’ allure
As beauty and fashion continue their ever-evolving journey, the growth of technology, and the proliferation of social media platforms such as Instagram, TikTok, Snapchat, and more. No longer confined to runways, red carpets, or silver screens, trend shifts can now swiftly emerge from a single reel or video. Following the minimalist reign of the ‘Clean Girl’ aesthetic in 2023, 2024 heralds the era of maximalism with the rise of the opulent ‘Mob Wife’ look.
The current era is all about challenging the essence of ‘mob wife’ – characterized by bold and lavish makeup choices, striking red nails, effortlessly tousled updos and much more! This marks the significant shift from the minimalist makeup trends to embracing a bold transition towards maximalist beauty expression.
‘Clean Girl’ VS ‘Mob Wife’ Makeup Trend
The primary difference between the Clean Girl versus Mob wife is the use of makeup—colour palette to be specific. The clean girl look is created using a nude palette, keeping the natural glow of the face intact. The aesthetic features an effortless and fresh appearance. It’s a no makeup look — covered up blemishes and subtle use of blush, highlighter and contour. Most importantly, glossy lips instead of the overly coloured ones! The hair is styled in a slicked-back bun, signature hairstyle for the ballerinas, with centre partition. The only variation of this hairstyle is a slicked-back ponytail or a braid. It’s perfect with no hair sticking out and looks glassier. As for nails, it is painted in nude and baby pink shades with minimal but Insta-worthy nail art. They look well-groomed, chic and low maintenance.
But what about the ‘mob wife’ look? Well, it’s an explosion of the maximalist and messy aesthetics! The look is glamorous and dramatic and is inspired by OG mob wife characters like Carmela Soprano and Adriana La Cerva from ‘The Sopranos’. Starting with the smokey eyes; it should have a soft edge created using shades of brown and sometimes lined with kohl to enhance them, creating an intense look. Further, lush red lips subtly glossed, bring a striking and bold dimension to the face.. As for hair, they should be voluminous —no matter if it is rolled up in a twist or let loose around the shoulder. And nails should be either French manicured or painted red.
In the early January, TikTok, a widely popular social media site, promoted this trend and now it has become ‘the look’ of 2024. Bold, daring and unapologetic!
How to get the ‘Mob Wife’ makeup look?
Makeup
The makeup application should be bold and glamorous, allowing for personal preferences. Classic red lips or overdrawn nude lips can both complement the look, while a winged liner enhances smokey eyes beautifully.
Hairstyle
It’s all about the voluminous and messy hair — no matter what the length is. The hairstyle which fit the look perfectly is a messy updo with hair strands layering the face. Otherwise, hair can be left down while styled into waves or curls.
Nails
Nails play a crucial role in styling, elevating the overall look to new heights. For ‘mob wife’ aesthetics, the Carmela-inspired French tips are a classic but bold ‘red’ or ‘leopard print’ too look glamorous.
Celebrities donning the new makeup trend
The new makeup trend is setting its foot in Bollywood and celebrities are showing off their ‘mob wife’ look but with slight twist. Deepika Padukone’s look features blood red lips and shimmery eye shadow but her hair was styled in a sleek bun instead of a messy updo. Similarly, Karishma Kapoor, too, opted for a sleek hairstyle with the dark brown smokey eyes look. But, Janhvi Kapoor went for a glossy, nude lipstick, smokey eyeshadow and a dramatic hairstyle!
Other global celebrities like Kylie Jenner, Hailey Bieber, Rita Ora, Dakota Johnson, Khloé Kardashian have joined the ‘mob wife’ era.
Is it a trend in India?
Richa Agarwal, Founder of Cleopatra Chain of Beauty & Makeovers, shared some interesting insights of this trend. She remarked, “The look is not as much about the clothing; rather, it’s about the right attitude and carrying the confidence in the way you apply your makeup. It’s this fierceness on trying new looks. As for India is concerned, it is popular in some segments but not as much.”
She further pointed out, “This trend influence clients of age 45 and above as they feel inspired by bold looks. The Indian variation of this look can be making it more glamorous and fearless. As for the trend, it will definitely influence new coming trends and innovation in makeup.”
