Tightlining Is Back & It's Proof Beauty Is In Its Grunge Era

Girlhood is a spectrum. Whether or not you spent your adolescence listening to Nirvana or One Direction (or both), chances are you were piling on the black eyeliner and making your mascara as spidery as possible in the early 2010s. And the look is having a comeback: Welcome back, tightlining.

In today’s era of undone beauty, it girls are embracing grungy and bold styles. But instead of smoky eyes and clumpy lashes, the 2025 take on angsty makeup is clean, sharp, and sultry.

“It’s less about looking done-up and more about feeling something, even if it’s subtle,” says Kim Paige, a professional makeup artist with Black Radiance. She notes that celebs are turning to tightlining to get that effortless cool-girl look and channel “rebellious energy.”

Even Bella Hadid and Cara Delevigne embraced the trend at Cannes, officially inaugurating this as the summer for the grunge girlies.

Tightlining Is Taking Over

The clean girl aesthetic had its run, and last year’s Brat season has given way to “party 4 u” summer — and beauty girlies are opting for a curated kind of chaos.

Tightlining is romantic, but messy; bold, but somehow still understated. “Tightlining has come a long way since the ’90s and early 2010s,” says Paige. “Back then, it was used mostly to dramatize looks, typically paired with a smoky eye, big lashes, and heavy liner. It was just one step in a full-glam routine, meant to make everything look more intense.”

Now, Gen Z is opting for minimal mascara (or even none at all) and keeping the rest of their complexion glowy and pared back, allowing their eyes to take center stage.

“Tightlining today is used to make the eyes stand out in the most natural, almost invisible way,” says Paige. “Instead of being layered into a heavy look, it’s often paired with skin tints, fluffy brows, and dewy skin.”

How To Get The Look

The first difference in modernizing your tightlining technique from the indie sleaze aesthetic of yesteryear: less is more. It’s not about the smudged, dark, leftover-from-last-night look. It’s crisp and sharp. Choose a dark liner and draw a smooth, fine line in your waterline and right over your lash line, then keep the rest of your glam simple so your eyes stand out.

“I’d recommend using a waterproof gel or pencil liner as you’ll want something creamy enough to glide on your waterline but also long-wearing so it doesn’t smudge or transfer,” Paige suggests.

Pro tip: Try brown eyeliner. It’ll give you a sultry, siren vibe with just as much impact but not as much intensity. Favored by Hailey Bieber, it bridges the gap between clean girl and early 2000s Tumblr vibes. “Use black or deep brown liner for definition and dark plum or navy for a subtle twist that enhances your natural eye color,” says Paige.