The “clean girl aesthetic” has been all the rave, but is it truly attainable? What even is it after all? Is it in actuality, just a term to describe minimalism or are the TikTok girlies onto something iconic that has never quite been done before? From personal experience, the most frustrating aspect of this look is how to make it look good. I could spend hours in front of the mirror slicking back my hair and giving myself flashbacks to my competitive dance days, but something about that doesn’t seem too appealing to me. I also could put my cream bronzer, cream blush, lip stain, and concealer on my vanity and expect myself to create a glowing and sustainable look with just four makeup products, but I would be kidding myself. So, how do the girls do it? First, we must tackle what the purpose of this aesthetic is. I see it as looking as put together as possible while looking like you did practically nothing to get there. This goes back to the very essence of being a girl - trying, but not trying too hard. It’s not like all of us took approximately 6 months and 5 business days to pick out our prom dresses or gave ourselves four hours to get ready for the dance- just in case of anything. Or better yet, picking out the first day of school outfit. No one wants to admit they went shopping on three separate occasions to find the perfect outfit because they just had all of it lying around the whole time. Why as girls and now as women do we want to appear effortless more than anything? We don’t have a problem with trying, but we have a problem with others knowing we’re trying. The clean girl look is going to be different for anyone who does it because frankly, it is less about how you look and more about how you feel. I could slick back my dirty hair with my huge tub of coconut gel (that I’ve had for the past two years) and look like the cleanest girl in New York, but I wouldn’t feel too squeaky clean myself. I could do a quick and easy makeup look using only a few products, but I won’t feel great when it’s 80% off from sweating in the sun. For me, a good shower, a comfortable outfit, and makeup that will last all day is my way of feeling like a clean girl. I use a whole makeup bag full of products and a gallon of setting spray, but I feel cute and clean when I look in the mirror. As for some, they may prefer the European way, a French red lip with some concealer as their clean girl look. For others, they may prefer no makeup at all (which is what I lean for most days). Whatever you choose, it’s about how you feel. But that’s with anything anyway.