As I write this, I’m listening to a coquette-themed playlist on Spotify to really bathe in the aesthetic. There’s a lot of Lana Del Rey, Clairo, Mitski and Suki Waterhouse—aka girls loving being girls and flirting with boys. This is the essence of the coquette aesthetic trending on TikTok, leaning into your feminine, flirtatious side for the fun of it. “Coquette aesthetic to me is a flirty, girly, simple glam featuring pink hues and doll-like softness to the skin,” says celebrity makeup artist Judi Gabbay. “A coquette is the embodiment of a flirtatious, feminine beauty who grabs the attention and hearts of men and doesn’t stick around for too long.”
Both Gabbay and founder and CEO of Ciaté London Charlotte Knight suggest it may be trending as we’re on the cusp of the return of Bridgeton. The “just kissed” complexion Knight describes is straight out of the garden scene in season one. Makeup artist Allison Kaye says the coquette aesthetic is adjacent to other recent trends like Barbiecore, balletcore and even some 90s-inspired styles. Knight notes it even has some cottagecore elements to it. Gabbay says whether it’s trending due to a combination of these things or simply an “all-around celebration of femininity,” she’s totally here for the trend, and so are we.
Coquette makeup
The coquette aesthetic is flirty, romantic, frilly and ultra-girly, allowing people to tap into their flirty side, says Kaye. For this trend, Kaye says she would mainly rely on cream products to keep the look soft and romantic. Gabbay advises sticking with more natural-looking brows and avoiding harsh lines like contour. “Keep skin airy and fresh with pops of pinks,” she adds.
Coquette skin
“It’s about sheer, glowy products that are going to enhance the features and skin,” says Knight. “For your base, apply a very sheer foundation or simply spot conceal so you don’t hide your natural glow.” Kaye recommends applying light coverage foundation like the new SAIE Glowy Super Skin ($40) and Hourglass Vanish Airbrush Concealer ($36) to the under eyes using the fingers. “Optionally, you can then add some faux freckles to make this look even more natural and effortless,” says Knight.
Coquette eyes
When it comes to the eyes, Knight says, “you want to widen up your eyes as much as possible to create a doe eye. To do so, use a liner to round out your eye shape before applying some layers of mascara, opening the eye to recreate a look reminiscent of Bambi,” she instructs. Kaye says wispy lashes go well with this look. She recommends Ardell Naked Lashes in number 424 ($5). Gabbay notes that lower lashes are often a good addition to this look.
Coquette cheeks and lip
“This look requires you to go heavy on the blush. I would opt for an illuminating blush to ensure you keep a glowy complexion, and you want to apply this to the apples of the cheek to create a full, round shape,” says Knight. She suggests Glow-To Illuminating Blush ($25). Kaye recommends a soft pink plush like Tower 28 BeachPlease Luminous Tinted Balm in Magic Hour ($20), which she uses on both the cheeks and lips for this look.
Kaye says soft pink blotted-blush lips are the perfect way to finish off this look. “Smudge the same blush color into the center and buff the edges out lightly before topping with gloss,” like Pump Plump ($16), says Knight. Gabbay recommends overlining the lips with a rosy-tinted lip liner then glazing them with clear lip oil. “Don’t be shy with highlighter, popping on tops of cheekbones and inner corners of eyes,” says Gabbay. She recommends using Sigma Blush Palette ($30) and lip oils in Hush ($22) or Tranquil ($22).
