Glam grunge makeup is blowing up and we have all the inspo

Even before Wednesday hit our screens, the grunge aesthetic was undergoing a renaissance. But Jenna Ortega's edgy portrayal of the Addam's Family's fave lil sis has sent grunge makeup truly stratospheric. Add to that the runway's seal of approval from Versace and Christian Dior and a truly bonkers following on TikTok  and the trend has officially been crowned the one to watch (and wear) for 2023.

It's so firmly back on the agenda, the hashtag #grunge has picked up an eye-watering 7 billion views on TikTok with users look to lean into the look. And breakouts like #grungeaesthetic (864 million views) and #grungemakeup (107 million views) are bringing up the rear. So, yup, looks like Gwen Stefani's handed on the baton.

The vibe? Think dark matte lipstick, paler foundation shades, black nail polish, seriously smoky and smudgy eyes, messy, untamed hair and a whole load of attitude. 

The angsty '90s aesthetic has also seen related searches for "E-girl", "punk", "goth" and "alt makeup" climb – all with the same effortlessly cool, rebellious end-goal. The new-gen revival has already on-boarded celebs like Doja Cat and Julia Fox who have each been sporting raw skin, skinny brows and smutty dark eyeshadow. But a softer sub-aesthetic: “grunge glam” and “soft grunge” favoured by the likes of Jenna, Camila Cabello and Zoe Kravitz is offering a more wearable approach so that anyone can tap into the grunge makeup trend.

Here's 6 of the trends signature details...

High contrast highlights

Rogue blonde face-framing streaks have become synonymous with the trend, especially when worn a little messy with minimal styling.

Heavy eye bags

Turns out looking like you've been up all night is a major lewk, according to a makeup video from Nika (aka @chimpgal) that went viral. The trick, dot red lipstick over your eye bags and blend it out to make them look more raw. "I swear this makes everyone 10x hotter," Nika wrote.

Space buns

Space buns were a huge hit on the grunge scene in the 90s, now we're bringing them back. The key is to keep them feeling messy, so pull sections out from the side and the front.

Stained lips

Deep nudes, dark berries and straight-up black work best on lips. The contrast against paler a foundation for your base keeps things grungey.

Crazy buns

Space buns, but taken up another notch.

Dark eyeshadow

Smudgy, sooty shades and dark-rimmed eyes is one of the most impactful ways to wear the trend.

15 of our favourite ways to wear grunge makeup…

Oxblood lips

Glossy black lips

Wet hair, skinny brows and smudgy eyes

Wet-look smudgy eyes

Smoked-out crimson eyes

Vinyl lips

Smog-rimmed eyes

Raw skin, dagger liner and statement nude lips

Sheer pantyhose eyeshadow

Midnight lips

Skinny brows, lined lips and super smoky eyes

Kohl-smudged eyes

Hazy midnight shadow

Silky skin but sharp liner

Grey, black and nude

For more from GLAMOUR's Beauty Editor, Elle Turner follow her on Instagram @elleturneruk.