According to the Oxford dictionary, a brat is “a child, especially one that is badly behaved.” A glance at the eye-searing bright green of Charli XCX’s cover art for Brat, her Instagram feed or the raucous music video for ‘Von Dutch’ show the troublemaker aspect of the word. However, the brat as her album defines it is more than just a troublemaker. She refers to someone who is unapologetically messy, yet honest and vulnerable about the tribulations of her inner psyche.
In the beauty department, the brat girl doesn’t concern herself with maintaining a conventionally feminine appearance that appeals to men, nor is she content to mindlessly jump on bandwagons. Instead, she prefers to make bold statements with her beauty looks and create new trends in the process. In other words, she’s a rejection of traditional glamour and a celebration of self-expression and imperfection in a world driven by fast-flowing internet trends and filters.
No better encapsulation of this persona are the looks she’s sporting throughout the album rollout. With her strikingly minimalist make-up and hairstyles, her punk-rock approach hearkens back to 2000s indie sleaze in both aesthetic and mentality. And with people coming back to the dance floor after a period of pandemic dormancy, Brat summer is no better time to get club-ready with Charli XCX’s Brat-tiest looks from this era.
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Statement black eyeliner
No indie sleaze adjacent eye look is complete without dramatic eyeliner. However, as striking as the long wings Charli’s sporting lately, they can be intimating to draw.
“For eyeliner you can use two pieces of tape to balance both sides before you start. Extend the line’s thickness step by step,” advises local make-up artist, Wee Ming. “Once you’re done drawing both sides, you may remove the tape.”
If you prefer a softer affair or don’t feel confident using liquid eyeliner, you can opt for a retractable gel liner for better control over your lines. Afraid your eyeliner will fade from a sweaty night out? “My advice is prepare some cotton buds. I wouldn’t advise applying much powder around the eye areas as it could enhance fine lines and make your eye make-up look more heavy,” states Wee Ming.
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Smokey eyeshadow
They’re the make-up world’s equivalent to a club classic, but Charli XCX gives them a brat makeover with a limited palette of neutral browns and sharp wings radiating from the outer corners for an edgy look.
“You may start with a light brown shade on your eyelids, then add layers of darker browns over it. To contour your eye sockets, you may use a sharp-tipped brush to extend the darkest hue to the end corners to make it sharper,” says Wee Ming. “For the lower lids, you can use a slim brush to blend your brown shadows starting from the inner to outer corners. Lastly, use a clean brush to brighten the inner corners, preferably in a champagne or light beige shade. To give it a defined shape, you may use black eye pencil to line your lash line.”
Alternatively, you can opt for a Y2K style with a colourful, eye-catching shade and pair it with bleached eyebrows for maximum impact.
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Bare base
A look strong enough to withstand the humidity of both our climate and the club doesn’t need to utilise elaborate contouring methods or full coverage—after all, expressing yourself is key to authentically executing the brat girl look. Thus, don’t pressure yourself to cake on more layers of foundation than you need.
“Keep foundation as light as possible for our humid weather. For it to last throughout long hours, you can use a layer of loose powder.” Wee Ming asserts.
If you are not in the mood for foundation, you can opt for a tinted moisturiser instead, which has all the coverage with none of the density that comes with traditional foundations.
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Nude lips
The brat girl look is all about the eyes, so it’s best to keep the rest of your face minimal. Go for a shade similar to your natural lip colour. If you’re aiming to sport a bolder look, use a darker lip liner for the outer corners and pair it with an unsaturated nude shade with grey undertones.
When asked about advice, Wee Ming claims, “It’s best to use a lip liner before and after applying your nude lipstick.”
Not in the mood for lipstick, or just want to further simplify your look? Go for a tinted lip balm or skip colour entirely with a plain one to keep your lips hydrated.
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Tousled hair
Like the ’80s Club Kids and the indie sleaze rockers that live on in the brat girl, a volumous and deliberately unkept mane is a statement maker. Simply add a styling paste or hairspray with dry shampoo or a sea-salt spray and scrunch your hair with your hands. The amount of teasing and product you need to use will depend on your hair type and density, but it’s best to put more focus on the middle section and the crown for maximum texture.
Better yet, lightly detangle your bedhead first thing in the morning and incorporate a texturing paste to hold it in place.
