What is Soft Grunge?
Grunge has never really gone out of style; who doesn’t have a go to smokey eye, worn a blood red lip or applied some serious black eyeliner. But grunge makeup for spring, really? The answer is YES! Spring arrived with one of our new favourite trends, Soft Grunge.
Smoky, buffed-out waterlines and berry lived in lips were one of the big spring makeup trends that we saw come out of the spring/summer 2025 runways. And why not? Giving a sultry, grungy, or soft glam look gives the perfect touch of effortless cool, and we are living for it.
How to incorporate Soft Grunge into your daily look?
- Bring that shadow down: avoid darker colors on the lid and instead blend those hues onto the lower lash line, going further down than usual.
- Add color: remember that smoked-out liner does not have to be black or brown, play with color, even try pastel for a more springtime look.
- Remember to layer: to make sure that your liner doesn’t move any further down than you intended. Start with a kohl liner, blend it into the shape you want, then press some powder shadow on top of the liner to lock in the look.
- Forget the lipliner: apply your lipstick into the center of your lip, then blend the color out to the edges without creating a sharp edge.
- Blot and repeat: use blotting papers to take off extra emollients from your lipstick, then reapply and repeat. This will create a stain of color that will last all day.
- Be messy: remember, grunge makeup is all about, and that I lived in, I’m wearing last night's makeup feel, so perfect lines and placement is not what we are aiming for.
Thanks to the 90’s: The Origin of Grunge
The early 90’s brought the beginning of the grunge movement in Seattle, where bands like Nirvana, Soundgarden, and Pearl Jam brought us not only a new musical genre but a new visual manifesto. With the rejection of mainstream beauty, a rebellious attitude and a reaction against the polished glam styles of the late 80’s, the grunge aesthetics embraced the anti-commercial, DIY culture reminiscent of the 70’s British punk movement and early 80’s goth style. Makeup became the perfect medium for the ‘think less about perfection and more about expression’ attitude that was at the core of the grunge ethos.
By the mid to late 90’s grunge had found its way to the mainstream filtering into magazines, runways shows and makeup brands. Drew Barrymore and Kate Moss popularized it further and cemented the grunge aesthetic as a part of pop culture.
Our Conclusion
Soft grunge makeup is the perfect fusion of rebellion and subtle elegance, it is about embracing imperfections while maintaining an easy carefree feel and we think it will be the perfect look for spring.
