The Evolution of Jenna Ortega's Tiktok Influence: How Her Style Redefined Beauty Trends
By Sophia Al-Mansoor
Before Ortega’s mainstream ascent, beauty algorithms pushed glossy, sun-kissed minimalism. The dominant look demanded clean skincare, slicked-back buns, and vibrant blush. Ortega dismantled that monopoly almost single-handedly. Her natural features, hollow cheekbones, expressive eyes, and prominent dark undereye shadows, became the canvas for an anti-perfection beauty movement known across social feeds as "tired girl makeup."
Instead of concealing exhaustion, Gen Z creators began emphasizing it. Beauty creators flooded feeds with smoky eye makeup tutorials that abandoned neat cut-creases in favor of smudged kohl, slate-gray washes, and matte berry lips. Ortega demonstrated that dark circles and sharp angularity could read as striking rather than fatigued. Beauty retailers reported a 42% increase in plum, burgundy, and cool-toned eye palette searches during the winter of 2023, an upward trajectory that persisted through 2025.
Simultaneously, she unlocked the doors for the revival of whimsigoth. The style, originally rooted in late-1980s Stevie Nicks lace and 1990s Practical Magic silhouettes, found its modern anchor in Ortega's everyday wear. She favored platform boots, sheer layered fabrics, structured corsetry, and antique silver crucifixes. By fusing grunge sensibilities with classical tailoring, Ortega showed teenage audiences how to assemble vintage garments with dramatic weight, fundamentally shifting Gen Z fashion influence away from disposable fast-fashion hauls toward textured thrift aesthetics.
Sophia analyzes international trade, startup ecosystems, retail transformation, and supply chain logistics for modern digital publications.
