After mini-socks, the Alpha generation rejects eyeliner

Millennials definitely can't catch a break lately. After Generation Z banned short socks, calling them «millennial socks», now it's eyeliner that's considered «outdated» and «old». It's Generation Alpha, those born between 2010 and 2014, declaring that eyeliner is so «2006», implying that Millennials are still stuck in trends from almost 20 years ago. The stigma began last year in the United States, where a plethora of TikToks compared Millennial eyeliner styles to those of 2023. An American influencer named Megan Bowen explained that the main difference lies in the application of the line. She shows that the old method involved starting the eyeliner in the middle of the eyelid and drawing a sharp line outward. In the modern version, the line starts at the lower lash line and goes up, following the eye's shape. The line is therefore thinner, more discreet, elegant, and cooler. She concludes her tutorial by exclaiming that «it's fresher, younger!»

The trend seems to have crossed the Atlantic, but in France, eyeliner itself seems to be considered completely outdated, even a «shame». This hurts young adults who wear this black line, which is almost an essential part of their makeup. But in France, it is mainly Gen Alpha judging the eyeliner, with some members of Gen Z expressing their disagreement. Indeed, Leanehdd, a Gen Z TikToker, shares her dismay at the outdatedness of this beloved makeup. The young woman analyzes this sudden hate as a way for Gen Alpha to distinguish themselves from their predecessors. She continues her argument by suggesting that today's teens are afraid of failure. They fear embarrassing themselves by trying to imitate an accent, fear posting on Instagram and not getting enough likes, fear attempting eyeliner and completely failing. Because, it should be noted that mastering the cat-eye is an art that requires years of experience and countless YouTube tutorials to master.

An observation that is quite plausible. Generation Alpha was born in 2010, the year of the iPad launch, the creation of Instagram, and the appearance of the word «App». They have been immersed in social networks from a very young age, an environment where judgment is paramount. The lack of representation of everyday failures on apps like Instagram may have led some young people to fear failure and become the subject of ridicule. Regardless of the judgment of younger generations, Millennials seem far too attached to their eyeliner to give it up. Some even remind us that queens like Cleopatra wore it.