Smudged and Iconic: How Grunge Makeup Shaped Music and Fashion (pt 1)
what is grunge make up ?
Grunge has always been the anti-fashion approach to makeup. Search “grunge makeup” today and you’ll likely land on the TikTok version often called “Tumblr Soft Grunge Era.” It’s described as the opposite of the clean girl aesthetic: smoky eyes, full coverage foundation, and bold lips that make a statement. But in the 1990s, grunge makeup was something more raw. It was the beauty counterpart to the music scene, think Nirvana, L7, Pearl Jam, Hole and it thrived on being intentionally messy, minimal, and rebellious.
Forget flawless skin, glossy lips, and sharp eyeliner. Grunge beauty celebrated imperfection: smudged liner, chipped black nail polish, and lipstick that looked like it had been smudged everywhere. It wasn’t “pretty” in the traditional sense and that was the point.
For many women in the grunge scene, makeup wasn’t just another step in getting ready, it was a form of self-expression and, at times, self-protection. In a music world dominated by men, female artists leaned into a look that challenged conventional beauty standards. It wasn’t about fitting in; it was about carving out space. Unless you were Kurt Cobain or Nirvana, attention was lacking and grunge women made it clear they didn’t need validation to command presence.
Hidden behind a shield
Women have always had to build shields to protect themselves from the obstacles society throws at them. To me and maybe others, Grunge Make up is that shield for women in the rock industry. Yes, we’ve made incredible progress but it’s frustrating (and honestly exhausting) to see how some politicians and the current administration are still trying to roll that progress back.
A lot of women in rock leaned into grunge makeup not to glam themselves up. The point wasn’t to look “pretty” for the audience, it was to push back against the idea that their value onstage came from being attractive. They wanted people to focus on the music and the message. At the end of the day, women in rock weren’t asking to be admired for their looks, they just wanted to be heard.
One image that really sticks with me comes from the 19th century. Some women who wanted to attend college were forced to sit behind curtains or screens so they wouldn’t “distract” the men in the room. Think about that the simple act of being a woman was treated as a distraction, everything about us seen through a sexualized lens.
Here in the U.S., women weren’t banned from all schooling the way but higher education was often conditional, segregated, or downright humiliating, sometimes requiring us to literally be hidden from view. It took generations of persistence and activism to break down those barriers.
high fashion meets grunge
It didn’t take long for the fashion world to notice. Designers like Marc Jacobs brought grunge onto the runway in the early ’90s, pairing slip dresses with combat boots and toning down the makeup to match. Marc Jacobs was fired after this collection hit the runway but the look stuck. The mid-‘90s “heroin chic” trend dark under-eyes, bedhead hair was basically grunge 2.0. Fast forward to today, and you’ll see its influence everywhere.
Vivienne Westwood was (and still is) hugely influential in the grunge community, often called the Godmother of Punk Fashion. While she wasn’t designing grunge directly, her aesthetic became a kind of blueprint for how the movement looked. On Westwood’s runways you’d see androgynous outfits, band-inspired art, political slogans, and bold, messy makeup, all elements that grunge embraced.
Back then, mainstream society was still pretty conservative and quick to reject the punk and grunge-inspired looks Westwood was creating. But that never stopped her. Fast forward to today, and many of those once “shocking” elements, gender-fluid styling, band tees, political statements on clothing, dramatic makeup have become part of our everyday style norms.
some Icons of the grunge era
There are countless women who deserve credit for this movement, but here are just a few who stand out:
L7 were adopted by the grunge movement thanks to their 1990 Sub Pop release Smell the Magic.
Donita Sparks: raw, minimal makeup with smudgy liner.
Courtney Love : messy eyeliner + red lipstick (sometimes smeared).
Tina Bell: bold eye + bold lip combo
Kate Moss (the “heroin chic” look): pale skin + dark lips + grungy vibe in fashion.
Grunge makeup wasn’t just about smudged eyeliner or chipped nail polish, it was a vibe. It flipped the script on beauty, proving it could be messy, imperfect, and still totally powerful. And honestly? That energy hasn’t gone anywhere. Every time someone rocks smeared eyeliner, smears their lipstick on purpose, or leans into that chipped black manicure, they’re keeping the grunge spirit alive.
These days, women still use beauty in different ways to face the world. For some, it’s all-out glam; for others, it’s grunge glam. Both are valid, both are powerful. The key is this: wear what makes you feel good. Because at the end of the day, no one should have to hide behind a shield just to be taken seriously.
“Feminist believe that the beauty industry creates anxiety for women around their appearance by projecting particular images of beauty.”
Part Two For this article coming soon..