On a platform full of niche aesthetics and cultural commentary, one particularly controversial trend has taken hold of TikTok, creating heated reactions and dynamic discussions around class, beauty, race, and gender. This new phenomenon is called "low income white girl eyes" and is currently taking over TikTok.
While its definition is somewhat hard to pinpoint, TikTok users from all backgrounds are making videos about "low-income white girl eyes," what they look like, and what it means to have them.
Most users agree that the phrase refers to women who appear to look "lower class," meaning they lack intelligence or don't have the means to buy quality beauty products. According to TikTok users, some of these qualities include light-colored eyes, having bags under one's eyes (or "looking tired" generally), a hooded eyelid, widely spaced eyes, down-turned outer eye shape, watery eyes, and a smudgy or clumpy "slept in" eye makeup effect that looks unrefined and unnatural.
According to many TikTok videos about this trend, the specifics can't necessarily be completely pinpointed; sometimes, you just "know it when you see it."
@allaboutamber88 low Income white girl eyes.. they're blue, but more of a grey.. they're tired with bags under them everyday.. I could cover them with concealer but that would do much good.. they're deep set with a heavy hood.. #trending #viral #views #foryou #fyp #foryoupage #fypage #fyppppppppppppppppppppppp #xyz #whitegirl #lowincome #greyeyes #deepset #hoodedeyes #prettyeyes ♬ original sound - mrsbarnesoh
The phrase began to trend on TikTok in early to mid-October 2024.
@gabspeak Did i just create the original #original ♬ original sound - Turner Classic Movies
Many of the original videos depicted users scrutinizing their features, questioning whether they had low-income white girl eyes or not, and asking their followers to weigh in. The phrase gained traction in November and hit peak virality in mid-December, 2024.
@dayyrog Stressing myself out lmao
♬ original sound - dana rogers
The public response to this TikTok trend varies, from users feeling offended by the racial and class stereotyping within the phrase, to seeing the comedy in wondering if they "have them," if they can replicate them, or if they can "cure" them.
Still others took to TikTok to explain how the phrase isn't real, but merely an a tool for people to feel more isolated, limited, and repressed.
@maelexilamb I know this might sound harsh, but sometimes self love is getting sick and tired of your own crap. Sick and tired ENOUGH of your own crap that you realize that you’ve been stuck in a cycle of excuses, self doubt, or even just comfort zones- and then finding the strength and will power within YOU to break free. Self love isn’t always soft and easy. Sometimes, it’s about being real with yourself and saying, ‘Enough is enough- we can do better.’ At some point, you have to look at your life and say, ‘I’m done waiting for someone else to fix this. I’m done waiting for the world to change. I’m the one who has to make it better.’ Bc most likely?? No one else is coming to save you. As much as we want that fairy tale ending, the truth is, the power to change your life has been inside you all along. Self love means picking yourself up off the ground when you feel defeated. Yes, even when it feels like it’s too hard. It means doing the hard work of shifting your mindset, taking ownership of your actions, and deciding that you have everything you need to create the life you want. We as human beings are so much more capable than we often realize. And the belief that society is flawed- or rigged- and *not in our favor*… that is just another box that will only keep you stuck and unhappy. And this box is one of your choosing. And you CAN choose to kick that box to the curb. #momsoftiktok #mamasoftikok #momtok #darkcircles #blueyes #greeneyes #lowincome #scarcitymindset #trending #fyp ♬ original sound - Mae Alexis | SAHM Vlog ????✨
In a culture consumed by class, race, economics, and beauty norms, TikTok has perpetuated a landscape of aesthetic tribalism (a phenomenon where individuals form social groups based on shared visual and cultural tastes).
Encouraged by both the critical nature and anonymity of online commenters, these communities produce trends like low income white girl eyes, creating solidarity through a shared visual experience while also marginalizing groups of people and preying on the aesthetic insecurities of women.
"Trailer park cheekbones" is another aesthetic label commonly associated (and often paired) with low income white girl eyes. Characterized by extreme use of contouring, highlighter, and sunken-looking cheeks, trailer park cheekbones similarly promote similar themes and critical.
@masononthemic Low income white girl eyes AND trailer park cheekbones!? #unemployed ♬ original sound - Mason On The Mic
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The post ‘I hurt my own feelings’—TikTokers are debating if they have ‘low income white girl eyes’ and ‘trailer park cheekbones’ appeared first on The Daily Dot.
