Secrets of the Dark Mermaid, the make-up trend going viral on TikTok

It's time to embrace our dark side. From the Goth Chic aesthetic brought back into the spotlight by Tim Burton's Wednesday and the latest fashion shows to the #darkfeminineenergy hashtag that on TikTok urges us to let our hidden desires and needs emerge and claim them, the trend is clear. When it comes to beauty, too, it's time to experiment with eyeliner, eye shadow and lipstick, as well as with comb and hair products, to create uncanny, imperfectly perfect looks capable of capturing of the beholder and "inspiring obsession." Like a true Dark Mermaid fresh from the depths of the abyss.

The essentials for this look are disheveled hair, glossy skin, hypnotic eyes and smudged lipstick. Imagine a mermaid designed by Tim Burton or Tim Walker and start with the look. The must-have are siren eyes, with their sharp shape sublimating the classic smokey effect and exaggerating the normal cat-eye, further darkening the area around the edges of the eyes and amplifying the upward stroke at the outer corners. For a more dark sea creature vibe, choose a shimmer eyeshadow with a shimmery, pearlescent finish, best in oceanic shades such as blue, purple, green and silver until a three-dimensionality is achieved on the eyelids. The glossy, shimmery and glossy-to-the-point effect also characterizes the complexion with toners, gels and gloss pots. For the lips there are two choices: nude with a veil of gloss or with bold red lipstick, but also dark as in the trend of the season. The important thing is that it should be smudged as a rock star would have sported it in the 90s (Courtney Love and PJ Harvey docent!) or, better, as if you had just emerged from the waves after ascending the depths of the ocean depths. Finally, move on to your hair and remember not to discipline it with a comb, but only with your hands. Define the strands, strictly wet, with your hands and stick them on the forehead, face and, depending on the lengths, on the neck and body. If you want, give an extra mermaid touch with sea-themed charms and clips.

The reference is the models who walked the SS32 runway by Dilara Findikoglu. Beautiful and mysterious, they moved sinuously with the very long wet hair, made by Anthony Turner, tangled around the body and illuminated by small pendants, but also the Blumarine girls with their lagoon mermaid mood, to those of Dion Lee with the fish scale effect recreated by Isamaya Ffrench or the twins with iridescent skin by Gucci. While, as far as celebrities are concerned, the muses are endowed with mysterious allure and strong, powerful femininity such as Alexa Demie, Amelia Grey, Megan Fox, Angelina Jolie, Bella Hadid, Adriana Lima and singer Caroline Polachek. In short, think less of the Disney Little Mermaid and more of the one told by Hans Christian Andersen, add a Tim Burton twist, and you'll be on your way to grasping all the secrets of the dark mermaid phenomenon that is bewitching catwalks and social media.