Low-Income White Girl Eyes: Do You Have Them?

What are low-income white girl eyes?

Low-income white girl eyes have light irises, baggy undereyes, and hooded lids. There are two different concepts behind low-income white girl eyes—the unlikely and oddly-named TikTok beauty trend that took social media by storm. On the one hand, the term describes a specific makeup look, and on the other hand, it describes physical features that only some people have. On the physical side, the low-income white girl look may include light-colored eyes (often piercing blue), hooded eyelids, dark and baggy under eyes, a wide space between the eyes, watery eyes, and a downturned outer eye shape.

For makeup, the low-income white girl look is messy and smudged. It's meant to give off a “cute walk of shame” vibe, and the focal point is smudgy eyeliner and clumpy mascara. Think of the way you’d look the morning after a party—you stumble into the bathroom and are pleasantly surprised by how aesthetically pleasing your smudged eye makeup still looks. That’s the low-income white girl eye! The point is to look like a white girl who doesn’t come from money. In theory, these girls may not have the opportunity (or “taste”) to buy nice makeup or learn how to properly apply it, resulting in the low-income white girl look. The other idea behind this trend is that low-income individuals are also more likely to be working nights or taking on extra shifts, which could lead to more of that tired, sunken-eye look (if you think this is problematic, you’re not alone—click here to read more).

How to Know If You Have Low-Income White Girl Eyes

Consider if you have light eyes, dark eye bags, or wear heavy makeup. You might also have hooded lids, a hollow or sunken look to your eyes, or eyes that turn down at the outer corners. If you check off most (or all) of the items on this list, you may have low-income white girl eyes. This look could be totally natural to your genetics and facial features, or it may be enhanced by a tendency to wear heavy, smudged eyeliner and clumpy mascara. Applying concealer around the eyes can also be a clue. All this being said, keep in mind that “low-income white girl eyes” aren’t actually a real thing. Like many of our favorite talking points these days, the term comes from the minds of TikTok users, and there’s no scientific or medical basis to associate a person’s eye features with their race or socioeconomic status (despite any preconceived judgments we may have).

How to Get Low-Income White Girl Eyes

Apply concealer above and below your eyes. Place a small amount of concealer on your brush or fingertip, then blend into your undereye area with a tapping or bouncing motion. Focus on any areas of darkness or discoloration. Repeat this step on your eyelids, making sure to avoid dragging the concealer to prevent creasing. Optionally, set the concealer with a translucent powder. For optimum “low-income white girl eyes,” don’t be shy with the concealer. Remember that this is the opposite of minimal, “natural” looks like clean girl makeup or “no makeup makeup.”

Place a thin line of blue eyeshadow along your lids. Dip an eyeshadow brush (or the tip of your pinky finger) into some bright blue or icy-blue eyeshadow. Draw a thin line of blue eyeshadow along both of your eyelids, right above your lashes. Your eyeshadow line should be slightly thicker than your eyeliner (which you’ll apply in the next step).

Draw smudged black eyeliner along your top and bottom lids. Apply a thick, heavy line of black eyeliner to the top and bottom lids of both eyes. Use one of your fingers to rub the eyeliner out and smudge it slightly, so it looks like you just woke up or have been out all night. The smudgier, the better!

Apply a few (or several) thick coats of mascara. Brush some black mascara over your lashes, and apply several coats until it appears thick and clumpy. You don’t want smooth, lengthening, or natural-looking lashes. You want clumpy mascara that might even smudge onto your eyelid or undereyes. Apply as many coats of mascara as needed for that smudged, spidery look.

Add a touch of white shimmer to the top of your lid. Dab some sparkly white eyeshadow or glitter onto the top of your lid (you can also press some into your inner corners). Feel free to apply a generous amount until you feel like your eye look is complete.

Avoid drawing attention to your lips. Now that your eyes are finished, you can do the rest of your makeup in pretty much any way you want (just remember not to make it too polished or “clean girl”). When you do your lips, however, avoid doing anything too bold—you want them to look a bit washed out. You can leave them natural or do “concealer lips” by blending a bit of concealer onto your lips and the surrounding area. Then, lightly apply a nude lipstick on top.

Is it offensive to say “low-income white girl eyes”?

Many people consider the name of this trend to be problematic. While the makeup look itself is pretty harmless, the name “low-income white girl eyes” teeters over the edge of offensiveness. Most critics reject the idea that being “low income” or living in a trailer park makes you look a certain way—and, even if it does, it feels icky to fetishize or make an aesthetic out of working-class families, rather than recognizing and respecting the realities of their lives. Beyond this, the fact that many of these beauty trends come from high-earning influencers recreating “poverty” looks with $50 eyeliner pencils…you can probably tell where the backlash is coming from. That being said, some people argue that “low-income white girl eyes” are super similar to the most popular beauty looks of the 2000s and 2010s (e.g., “raccoon” eyes and concealer lips), and the term itself isn’t intended to be an insult. Regardless, a better name for a harmless makeup look (that doesn’t call out the insecurities and marginalized status of certain groups) might be warranted.

What about “trailer park cheekbones”?

“Trailer park cheekbones” refers to an angular and slim bone structure. Trailer park cheekbones and low-income white girl eyes are often paired together, and they’re considered to go hand in hand on a person’s face. Physically, “trailer park cheekbones” are described as high cheekbones on a thin face that has an overall angular and defined appearance with a slim jawline. In other words, the face might appear gaunt with hollowed-out cheeks. In the beauty world, the term “trailer park cheekbones” refers to (or can be achieved with) an extreme use of contouring and highlighter to create the appearance of sunken cheeks and defined cheekbones.

Where did “low-income white girl eyes” come from?

This phrase began to trend on TikTok in October 2024. While it’s unclear exactly who started the “low-income white girl eyes” trend, it began to gain momentum on TikTok in early to mid-October 2024. It continued to trend throughout November before peaking in mid-December 2024. Most of the earliest (and most popular) videos tagged under “low-income white girl eyes” show women examining their features and asking followers if they have “low-income white girl eyes.” Some of the most popular TikTok vids include this one by @melodylauer780, this one by @dollypartonysoprano, and this one from @haleyvongeld.

Other TikTok Beauty Aesthetics

Another day, another TikTok beauty trend…and we cover them all! If you’re interested in other popular makeup aesthetics besides low-income white girl eyes, here are some similar guides for you to check out: Vanilla Girl Makeup Old Money Makeup Strawberry Makeup Clean Girl Makeup Fairycore Makeup