The Death of "Clean Girl" and Welcoming the Rebirth of Being EXTRA AF Again

The "clean girl" aesthetic is dead. And honestly? Good fucking riddance.

For the last few years, we've been sold this idea that the ultimate form of beauty is looking like you woke up effortlessly gorgeous. No makeup makeup. Slicked-back buns. Neutral tones. Minimalism as a personality trait. The message was clear: be pretty, but make it look like you're not trying. Be polished, but don't be too much.

And somewhere along the way, "too much" became the worst thing a woman could be.

But here's the thing about trends that tell you to shrink yourself, to tone it down, to be palatable—they don't last. Because women weren't built to be beige. We were built to take up space, to be loud, to be exactly as extra as we want to be.

And the culture is finally catching up.

The "Clean Girl" Era Was Never About Freedom

Let's be real: the clean girl aesthetic wasn't just about skincare routines and gold hoops. It was about control. It was another way to police how women show up in the world—this time under the guise of "wellness" and "effortless beauty."

You had to look put-together, but not like you tried. You had to be beautiful, but not vain. You had to care about your appearance, but act like you didn't. It was performative minimalism, and it was exhausting.

And for a lot of women—especially women of color—it was never really accessible in the first place. The "clean girl" look required straight or slicked hair, dewy skin that photographed well in natural light, and a very specific body type that fit into oversized linen like it was couture. It wasn't universal. It was exclusive, dressed up as simplicity.

So when people started pushing back, it wasn't just about aesthetics. It was about rejecting the idea that there's only one acceptable way to exist as a woman.

Being Extra Is a Rebellion

There's a reason maximalism is making a comeback. Bold makeup. Loud nails. Glitter. Rhinestones. Tans that are unapologetically bronze. Hair that defies gravity. Outfits that make people turn their heads.

It's not just a trend. It's a rejection of the idea that women need to minimize themselves to be taken seriously, to be beautiful, to be worthy of attention.

Being extra isn't about seeking validation. It's about refusing to apologize for taking up space. It's about saying, "I like how I look, and I don't care if it's too much for you."

And in a world that's constantly telling women to be smaller, quieter, less—being extra is an act of defiance.

What This Means for Beauty (and Why We're Here for It)

The shift away from clean girl energy and back to maximalism means beauty gets to be fun again. It gets to be bold. It gets to be a choice you make for yourself, not a performance for someone else's comfort.

Spray tanning fits right into this. Because a spray tan has never been "effortless." It's intentional. It's a decision to show up glowing, bronzed, and feeling yourself. It's not apologetic. It can be subtle if that's what you want. It can also be deep and bronzey if that's what you want too. It's you making a choice and saying, “I look good af however I choose to show up."

That's the energy we're moving toward. Not "I woke up like this," but "I chose this, and IDGAF what anyone has to say about it."

The New Era: Authenticity Over Aesthetic

Here's what's replacing clean girl: actual authenticity. Not the Instagram version where everything is curated to look effortless. The real kind, where you get to show up however you want without needing it to fit into someone else's mood board.

Want a full glam moment? Do it. Want to be bronzed within an inch of your life? Spray tan and own it. Want to wear rhinestones to the grocery store? Why the hell not?

The point isn't to swap one aesthetic for another. It's to stop letting aesthetics dictate how you're allowed to exist. The point is freedom.

And if that means you're extra? Be extra. The world will adjust.

Why Alt Sun Has Always Been About This

We've never given “luxury clean girl” but we've always been about looking however tf you want to look. Glowing, bronzed, confident, and unapologetic about it.

Spray tanning has always been a little extra. It's always been intentional. And we've never pretended otherwise.

So while the rest of the beauty industry catches up to the idea that women don't need to minimize themselves, we'll be over here doing what we've always done: helping you show up bold, glowing, and entirely yourself.

Because "too much" was never the problem. The problem was ever thinking you needed to be less.

Be as extra as you want. We'll provide the glow.