If “looking good” was an art, Gen Z would be selling NFTs of their glow-ups. We’re talking jawlines sharper than your situationship’s excuses, lashes longer than your syllabus, and a dedication to skincare that could rival actual therapy. But let’s get real—when does a glow-up become gaslighting yourself? When do we stop optimizing and start… obsessing?
Welcome to the chaotic arena of Looksmaxxing Gen Z, where clean beauty routines, softcore beauty trends, and self-image anxiety all sit at the same table—fuelled by comparison culture and the endless doomscroll.
> TL;DR: It’s giving pretty, but at what cost?
✨What the Hell Is Looksmaxxing?
Looksmaxxing is the digital-age obsession with maximising physical attractiveness using everything from DIY gua sha to full-blown surgeries. It ranges from softmaxxing and hardmaxxing—think sunscreen, dewy skin, posture checks—to jaw fillers and actual limb-lengthening procedures.
It’s no longer about a glow-up for prom or the freshers’ party. It’s the algorithmic performance of gen z cosmetic trends every damn day. Because why just exist when you can look like a Pinterest board and scare men with your collagen?
> Reality check: Somewhere between slugging and snatching, we forgot how to just chill in our own skin.
🚨Why Gen Z Indians Are Whoa-Maxxing Hard
Blame it on TikTok transitions, the ever-charming world of Instagram aesthetics, or the influencer-industrial complex that’s made “get ready with me” videos a form of digital currency.
In Indian colleges, the vibe is clear—if you aren’t showing up with gel nails, perfect eyeliner, and BTS-level skin, are you even trying? A girl once told me she wouldn’t wear her specs to class because they ‘ruined the vibe.’ I said, “So does capitalism, but here we are.”
The pressure isn’t just to glow-up. It’s to live up—to a curated version of yourself that’s born of gen z beauty standards and shaped by body image and social media.
> When you live on a campus but your face lives on Facetune, something’s gotta give
🚶️♂️Is It Actually Troubling or Just Self-Care Run Wild?
Let’s not act brand-new. Softmaxxing is cool—hello ice rollers, rosehip oil, and the occasional mirror pep talk. It’s ritualistic. A vibe. A romanticization of survival.
But hardmaxxing? That’s when your jaw hurts from clenching during every “that girl” morning routine video. When your Pinterest board is less inspo and more slow psychological collapse.
I once skipped going to the store because I hadn’t put on moisturizer and I quote: “My pores felt too democratic.”
And let’s not ignore the mess of filter-free selfies—we love them theoretically, fear them in practice.
> It’s self-care until it becomes self-surveillance.
🚫Real Talk—What Happens When the Mirror Breaks
Let’s be messy for a sec. When the dopamine of glow-ups runs dry, what’s left? Comparison culture. Self-image anxiety. The “not-enoughness” that bleeds into every selfie.
Our worth has been collateral in a beauty culture that demands we be flawless but chill about it. So here’s your rude awakening: the algorithm doesn’t love you, it loves engagement.
And somewhere in all that facial icing and viral glass skin routines, we forgot to ask: do I like how I look, or do I just want to look liked?
> Unfiltered you still deserves kindness.
> Need a reminder that you’re enough without the ‘after’ pic? Subscribe to our weekly mental clarity drops 💌 (we promise: no filters, just facts).
👉A 3-Step Looksmaxxing Detox Without Doing a Full 180
We’re not asking you to become a forest goblin (unless that’s your truth), but here’s how to unhook from the cult of constant improvement:
1. Mindful Selfie Breaks : Go 48 hours without taking or posting selfies. Let your face breathe without the pressure of angles. This is your mini looksmaxxing detox.
2. Alternate Your Filter Days : Post one filter-free selfie for every filtered one. Normalize pores. They’re not a personality flaw.
3. Use Moisturizer for Comfort, Not Clout : Reclaim your clean beauty routine. Use products that feel good, not just look good on IG. Brands like Minimalist, Dot & Key, or Dr. Sheth’s are gentle, ethical, and affordable.
> Bonus: No one’s paying that much attention to your chin serum game anyway.
❤️When the Glow Dulls, You’re Still Golden
Here’s the thing—nobody’s asking you to be a 2007 Tumblr aesthetic. But the version of you that doesn’t wake up perfect? Still worthy. Still interesting. Still whole.
Glow-ups are fun until they start to erase you. You don’t need to perform pretty to deserve space.
> Leave a comment telling me: two words you refuse to apologize for.
Because today, we’re softmaxxing on our own terms.
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