Very demure, Very mindful: TikTok Trend that Challenges the Norm of Beauty Standards

Recently, the phrase “very demure, very mindful” has gone viral as a significant cultural buzzword, encapsulating a growing trend that resonates with contemporary values of self-awareness and subtlety. This catchphrase, however, was born with a tint of irony that rags on the stereotype against women in the workplace. 

Initially, when I came across this phrase, I wondered: is it another boring, pointless joke that I couldn’t make head nor tail of, but yet still spread out on TikTok like a virus for simply no reason? It sounds like this, but this time, I was wrong.

The buzzword for this month, “very demure, very mindful”, originally suggests a persona of reservation and understatement. However, the content creator Jools Lebron, who coined the phrase, shifted the implication of this phrase from a neutral to a passive one and thus saw a boost in the number of followers to 2.1 million after her first video talking about her demure dressing for work and mindful make-up. 

@joolieannie #fyp #demure ♬ original sound – Jools Lebron

“You see how I do my makeup for work? Very demure, very mindful,” Jools said in the video.

“I don’t look like a clown when I go to work. I don’t do too much. I’m very mindful while I’m at work.”

“The way I go to the interview is the way I go to the job,” she even extended the length of “job”.

Then the video gathered millions of views at an exponential rate and kicked off a whirlwind around making jokes on “how to be demure” in any situation that you may think of. 

Many creators sensed the smell of this viral trend, so they mocked Lebron’s video and started to create content using this phrase on social media, including YouTube and Instagram. Even Jools herself holds tight to this “trademark” and creates even more content following the same video pattern. 

Demureness, once associated with antiquated notions of femininity, bears a new meaning as a form of subtle elegance and sophistication in modern culture.

Mindfulness, on the other hand, is about awareness and intentionality, often associated with mental well-being and ethical living.

In the context of digital self-presentation, “very mindful” suggests a deliberate and thoughtful approach to how one curates their online persona.

Jools indeed led a trend, but we should inspect her words more deeply. As an empathetic woman, she pointed out the unwritten rule for girls, that they must be presentable, cutesy, or as “demure” as possible in how they appear. 

“Be mindful of why they hired you. Here’s your reality check, diva,” she said.

Then what is this reality check?

Some people commented that this “check” challenges the authority and speaks up for the rights of working women, who have been treated unfairly or discriminated against.

Ever since the information revolution, the social mindset towards the standard of aesthetics has evolved from Bohemian to Hippie, from Grunge to Minimalist, and from Y2K to today’s “Demureness”. 

I believe that those who resonated strongly with what the TikToker Jools Lebron said in the video may agree that there are too many restrictions on women.

“A lot of you girls go to the interview looking like Marge Simpson and go to the job looking like Patty and Selma. Not demure.”

Maybe, the way we define ourselves is the only way to define “demure”. It shall no longer be a shtick or a satirical word, but a word to inspire ourselves to pursue what we are endeavoring to.

Being demure shall not be a requirement, but a promotion out of self-respect.

People have been intolerant of the notion of attributing happiness to more possessions or a rush of friends. Their direction is inward, where they shift focus to mental health and find tranquility in simplicity. The rise of very blissful, very alert illustrates that many people are upset due to the digital noise and are always yearning to recover their own personal space. 

Being shy involves incorporating a way of life characterized by modesty, grace, and subtlety, as well as a change of mindset. We can achieve that through being aware of self and living a mindful life. It entails being careful with your speech, avoiding the use of aggressive and sarcastic words, and letting your listener speak more as you actively listen.

In terms of appearance, a demure fashion is usually based on simplicity—choosing understated clothes, and natural makeup instead of having an eye-catcher, and picking plain accessories. Alongside it, wearing poise and composing oneself, avoiding excess attention.

We should always maintain the social relationships by the principles of kindness, punctuality, and a quiet attitude, which impel a sense of confidence in people near you. Changes to the demure part are sparked by an internal base of peace and self-assurance rather than looking for validation from others, among other things, leaving room for subtlety.

For many users, photo-editing apps are used mainly to create a perfect version of their selfies, which they will share on social media platforms. These apps help improve users’ appearance by smoothing skin and brightening eyes. They also help the users feel more confident by setting effects that they adore in their appearance.

In most cases, however, users may over-edit, in that they are fond of using heavy filters and applying drastic changes to their appearances, making their photos unrealistic and plastic.

However, the demure trend leads a humble change in editing photos. By being humble, I am implying that there is a tendency where many users apply more subtle and natural looks to their photos. It is the same as the built-in camera modes, the iPhone mode, in the photo editing app BeautyPlus. 

BeautyPlus’ iPhone mode offers modest reworks – lighting adjustments, softening skin textures – without changing the subject drastically.

 This reflection shows that people are more interested in authenticity. However, it is also the manifest of the present spirit of imperfection, rather than fake beauty standards. The emphasis has moved from transition to improvement, providing users with the opportunity to reveal their authentic selves while being balanced in their selfies.

If you are interested in the natural effect of BeautyPlus’ iPhone mode, come and check how you can achieve that. 

Here are two ways to find the iPhone mode on Beautyplus:

1. Find it on the homepage:

2. Find it in BeautyPlus’ camera:

a. click the colorful button at the bottom of the homepage;

b. shift the mode from classic to iPhone;

c. you can choose to retouch your face;

d. start taking natural photos!

Read more about iPhone Mode: https://www.beautyplus.com/academy/popular-camera-app

The iPhone mode is only available when you take a selfie, but if you want to improve your ready-made photos, you can try our new tool of AI Retouch. You can find it in Portrait-AI Retouch. It only make the slightest changes to your photos and you can customize the parameter according to your preference.