You ever scroll through your feed and see those Simi Haze girls, or whoever the latest ‘it’ people are, and just kinda… wonder? Their whole look, that specific aesthetic, it’s everywhere. And everyone online is trying to break it down, copy it, sell you the stuff to get it.
It always looks so effortless on them, doesn’t it? Like they just woke up with perfect, slightly smudged eyeliner and that cool, detached vibe. So, me being me, I thought, ‘Alright, challenge accepted. How hard can this ‘hazy’ eye makeup thing really be?’ Yeah, famous last words, right?
So, I decided one afternoon, I’m gonna nail this. First off, I went down the rabbit hole of their pictures. Spent a good hour, maybe more, just staring, trying to figure out the exact shape, the blend, the secret sauce. It’s never as simple as it looks, is it? They probably have a whole team making them look ‘effortlessly’ cool.
Then, I rummaged through my own makeup bag. Let’s be real, I don’t own half the fancy brands they probably use. So, it was all about improvising. I grabbed my darkest eyeshadow, a kohl pencil I’ve had for ages, and a couple of brushes that looked about right. My mission: achieve that “I’m mysterious and attended a cool party last night but still look amazing” kind of eye.
I started by trying to smudge out some dark shadow on my upper lid. Watched a couple of quick, unhelpful video clips – you know the type, sped up, with annoying music. Tried to copy the motion. Mistake number one. My version of ‘hazy’ started looking more like ‘bruised’. I kept adding more, thinking it would somehow fix itself. It didn’t.
Then came the eyeliner. Oh, the eyeliner. I was aiming for that slightly feline, not-too-perfect wing. Getting them even remotely symmetrical felt like a full-on battle. One side looked okay-ish, the other decided to go on its own adventure, aiming for my eyebrow. I wiped bits off, redrew them, wiped them again. My eyelids were getting sore. I could feel myself getting frustrated, muttering under my breath.
After what felt like an eternity of dabbing, blending, and squinting, I stepped back to look at the ‘masterpiece’. Honestly? It was a bit of a mess. Instead of ‘simi haze,’ I got ‘slept in my makeup after a rough night’ haze. Not quite the chic vibe I was going for. I looked more tired and slightly alarming than cool and enigmatic.
It kinda reminded me of this time I tried to get super into that whole ‘clean eating’ trend a while back. Everyone was posting these perfect smoothie bowls and complicated salads. I bought all the weird ingredients, spent hours prepping, and mostly ended up with food that tasted like… well, let’s just say ‘earthy’ in a not-good way. I was trying so hard to fit this image, this ideal, and it just wasn’t me. I felt like I was forcing it, and all I got was a weird aftertaste and an empty wallet.
Looking at my smudged, uneven eye makeup, I had a similar feeling. This intricate, specific look? It just wasn’t clicking. It wasn’t how I’d naturally do things. I scrubbed it all off, my skin sighing in relief. And you know what? I actually felt better. Lighter, even.
I guess what I’m getting at is, it’s fun to see these trends, to admire the artistry. But trying to perfectly replicate every little thing? Sometimes it just leads to frustration and a face that looks like you’ve been wrestling with a sharpie. I learned, or rather re-learned, that it’s okay to just appreciate something from afar. My own go-to, five-minute makeup routine might not be ‘Simi Haze’ cool, but it’s quick, it’s me, and it doesn’t involve an hour of poking myself in the eye. And that’s perfectly alright.
