Well, well, well, who would have thought 2024 would be the year for "mob wife" beauty to return? This viral trend has taken over and Gen Z couldn't be keener to give it a whirl.
One makeup artist's video has recently gone viral and amassed 18.5 million views on TikTok. Holly Austin, 21, also racked up over 917,000 likes.
She starts the video with a bare face while wearing rollers in her hair, a pearl necklace and a fur coat. The footage shows her applying a full face of makeup that includes smokey eyes and red lips. Of course, the look wouldn't be complete without a cigarette, as seen by Austin, who pretends to take a puff of the lid of her lipstick.
She told Newsweek that au naturale is so 2023, as women all over the world have embraced the "mob wife aesthetic" that has exploded on TikTok.
"I truly believe minimalist makeup is out and maximalist makeup is coming back out into 2024," she said.
Austin, from Warwickshire, England, explained: "The look differs from today's makeup because it is bold glamour; vintage fur coats, cheetah prints, statement jewelry pieces and big voluminous hair."
At the time of writing, the video, posted to @hollyaustin_makeupartist, had received more 11,700 comments.
One user said: "You look so RICH! Idk how to explain it .. like you belong in a big mansion with a beautiful garden & and balcony that overlooks the ocean & sunset."
"Your face is perfect for this," complimented another user.
Indeed, the mob wife look is all about making a statement that's the complete opposite to last year's "clean girl aesthetic."
'Less is more' was previously promoted by social media influencers like Austin and social media was filled with slick back bun tutorials. Today, content creators are keen to kickstart the new year with a bang by embracing their inner mob wife.
Austin told Newsweek that she was inspired by Ginger McKenna, a fictional actress who featured in the 1995 film Casino.
"Everything about the mob wife look just looks expensive," she told Newsweek.
How to Create the 'Mob Wife Aesthetic'
Austin told Newsweek: "You want to start with full arched eyebrows, a full coverage foundation and cream bronzer to add definition.
"Smokey eyeshadow with a black winged eyeliner, lashes and a bold red lip.
"For the hair you want to curl with a curling iron and use rollers to give more volume.
"Long manicured nails will finish off the look along with a statement necklace and a fur jacket."
Khloé Kardashian has even joined in on the fun and recently posted a photo of herself wearing a Gucci bikini paired with a fur coat as she poses in the snow.
The photo captioned: "It's giving mob wife vibes.... Faux mob wife of course," amassed more than a million likes in just 18 hours.
While people on the internet are romanticizing mafia wives, for some, their reality is far from glamorous. Back in 2011, Newsweek exclusively interviewed 'Big Linda' Schiro, the ex-wife of notorious mob boss Greg Scarpa, who was best known as the Grim Reaper in New York.
She told Newsweek: "This is not some glamorous fantasy."
If you have a personal dilemma, let us know via life@newsweek.com. We can ask experts for advice on relationships, family, friends, money and work and your story could be featured on Newsweek's "What Should I Do? section.
Uncommon Knowledge
Newsweek is committed to challenging conventional wisdom and finding connections in the search for common ground.
Newsweek is committed to challenging conventional wisdom and finding connections in the search for common ground.
About the writer
Lucy Notarantonio is Newsweek's Senior Lifestyle and Trends Reporter, based in Birmingham, UK. Her focus is trending stories and human ... Read more
To read how Newsweek uses AI as a newsroom tool, Click here.
