First we aspired to the quiet luxury cultivated by Sofia Richie. Now we've done a complete 180 as ‘Mob Wife Makeup’ has catapulted onto our radar with 189 million views (and counting) on TikTok. Suddenly, Ginger McKenna in Martin Scorsese's Casino and Carmela Soprano from The Sopranos are our OG poster girls, and minimalist makeup and glazed donut skin are taking a backseat.
To really channel the ‘married to the mob’ aesthetic, you need to ditch the subtleties. She's not here to play nice and is more likely to throw on a plunging metallic halter neck dress than a beige cashmere jumper.
“The Mob Wife aesthetic is all about embracing audacious, messy glamour,” says Nicola Moulton skincare and makeup expert at Beauty Pie. “It is a celebration of unapologetic brazenness; a bold statement that refuses to conform.”
Makeup artist Neil Young, whose clients include Bella Hadid and Nicola Coughlan qualifies this thinking, adding “the makeup exudes confidence and power. If you appear intimidating with the finished look, you've succeeded.”
TikTok content
Silver, smoky eyes take centre stage, circled by black, smudged-out kohl eyeliner. “Think sultry, defined eyes with lashings of mascara or even a false lash, both in black, of course,” says Neil. But rather than crisp lines and jet black wings, make it look lived-in. Try pairing Natasha Denona's Xenon Palette with the Victoria Beckham Beauty Satin Kayal Eyeliner in Black.
Killer cheekbones are de rigeur so it's time to fall back in love with a hard, unapologetic contour. “Mob Wife Makeup is a tougher variation of an ‘80s power makeup," says Neil. "So drop the pretty blush and shape the face with bronzer and champagne gold highlights. It’s all about the money, honey!”.
Dewy is also not in the Mob Wife's vocabulary. “Matte is the essential finish for a Mob Wife, so a translucent powder like Beauty Pie’s One-Powder Wonder will work wonders to keep everything where it should be,” adds Nicola.
Lips are vampish in “rich, deep red tones with a gold gloss swiped over the top,” says Neil. Another key feature is that they are overdrawn with brown lip liner.
For the Mob Wife, nails are either a long French manicure with square, stark white tips or a classic red like Elvira Hancock from Scarface.
For more from Fiona Embleton, GLAMOUR's Acting Associate Beauty Director, follow her on @fiembleton.
