While I may not have had an emo era of my own, I did spend a lot of time on both Myspace and Tumblr and worked at several malls, which means I’m very familiar with the aesthetic—the side bangs, the Manic Panic’ed hair, the black nails. Thus, when I saw one of Cardi B’s Super Bowl weekend looks, I instantly clocked a few key elements of the emo kid in all of us.
Cardi, who popped up for a quick cameo during Bad Bunny’s Halftime Show and is about to embark on her Little Miss Drama tour, was in the Bay Area to celebrate the big game and attended a Fanatics pre-party looking like a 2000s emo girl-gone-2026. She wore her raven-black hair straight and long with thick, deeply parted side bangs that completely covered one brow and part of her lashes too, ending right at the tippy top of her cheekbone. Side bangs, were, of course, one of the ultimate hairstyles of the emo aesthetic, all the better to peer up at your selfie camera with, and we know Cardi is a fan of the style, as she’s worn them several times before. Her nails, too, were on-theme, filed into a square shape and painted with a true, glossy onyx black shade.
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One thing is missing from Cardi’s emo look, however, was the signature messy, pitch-black eyeliner, which was a mainstay for scene kids. (The thicker and smudgier, the better!) Instead, she kept her glam fresh and flirty with rosy blush, glossy lined lips, and long, fluttery lashes. Her diamond dermal piercing was the perfect finishing touch for the emo girl-lite moment. Side bangs? Check. Black hair and nails? Yep. Facial piercing? Check.
Though our parents may have dismissed the aesthetic as “just a phase,” emo beauty has never really gone away. Emo glam has gotten a boost from the resurgence of 2000s fashion and beauty trends, with young influencers who were toddlers during the original era trying out the stripey hair color look, goth makeup popping up on stars like Jenna Ortega, and side bangs getting their much-deserved moment in the spotlight again. Looks like it’s time to pull out the eyeliner again!
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