Some of us in the Mexican and Chicano cultures are big on makeup. I don’t know about you, but I feel one with my culture when I wear the holy trinity: black eyeliner, dark red lipstick, and big hoop earrings. It’s like a love letter to other Latinas who are wearing the same combination. It’s our secret. But that’s just scratching the surface of how makeup helps us express our culture. Recently, there has been a TikTok trend called the “payasita trend,” that reinforces Mexico’s love for clowns and makeup. But, what is TikTok’s “Payasita” trend? you ask. Well, here’s what I know.
What is TikTok’s “Payasita” Trend?
If you’re asking why Mexicans love clowns, you’re not alone. They're everywhere, from tattoos to social media. The love affair between Mexicans and clowns goes way back. According to Latino TikToker, TheStoryTimeGuy, “The oldest record of a clown in Mesoamerica dates back to 100 BC.” But that’s a whole other story we’ll dive into another time.
For now, let's stick to today’s way of expressing Mexican culture’s love for clowns with the “payasita” trend on TikTok. If you open your TikTok application, you’re bound to see the “payasita” trend pop up on your “For You Page.”
The trend features Latinxs wearing heavy clown makeup: a white face, bright-colored eyeshadow, heavy eyebrow makeup, and of course, vibrant lipstick. More often than not, the Latinxs are singing a song in Spanish, hypnotizing the viewer with their vivid makeup. It’s a trend that started a couple of weeks ago and has many asking “What is the meaning of this trend?”
“Payasitas” and Mexican culture
When you think of the Mexican-American culture, you often think of lowriders, hoop earrings, clowns, big white t-shirts, flannels, and heavy eyeliner. You’ll also find clown makeup on this community's art or faces. It’s safe to say that the two are heavily emerged in pop culture. And there’s a good reason for this.
“This urban clown-style makeup comes from the Payasa look that is common in Chicano tattoos and art. The face can represent the contrast of humor and suffer in Mexican American gang life with a beautiful face with a happy clown mouth but sad or scary harlequin dramatic eye makeup,” Jest Paint writes. “You will also find sad and happy theatrical masks with a similar theme in body art and face painting. Chola Makeup has become popular on Instagram and TikTok.”
While some creators are joining the trend because they understand its deeper historical aspect, others may simply join in to embrace its unique aesthetic – and that’s ok. It’s fun. The bottom line is clown makeup and Mexican culture do intertwine. Quite honestly, it’s nice to see that Gen Z is continuing the tradition on TikTok, for the world to see.
While these “payasitas” continue to represent Mexico’s historical love for clowns, it’s also a unique way to remind others that our culture has a lot of layers to it. Heck, there’s even a Japanese subculture dedicated to Chicanxs. But that’s another story.
Feature photo via TikTok from jjatp0.
