What is sweetface?

Sweetface refers to a certain aesthetic and cultural trend, often seen online, characterized by an emphasis on extremely cute, innocent, and soft features and themes. It's closely related to concepts like Kawaii and often incorporates elements of anime, manga, and other Japanese or Korean pop culture.

Key aspects of the sweetface aesthetic include:

• Appearance: Round faces, large eyes, delicate features, soft makeup (often with a focus on aegyo sal, or "eye smiles"), and pastel colors are common.
• Fashion: Clothing typically features light colors, ruffles, lace, and accessories like hair clips, bows, and plush toys.
• Themes: Innocence, vulnerability, and a general "childlike" quality are central themes.
• Social Media: Platforms like TikTok and Instagram are key spaces for the sweetface aesthetic, with filters and editing tools used to enhance the "cute" features.
• Criticisms: Some critique the sweetface trend for potentially infantilizing individuals, promoting unrealistic beauty standards, and/or reinforcing gender stereotypes.

The term "sweetface" isn't a formal or universally recognized term but rather a descriptive label used to identify this specific aesthetic style and its related online subculture.