Emo isn’t dead. In fact, it’s haunting us again—black eyeliner, shredded jeans, and all. Depending on your outlook, that’s either a nightmare you hoped to bury with your Myspace password or a dream come true. Olivia Rodrigo’s good 4 u topping charts? Check. Machine Gun Kelly doing… well, whatever it is he does? Check. Bella Hadid and Miley Cyrus streaking their hair like they’re auditioning for Warped Tour circa 2007? Check. Even celebrities are getting in on the nail polish game, with more gender-neutral lacquer launches in the past year than the mall Hot Topic ever dreamed of stocking.

And if all that wasn’t enough, the ultimate proof arrived with the announcement of When We Were Young—a one-day nostalgia blowout featuring a lineup that could be ripped straight from your old iPod Nano. It’s official: angst is trending again, and resisting it makes about as much sense as those neon “I <3 Boobies” bracelets we all wore without irony. So why fight? Dust off your skinny jeans, blast some Paramore, and lean in. Emo’s back, baby—and this time, it’s self-aware.

The Hair: Wolf Cuts and Clip-Ins

Let’s start at the top—literally. Today’s emo hair is living under a new alias: the “wolf cut.” Viral TikToks have already exposed the truth that the wolf cut is just the classic emo shag with a better PR team. Translation: it’s all about bangs, layers, and a little bit of chaos. Ask your stylist for a shaggy cut with wispy, thinned-out ends and enough choppiness to make you look one trim away from a mullet.

If scissors feel too permanent, dip a toe into the look with clip-in extensions. A bold streak of red, green, or electric blue can change your vibe instantly. Etsy shops (with names like GothicChameleon, of course) sell affordable ones you can snip to match your length. Pair that with a texturizing spray—Reverie’s Mare sea salt spray, newly relaunched, is a favorite—and suddenly your hair looks less “slept in” and more “strategically tousled.”

The Makeup: From Raccoon Eyes to Smoldering Smoke

Ah, eyeliner—the lifeblood of the emo aesthetic. Back in the day, application meant stabbing a pencil into your lash line and smudging with a finger until you resembled a raccoon in distress. Luckily, we’ve learned a thing or two since then.

The modern upgrade? A soft smoky eye. Makeup artist Katie Jane Hughes has a foolproof tutorial using just four products: Danessa Myricks’ Nude 12, a creamy MAC kohl liner, mascara, and some blending skills. The effect is sultry rather than sloppy—more “sexy concert afterparty” than “high school basement show.”

If you want the drama without the effort, try Face Lace liner stickers by Euphoria makeup artist Donni Davy. They’re graphic, edgy, and require zero technique—just peel, stick, and go. Think of it as emo makeup with training wheels.

Other staples of the emo revivalist’s bag? Rituel De Fille’s Orb eyeliner for inky precision, Melt Cosmetics’ glitter gloss for lips that shimmer like broken CD shards, and yes, Machine Gun Kelly’s nail polish line. Surprisingly, it’s smooth, long-lasting, and not just for the TikTok crowd. The shade “25 To Life” deserves a spot in any emo-inspired rotation.

The Vibe: Emo, But Elevated

The beauty of emo’s comeback is that it isn’t about regressing into teenage chaos (though no judgment if you still know every word to “I Write Sins Not Tragedies”). It’s about remixing the aesthetic into something wearable today. The cuts are sharper, the makeup is sleeker, and the accessories have grown up—even if the spirit hasn’t.

This round of emo isn’t necessarily about wallowing in heartbreak or sulking on LiveJournal (RIP). It’s about reclaiming the drama and theatricality of the look—on your own terms. Want to pair that smoky eye with a power blazer? Do it. Want a neon streak but also a silk headband? Why not. The “rules” that once boxed emo into a subculture are gone. Now, it’s more about the fun of dressing like your inner sixteen-year-old and the confidence of pulling it off as an adult.

Why It Matters

There’s something oddly comforting about this resurgence. The return of emo feels like cultural catharsis: permission to embrace messiness, angst, and bold self-expression in a world that often demands polish and perfection. It’s not about reliving high school—it’s about giving yourself the freedom to play with identity again, this time with better products and a sense of humor.

So yes, emo is back. Maybe it never fully left. But whether you’re ready to dive in with a shag haircut and black nail polish, or you just want to swipe on a bit of kohl for old time’s sake, the point is the same: embrace the vibe, even if only for a night.

Because if we learned anything the first time around, it’s that eyeliner washes off, hair grows back, and Hot Topic is only ever a Google Maps search away.