Earlier this week, U.S. politician and New York state representative Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez turned 31. Naturally, to celebrate, people on TikTok shared their AOC-inspired makeup while lip-syncing her iconic speech on misogyny. You know, the one that nearly rivals our own former Prime Minister Julia Gillard’s legendary words, “I will not be lectured on misogyny by this man, not now, not ever.”
Back in July, Ocasio-Cortez, who turned 31-years-old on the 13th of October, claimed that Republican Ted Yoho had berated her outside of the House of Representatives and called her a “fucking bitch.” The moment resonated with women everywhere who have been called the word and faced misogyny in their lives—as well as sparked a conversation about whether we should retire the word “bitch.”
“Representative Yoho put his finger in my face,” Ocasio-Cortez said at the time, the excerpt of which has been used in the new TikTok sound. “He called me disgusting. He called me crazy. He called me out of my mind. He called me dangerous.”
“Representative Yoho called me, and I quote, ‘a fucking bitch.’ I am here because I have to show my parents that I am their daughter, and that they did not raise me to accept abuse from men.”
So, it’s no surprise really that, for her birthday this year, teens on TikTok decided to honour and celebrate AOC’s achievements with a new Ocasio-Cortez-inspired beauty trend. As first reported by The New York Times’s resident TikTok correspondent on Twitter, Taylor Lorenz, TikTokers are creating their own AOC-inspired beauty looks, and lip-syncing to AOC’s speech to a new TikTok sound that combines Ocasio-Cortez’s iconic dialogue with Kendrick Lamar’s 2017 track, “Humble.”
As 20-year-old Olympian Laurie Hernandez puts it in the caption to her AOC makeup tutorial clip, “I had to do it. I wonder how AOC feels knowing most of Gen Z thinks she’s iconic?”
If you would like to recreate Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez’s signature red-lip look, the inspiring young politician brokedown her beauty routine and favourite products in a recent video for Vogue.
Where To Find Alexadria Ocasio-Cortez’s Favourite Beauty Products In Australia
Perfectly Clean Multi-Action Toning Lotion/Refiner by ESTÉE LAUDER, $48 on Sephora.
Biore UV Aqua Rich Watery Essence SPF 50+ by KAO, $14.99 on Stylevana.
Pure Radiant Tinted Moisturiser by NARS, $72 on MECCA.
Match Stix Matte Skinstick by Fenty Beauty, originally $39 but on sale for $19.50 on Sephora.
Stay All Day Liquid Lipstick in Beso by Stila, $35 on MECCA.
Header image source: Alex Wong (Getty Images) and Laurie Hernandez (@lauriehernandez_).