From hot to not? TikTok users expose themselves by revealing their glow-DOWNS, posting before and after pictures to show that they ‘physically peaked’ years ago
- TikTok user Gabrielle McDonald wanted to see the opposite of glow-ups, when people show how they have grown more attractive with age
- She captioned her video: ‘The hottest I’ve ever been was when I was 18. I look nothing like that now’
- After sharing her own throwback photos, she asked other TikTok users to do the same, and many obliged
- Some have gained weight, changed their hair, or just wear less makeup than they used to
Few could be blamed for sharing their ‘glow-ups,’ posting old and new photos of themselves to show how much better they’ve gotten with age.
But the latest trend on TikTok has people sharing their ‘glow-downs,’ sharing snaps that show that they looked their best years ago — and may not be quite as conventionally ‘attractive’ as they used to be.
The funny trend was kicked off by Gabrielle McDonald, who admitted that she herself ‘peaked’ in high school.
Viral: TikTok user Gabrielle McDonald wanted to see the opposite of glow-ups, when people show how they have grown more attractive with age
First up: She shared her own and said, ‘The hottest I’ve ever been was when I was 18. I look nothing like that now’
Viral challenge: Lots of other TikTok users have replied with their own videos
Being able to see is not a bad thing! A lot of the ‘transformations’ show women who started wearing glasses
‘So I’ve been seeing these trends on TikTok of people sharing their glow-ups,’ she said.
‘It’s all fine and well, like, congratulations for hitting puberty. Go you,’ she added dismissively.
‘But what I want to see is people’s glow-downs,’ she went on. ‘Because there’s people like me that physically peaked in high school. Like, the hottest I’ve ever been was when I was 18. I look nothing like that now.
‘So I want to challenge all of you to show me a photo of when you were your hottest compared to what you look like now,’ she said.
A few years: Others got a bit older and started doing their hair a bit differently
Crying: A few drove home the comparison by picking intentionally flattering ‘now’ photos
Natural: Most are just wearing less makeup these days
While the women are jokingly calling them ‘glow downs,’ mostly simply look a bit older
Growing up: Ultimately, the women mostly don’t look ‘worse’ — rather, they appear to have grown more comfortable with themselves, and simply put a bit less time into looking ‘perfect’
Spreading around: The trend has grown popular while people have been home during quarantine
TikTok users have obliged, making their own videos with Gabrielle’s audio and their own images.
BuzzFeed rounded up some highlights, showing the before-and-after shots that women have posted of their glow-downs.
Some have gained a few pounds or changed their hair color or style over the years. Others have started wearing glasses or given up the heavier makeup they wore when they were younger.
While a few look almost unrecognizable, most have just aged a few years.
Ultimately, the women mostly don’t look ‘worse’ — rather, they appear to have grown more comfortable with themselves, and simply put a bit less time into looking ‘perfect.’