New Dating Trend: Women Are Showing Up Au Naturel on First Dates — And We’re Kinda Into It

Forget contouring and curling irons — the hottest new first date trend is all about showing up with zero make-up, messy hair, and maximum confidence.

That’s right, more and more women are ditching the glam and walking into dates with the vibe of:
“This is the real me — if you don’t like it, there’s the door, bud.”

And honestly? Love that for us.

RELATED: The Best (and Worst) Days of the Week for a First Date

Why It’s a Thing

The whole point is to filter out the jerks early. If someone’s only interested when you’re done up like a Sephora ad, they’re probably not the one. Plus, why should women spend an hour getting ready when guys can roll in five minutes late wearing jeans from 2019?

Some women are even reversing the usual routine:

• Date 1 = bare face, fresh start
• Date 2 = a swipe of mascara, maybe
• Date 3 = you get a winged liner if you've earned it

It’s kind of like emotional slow-burn make-up. You don’t get the full glam until you’ve proven you deserve it.

Blame Gen Z (In a Good Way)

Part of the reason this trend is blowing up? Gen Z isn’t doing traditional dinner-and-a-movie dates. They’re opting for more casual hangouts like hiking, grabbing coffee, or thrifting — where showing up full glam just feels... unnecessary. And a little sweaty.