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Who started the viral 'Demure' trend? How TikTok changed the life of a beauty influencer

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The “very low-key, very mindful” TikTok trend has unimaginably changed the life of the beauty content creator who started this social media sensation earlier this month. Although the word essentially means “affectively modest, reserved, or serious,” according to Merriam-Webster, its existence has been completely blown out of proportion in the larger context of TikTok. The world has influencer Jools Lebron to thank for the social media phenomenon that is no longer limited to modest numbers in terms of fan count.

While many have jumped on the “demure” trend, its virality dates back to a TikTok video posted by beauty influencer Jools Lebron in early August.

The “modest” lifestyle that is exploding online has now made waves in LeBron's world, just like it has on the internet. Celebrities like Jenna Ortega, Jennifer Lopez, Penn Badgley, Lindsay Lohan and Jamie Lee Curtis have also recently jumped on the bandwagon of the explosive trend. The butterfly effect, sparked by a decision to make a 38-second video post in early August, has not only changed the internet forever, but will literally move mountains in LeBron's personal world as well.

Jools, who identifies as a transgender woman, recently shared a candid update on her life in a post on Wednesday, informing her followers (or “Divas”) how “TikTok has changed my life.”

“One day I was playing cashier and making videos on my break, and now I'm flying around different countries hosting events and I'll be able to finance the rest of my transition,” LeBron said.

We congratulate the TikToker, who can now be very reserved and mindful and at the same time feels very comfortable in her body because she can finally finance her gender reassignment herself.

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How did the demure trend go viral?

Lebron first shared a video on August 5 that is now considered the basis of the trend. Regarding applying makeup for a professional outfit, she said: “I'm not coming to work with a green cut crease.”

“I don't look like a clown when I go to work. I don't do too much, I'm very attentive at work. See how I look very presentable? The way I came to the interview is the way I go to the job. A lot of you girls go to the interview looking like Marge Simpson and go to the job looking like Patty and Selma.”

After the video was successful, she continued the trend of teaching her followers to behave “low key” in subsequent social media posts.

Her TikTok profile @joolieannie has collected 1.5 million followers and 97 million likes today.

Going into detail about how she was inspired to start these supposed tutorials on how to create a “modest” look, Jools told CBS Mornings that she began researching the topic after initially opting for more dramatic makeup at a previous job.

“I thought, let's take it natural. Let's not do too much,” she said in an interview. “…I was actually referring to how I had performed at another job.”

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While the subject is still surrounded by mystery and uncertainty, as there is no strict rating scale to judge a person’s “low-key” aesthetic, it is more about self-knowledge.

“We're all like that; we agree nothing has to be so serious. Nothing has to be so aggressive. Like everything could just be very sweet. Although, you know, we don't do too much. We just do a little bit. I'm not crazy about it. I'm very low key,” Jools added.

She also confirmed that the videos have helped her get closer to “more girls like” her. “I've found girls who are plus-size and trans who have the same experiences that make these combinations unique.”

Jools has experimented with other content over the years, but none of it has been as big a hit as the Humble series.

Jools further explained what it means to be “reserved,” claiming that it is a very subjective state of mind. “Your reserve is what it means to you. It means being mindful and considerate of the people around you, but also of yourself and how you present yourself to the world,” she said.

It is clear that her personal definition of the issue has finally led her to a point where she is comfortable with her version of the story and has more financial support to fund her transition to full self-acceptance.