very demure, very mindful
TikToker Jools Lebron's satirical workplace makeup tutorial became the perfect way to mock performative femininity and over-explained "appropriate" behavior.
"In this short, the speaker describes her pre-work routine, in what she calls "How to be demure at work", ending with a quick spritz of "viral vanilla". Key Quote: "very demure, very mindful" Tone: sarcastic"
"Very demure, very mindful" is social media's perfect parody of performative femininity—taking traditionally ladylike behavior and describing it with the dramatic flair of a lifestyle influencer. The joke is in the contrast: using breathless superlatives to celebrate the most mundane acts of restraint, like not wearing bold makeup to work or eating quietly at dinner.
TikTok creator Jools Lebron launched the phrase in August 2024 with a satirical workplace makeup tutorial. "See how I do my makeup for work? Very demure, very mindful," she declared, contrasting modest professional looks with dramatic alternatives. The 38-second video exploded into millions of views as Lebron perfectly captured the absurdity of over-explaining basic adulting.
The phrase struck gold because it named something universal: that weird pressure to perform "appropriate" behavior, especially as women. It became a way to mock both the exhausting performance of respectability and the influencer tendency to narrate every mundane choice. People could finally laugh at the ridiculous standards while simultaneously celebrating actual thoughtfulness.
Now it's shorthand for any moment of exaggerated restraint: "Didn't subtweet my ex—very demure, very mindful."