New Health Craze “Imp Face” Takes Over Wellness Scene, Leaves Experts Baffled
By Clive Belmand | March 30, 2025
BROOKLYN, NY—In a stunning turn of events for the wellness industry, "Imp Face", a facial expression allegedly imbued with mischievous energy, has become the latest health trend to sweep through social media, yoga studios, and overpriced juice bars. Proponents claim that the practice—exclusively performed by mischievous women—has unparalleled benefits for skin elasticity, immune function, and overall chaotic energy levels.
“It’s not just a look,” says Willow Marigold, a self-proclaimed Imp Face Shaman and founder of the Instagram wellness page Elfin Energy Healing (bio: “Just a tiny menace in a big world”). “It’s about embodying the essence of playful defiance. It’s about confusing the universe with your aura. It’s about smirking into eternity and letting life fear you for once.”
What Exactly Is Imp Face?
The trend originated on TikTok when one particularly mischievous woman, known only as @GoblinChic, posted a video titled "Make This Face and Feel 10 Years Younger." In it, she demonstrated the now-infamous Imp Face:
Raise one eyebrow ever so slightly.
Smirk in a way that suggests you know something others don’t.
Angle your head like a cat that’s just knocked something off a table on purpose.
Hold the expression until you feel the universe start to shift in your favor.
Within days, thousands of women with slightly sinister grins began popping up across social media, claiming to feel mentally sharper, physically lighter, and spiritually untouchable. Scientists and doctors, meanwhile, have been left scrambling to explain how or why this works.
The (Nonexistent) Science Behind Imp Face
Medical professionals are struggling to catch up with the trend, as no existing field of science has ever studied the effects of being just a little shit on purpose. However, early self-reported data from practitioners claim that Imp Face leads to:
A 300% boost in skin glow due to “trickster energy opening the pores.”
A 40% decrease in stress hormones as the face tricks the brain into believing it has the upper hand in every situation.
Increased attraction from strangers who can’t tell if you’re about to flirt with them or steal their wallet.
A significant rise in spontaneous luck, including but not limited to: finding money on the ground, getting free drinks, and always picking the fastest checkout line at Trader Joe’s.
However, not everyone is convinced.
“There is absolutely no physiological evidence that making an impish face improves your health,” says Dr. Sandra Phillips, a neurologist at Johns Hopkins. “That said… I did try it in the mirror earlier, and I do feel a little bit dangerous and sexy.”
Corporate America Attempts to Profit, Immediately Misses the Point
With Imp Face dominating social media, corporations have already begun rolling out capitalist bastardizations of the trend. Goop has announced an $88 “Imp Face Serum”, made from “ethically-sourced fae essence” and “molecularly mischievous peptides.” L’Oréal is releasing a new lipstick line called “Chaotic Neutral”, with shades like “Oops, My Bad” and “Oops, My Bad (But I Meant It).”
However, early adopters of Imp Face have already declared any attempt to commodify the movement as inherently anti-Imp Face.
“You can’t buy Imp Face,” says Juno Valdez, a known menace and yoga teacher. “It’s not a product. It’s a state of being. If you have to buy it, you’ve already failed.”
What’s Next for Imp Face?
The trend shows no signs of slowing down, with some wellness influencers already developing advanced forms of Imp Face for specific situations. Emerging variations include:
Boardroom Imp Face™ – A subtle version used to unnerve coworkers and negotiate better salaries.
Flirting Imp Face™ – The precise smirk that makes people question whether they’re in love with you or being emotionally manipulated.
Existential Imp Face™ – For those moments when you realize you’re just a little blip in the vast cosmic joke of existence, and honestly? That’s kind of hilarious.
As Imp Face continues its meteoric rise, its greatest power remains the same: It cannot be controlled. It cannot be fully understood. It can only be worn. And, as every mischievous woman already knows, it can change the course of history with one perfectly timed smirk.
