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Maybe it's the rose-colored, butterfly-shaped, rhinestone-studded glasses through which we view nostalgia, but girlhood in the Y2K era just hit differently. The magic of a sleepover with best friends in 1999 is a feeling I find myself chasing constantly, but it’s been tough to re-create. That’s when bonds were forged, comfort movies discovered, and makeup skills were born. Armed with a sponge-tipped eye shadow applicator and a dream, we didn’t have detailed video tutorials to follow. We looked to techniques passed on to us by cool older sisters and in the pages of YM to guide us.
Makeup felt fun, experimental, and almost revolutionary to my 11-year-old self. It was under the canopy of glow-in-the-dark stars on a friend’s ceiling that I was introduced to makeup as a creative medium. I learned how to apply eyeliner and smudge it out for that Xtina smoky eye, met for the first time the status symbol that was MAC’s Prrr Lipglass, and discovered the power that a swipe of Bath & Body Works Art Stuff roll-on body glitter held. “The early 2000s were such a fun, playful time for makeup,” says Nikki Deroest, a Los Angeles-based makeup artist. “They were glossy, frosty, a little undone.”
While Y2K looks certainly borrowed elements from the ’90s, there was a distinct difference between the two eras. “Nineties makeup was the supermodel look—think Tyra, Naomi, Cindy—with matte skin, brown or nude lips, and neutral tones that evolved from the polished glamour of the ’50s,” says Renée Loiz, a Los Angeles-based makeup artist. “Y2K flipped that with frosted shadows, metallic gloss, and shine pulled from ’70s disco. It went from minimal and sleek to playful and looking toward the future.”
At some point, we became adults, swapping our MAC Lipglass for matte, liquid lipsticks, and the brands we grew up with followed suit. Even Urban Decay, which launched in 1996 with some of the coolest, edgiest shades, like Acid Rain and Exhaust, veered toward neutrals with the launch of its Naked Palette in 2010 (which may have contributed to the rise in wearable earth tones of the time).
Still, old habits die hard, and like Kylie Minogue’s 2001 hit single, there are certain things you just can’t get out of your head. Props to that 20-year trend cycle, because Y2K aesthetics are back, and the inspiration is everywhere in makeup.
“These looks are back with a modern twist,” says Christian Briceno, a New York City-based makeup artist. He cites Christina Aguilera’s frosted lips as the “blueprint” for the shimmer glosses we’re seeing today. He also says Britney Spears’ smudged liner is the ideal inspo for those who want to dabble with this season’s “lite” take on the grunge trend.
All the cool, famous TikTok girls are singing the praises of the return of the skinny brow and other classic looks of the early 2000s, though the signs indicating a broader revival of the era have been evident for a while: The Backstreet Boys opened their residency at The Sphere in Las Vegas to sold-out crowds; people have snatched up rare Labubus with the same fervor as they did Furbys and Princess Diana Beanie Babies; waistlines on jeans and skirts got lowered to pop princess-esque territory; and countless Y2K movies and TV shows were confirmed for reboots, reunions, and prequels. It was only in due time that the beauty trends of the era embarked on a reunion tour of their own, so we went straight to the pros to get the lowdown on the six Y2K makeup trends making a comeback in 2025.
One thing is certain: That “clean girl” vibe is so yesterday. “After years of the clean girl aesthetic dominating the beauty trends, people are craving playfulness, color, and nostalgia,” says Lori Taylor Davis, a Los Angeles-based makeup artist. “Y2K makeup was maximalist in a lighthearted way, and people are starting to lean into beauty that feels expressive and less serious.”
Grab your shiniest, most shimmer-packed shade of Lancome’s Juicy Tubes, and keep reading to find out how to work some of Y2K’s most iconic beauty trends into your looks today.
Frosted finishes
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Getty Images
Perhaps it was all of the chrome that came with the new millennium, or maybe it was the East Compton Clovers cheering about the chill in the atmosphere, but frosted makeup was the biggest early-2000s trend. “Frosted looks catch the light in all of the right places,” says Deanna Paley, a Los Angeles makeup artist. “They photograph beautifully and look ethereal yet edgy.”
Case in point: Britney’s frosted shadow and pearlized gloss in the “Oops!…I Did It Again” video, as a (hot) astronaut gifts her the Heart of the Ocean from Titanic. Bring her look into 2025 by swapping that perfectly matte complexion for a dewier finish. “Pick one part of the look and update it for today,” says Marquis Ward, a makeup artist and educator for LYS Beauty. “If you’re going with frosted lids, keep the skin clean and glowing so it doesn’t feel like a costume.”
Opt for one of the go-to Y2K frosted shades: ice blue, lavender, champagne, silver, or pearl. Loiz recommends Urban Decay’s Moondust Eyeshadow in Space Cowboy, a champagne shadow with a silver shift.
High-shine gloss
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If there were a lip formula that defined the Y2K era, it would absolutely be a high-shine gloss. From the pop princesses featured on the TRL countdown, to the girlies who reapplied in the mirror after gym class, that ultra-reflective finish was inescapable. Says Mylah Morales, a Los Angeles-based makeup artist, “Clear or bubblegum pink lip gloss was a non-negotiable accessory.”
Sticky finishes were the norm in the early 2000s, but today’s products last longer and feel lighter, says Briceno. We’re fans of the Tower 28 ShineOn Lip Oil Jelly, a buttery formula that delivers plenty of shine without any tackiness. For more historically accurate options, reach for Lancome’s Juicy Tubes or MAC Lipglasses, which, IMO, feel noticeably more lightweight when revisited in 2025.
Metallic-blue shadows
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“Destiny’s Child and indie films like Buffalo ’66 made frosted shadows a Y2K staple,” says makeup artist Leticia Llesmin. “The combination of a wash of silver or icy blue across the lids, mascara, and neutral lips still hits. It has a cyber, Y2K vibe.”
The cool, cut-crease blue eye shadow Left Eye wore in the “No Scrubs” video and Rachael Leigh Cook’s icy lids in the Josie and the Pussycats movie come to mind whenever I re-create this look. My advice for bringing it to life today: Because blue is such a statement shade, let it be the entire statement. Skip the blush and contour, and sweep on a neutral lip, as Llesmin said. Morales recommends pairing bright eye makeup with a swipe of black eyeliner to help ground the look.
Lip gloss and brown liner
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With roots in Black and Latinx communities, glossy lips paired with brown lip liner was a ’90s classic—and ultimately paved the way for the lip combos we’re loving in 2025. To re-create the look, makeup artist Nicole Faulkner recommends picking up a dark lip liner in a chocolate or plum hue to trace the shape of your lips. Diffuse the color slightly, then swipe a lip gloss or oil over the top. “The dark-liner, lighter-center lip combo still has that drama and definition, but with products like lip oils, it feels softer and more playful,” Faulkner says. “It instantly feels Y2K but with a modern, wearable twist.”
Smudgy, grungy eye makeup
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Getty Images
Getty Images
Consider Y2K-inspired smudged liner the older sister of the indie sleaze smoky eye—similar vibe, different cultural references. Think: Hilary Duff in the “Come Clean” music video. “The slightly messy, smudged liner with fresh, clean skin is the perfect balance of undone and polished,” says Deroest, who adds that more and more people are doing their makeup this way in 2025.
Try your hand at the finish by picking up a blendable gel liner. Olivia Madorma, a Los Angeles-based makeup artist, recommends the Morphe Bi-Liner Dual-Ended Liner in Truth or Dare, which has a shimmery charcoal shade on one end and a matte black on the other. “Start by smudging the black along both upper and lower lash lines for a controlled, effortless grunge effect, then blend out any harsh lines with the charcoal shade,” she says. “Blend out the effect with matte shadows in the crease.”
Meet the experts
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- Christian Briceno is a New York City-based makeup artist.
- Nikki Deroest is a Los Angeles-based makeup artist and founder of Ciele Cosmetics.
- Nicole Faulkner is a Los Angeles-based makeup artist and senior director of artistry and events at e.l.f. Beauty.
- Leticia Llesmin is a makeup artist, hairstylist, and founder of Dusted Beauty Studio.
- Renée Loiz is a Los Angeles-based makeup artist, founder of the Color May Vary beauty guide for Black-owned brands, and host of the On Hue podcast.
- Olivia Madorma is a Los Angeles-based makeup artist.
- Mylah Morales is a Los Angeles-based makeup artist.
- Deanna Paley is a Los Angeles-based makeup artist.
- Lori Taylor Davis is a makeup artist and the global pro lead artist for Smashbox Cosmetics.
- Marquis Ward is a makeup artist based in Atlanta and Los Angeles, and the lead artist and educator for LYS Beauty.
