From Megan Thee Stallion’s ombre lips and space buns to Bella Hadid’s thin brows and spiky updos, late 1990s and early 2000s beauty is everywhere.
Why Y2K Hair and Makeup Could Be the Biggest Beauty Trend of 2021
Ombre lips, frosted eyeshadow, space buns, and thin brows have all become part of our lockdown lexicon. On Instagram, Depop, and TikTok, you don’t have to scroll far to find beauty references from the late 1990s to the early 2000s—#Y2K has racked up 1.6 billion views on the latter alone.
Even celebrities are getting in on the trend. Earlier this year, Lizzo wore Y2K hair clips to the Grammy Awards, while Megan Thee Stallion was recently seen sporting ombre lips and space buns. Elsewhere, Barbie Ferreira and Dua Lipa were spotted wearing colorful eye shadow in shades of mellow green and frosted lilac, while Bella Hadid has become the Y2K poster girl with her thin brows and spiky updos.
“I’m always inspired by the 1990s and the 2000s when it comes to Megan Thee Stallion—we reference it so much,” says makeup artist Priscilla Ono, who created the WAP singer’s Grammys look featuring high-gloss lips and hair piled up with strands coming down at the front (very prom girl circa 2000). “I wanted to stay true to her look while giving her fresh, red-carpet glam. I went neutral with her eyes, but kept a full ‘Megan’ lash. Also, she can’t go anywhere without her lip liner, so I kept the center [of her lips] the perfect nude-brown for her skin tone.”
How do you style the Y2K beauty trend?
Defining the Y2K beauty aesthetic is easy: it’s about taking a light-hearted and fun approach. There’s less focus on heavy contouring and perfection, and more on color, cute details, and playful texture. When it comes to nails, expect a renaissance of the French manicure, designer logos, and extra embellishment.
For hair, it means claw clips and mini pigtails, with plenty of swept-up ends sticking out. Over the past year, when salons could safely open, hair colorist Aura Friedman from Sally Hershberger Salons saw a rise in client requests for colorful streaks and chunky highlights. “I’ve been applying chunkier highlights, which is a departure from the whisper-thin balayage that was popular,” she says. “Colored highlights are also having a moment, and there’s lots of room to play with them in terms of pigment and placement.”
As for makeup, think pale pinks and baby blues, high-gloss lips and thinner brows. Model and Byredo makeup ambassador Princess Gollum is a key proponent of the style. “When I think of Y2K beauty, I think of bright-white eyes—not just on the lid, but all around—lip gloss, lipstick, metallic lips, lip liner, rosy-pink cheeks, smudgy sparkly eyes, thin brows and streaky hair. Also, metallic-blue eyeshadow with a red lip. Such a classic.” For her own look, the model has been obsessively using Byredo’s Purple Stinger Colour Stick. “This color screams 2000s to me,” she adds.
Why is the trend becoming popular now?
After spending a year in lockdown, it’s no wonder we’re looking to the past as a means of escaping—harking back to a period defined, sartorially speaking, by fun and frivolity. “When the future is uncertain, the automatic behavior is to find refuge in past events and calm anxious feelings with known points of references,” explains trend forecaster Marie-Michèle Larivée. “Over the past few years, we’ve seen the resurgence of every decade back-to-back: 1960s, 1970s, 1980s and 1990s. Now, fashion has circled its way back to almost its tail. I feel that younger generations are obsessed with the aesthetics that were present before they had an anxiety-inducing future.”
There is something incredibly powerful about nostalgia, especially in the face of harsh realities. “I remember the early 2000s so well,” reminisces Ono. “I was in my early twenties, so that time has always inspired my makeup. Especially now, working with a rapper, I refer to 2000s female rappers so much. I’m happy it’s trending right now, especially all the browns and silvers.”
This story originally appeared on: Vogue - Author:Kristen Bateman
