Move over Clean Girl, Y2K makeup is making a serious comeback to the beauty world, and we’re itching to recreate the iconic looks from our early 2000s Pop Princesses, supermodels and It Girls. Think frosty shadows, thin brows, intense ombre lips, subtle contour and a strong highlight game.
Look One: Feelin’ Blue
Nothing screams 2000’s like an all-over wash of icy blue eyeshadow. We saw it on Britney, Cameron Diaz, Rihanna and Kate Moss… to name a few. And the best part? This look is totally beginner-friendly. You can skip the transition and contour shades and stick to a single shadow colour. Here’s how:
Step One
Finding a pigmented shadow that’s easy to blend is key. We love the Morphe Cosmetics 9C Matte Essentials Artistry Palette which holds both ‘Flare’ and ‘Stonewash’ – the perfect blues for fair and deep skin tones.
Step Two
Apply eyeshadow over your eyelid with a flat brush, then blend into the crease using E.L.F Cosmetics’ Fluffy Eye Blender Brush in windshield wiper motions. Sweep up to the brow bone for a soft, seamless finish.
Step Three
For the ultimate Y2K touch, use your finger to apply a light dusting of white shimmer onto the centre of your eyelid. Vanilla pigment from Mac Cosmetics is perfect for this.
Step Four
Tightline your upper and lower eyeliner with black eyeliner – use a pencil or crayon like Maybelline’s waterproof Studio Smokey Gel Eyeliner Pencil. Apply a thick layer of mascara to the top and bottom lashes, and the eye look is complete!
Step Five
Keep the lips subtle to let the eyes shine. Slightly overline with M.A.C’s Cork Lip Liner, blend with your finger, and add a lighter shade like Honey Love in the centre.
Step Six
Keep the brows soft and natural, filling in slightly with Benefit’s Precisely, My Brow Pencil to add hair-like strokes only where necessary.
Look Two: Supermodel Chic
Before the Clean Girl aesthetic took over TikTok, supermodels gave us glowing, minimalist makeup with a colourful twist. Taking inspo from Gisele circa 2002, we are breaking down the lit-from-within look living rent-free in our minds. Here’s how:
Step One
Skin prep is everything to achieve a glowing base. Apply a hydrating moisturiser such as Embryolisse Lait-Crème Concentré on cleansed skin, followed by an illuminating primer like the Luminous Silk Hydrating Primer from Giorgio Armani for an instant glow.
Step Two
Keep the base light by ditching the heavy-duty foundation and opting for a tinted moisturiser. Our pick: Complexion Rescue from BareMinerals is lightweight with buildable coverage, and can be applied with your fingers for a natural finish.
Step Three
Use a small dense brush to spot conceal any blemishes, using a matte concealer such as Soft Matte Complete Concealer from Nars in the same colour as your base. Apply a lighter, hydrating concealer under your eyes and blend to brighten. We love Hourglass Vanish Airbrush Concealer.
Step Four
Apply a cream or liquid blush to the apples of your cheeks. Rare Beauty Soft Pinch Liquid Blush is a tried and tested pick. Use the warmth of your fingers to tap into the skin and blend up towards your temple.
Step Five
Moving onto the eyes, wash a purple eyeshadow all over the eyelid from the lash line up to the brow bone. A liquid shadow such as the Violette_FR Yeux Paint Matte in Nuage de Lilas is a dream to work with, and the rich pigment pops on most skin tones.
Step Six
Curl your lashes and apply a thick layer of mascara to your top and bottom lashes. Keep the lips natural by choosing a hydrating lip balm in a tone that suits your skin tone. We love the MoistureGlow Plumping Lip Serum from Makeup by Mario for a juicy, hydrated, and oh-so-plump lip.
Read more of our Beauty articles below.