2016 Make-up Is Again—Matte Lips, Minimize Creases, and All

Alexa, play “Controlla” by Drake, please. Listening to this track is all it is advisable faucet into the nostalgia of 2016. It is onerous to elucidate precisely what made this explicit 12 months so nice for everybody. Nonetheless, 2016 left an impression on Gen Z and millennials alike. Some could attribute their fondness for the period to the music, whereas others could even half-jokingly point out that the air high quality was higher again then. Nevertheless, for me, there’s one factor about this 12 months that immediately conjures up vivid reminiscences: the wonder seems to be.

All through the 2020s, we have largely embraced magnificence minimalism—assume skin-like basis, nude glosses, impartial eyeshadows, and evenly crammed brows, amongst different pared-back signifiers. But when we rewind 9 years in the past, there was a time when sharp, hid brows, a matte mauve lip, and a superbly contoured nostril had been the norm (i.e., the “Instagram Baddie” aesthetic). Oh, and do not forget each glam photograph that graced our feeds was full with the notorious Snapchat floral headband filter.

2016 was undoubtedly a golden period of glam, marked by the peak of magnificence YouTube, the place influencers like Aaliyah Jay and Nikkie Tutorials confirmed us all do our make-up. And now, almost a decade later, the seems to be that when dominated our feeds are creeping again into the wonder dialog. 

The indicators are in all places. In 2024, City Decay introduced again its well-known Bare Palette (a favourite amongst the wonder neighborhood in 2016) for a limited-time run. This 12 months, Anastasia Beverly Hills lately re-promoted its Dipbrow Pomade with a sentimental reel. On TikTok, Kylie Jenner dug into Kylie Cosmetics’ archives to mess around with 2016 Lip Package shades (like Skylie). And influencers like Mikayla Nogueira are doing refreshed tutorials on 2016 make-up tendencies.

So, the query is: why now? Whereas we love pure glam, it is secure to say the make-up neighborhood is clearly craving extra enjoyable and pleasure of their routines. TikTok creator The Digital Fairy says, “Lots of people have been feeling nostalgic concerning the 2016 make-up period, or simply fatigued from the ‘clear woman’ look, wishing that we might return to the time once we actually put make-up on.”

Past that, some hypothesize that Gen Z can be gravitating towards tendencies from this period due to emotional ties. Social strategist and inventive advisor Joel Marlinarson notes that Gen Z is especially keen on reminiscing about iconic moments just like the “King Kylie” period, the viral model problem, and the iPhone 6s. “It isn’t nearly pretending to relive your Starbucks run 9 years in the past,” Marlinarson says. “For Gen Z, 2016 meant being carefree, with much less performative social content material, and never being so chronically on-line.” It was a time outlined by authenticity, creativity, and really not caring what others thought.

That power is now being channeled into how Gen Z needs to method magnificence at present. Whereas 2016 make-up was as soon as ridiculed for being “an excessive amount of,” it is being reappraised via a extra appreciative lens at present. The heavy contouring? A love letter to method. The lower crease? A technique to play with artistry. The matte lip? A daring, assured assertion. 

Nonetheless, the return of 2016 glam comes with a twist: at present’s takes are mixing previous with new. The brows are crammed in, however much less blocky. The lips are overlined, however with a softer fade. The muse is full protection, nevertheless it’s layered over pores and skin that is been rigorously prepped. The 2025 adoption of 2016 tendencies is extra of a reimagining, not an entire rewind. With this, persons are realizing you do not have to decide on between minimal and maximalist make-up. You possibly can love pores and skin tints and full-coverage basis. You possibly can swipe on a transparent gloss in the future and a matte lip the following. 

For a lot of, reviving 2016 make-up has ushered in a way of pleasure. It takes you again to the times while you’d watch magnificence tutorials after faculty and save diligently in your first Morphe palette. As a result of in any case, it wasn’t simply concerning the merchandise again then; it was concerning the expertise and the sensation. And in a fast-paced magnificence panorama that may really feel oversaturated, revisiting a glance or product that was as soon as your go-to is surprisingly grounding.

So when you’ve been holding onto your first-ever Dipbrow pot or can nonetheless bear in mind each step of a Jaclyn Hill tutorial, you are not alone. The return of 2016 make-up is not only a development—it is a reminder that magnificence is cyclical, playful, and all the time open to reinterpretation.