2016 Makeup Is Back—Matte Lips, Cut Creases, and All

Alexa, play “Controlla” by Drake, please. Hearing this song is all you need to tap into the nostalgia of 2016. It’s hard to explain exactly what made this particular year so great for everyone. Nonetheless, 2016 left an impression on Gen Z and millennials alike. Some may attribute their fondness for the era to the music, while others may even half-jokingly mention that the air quality was better back then. However, for me, there’s one thing about this year that instantly conjures up vivid memories: the beauty looks.

Throughout the 2020s, we’ve largely embraced beauty minimalism—think skin-like foundation, nude glosses, neutral eyeshadows, and lightly filled brows, among other pared-back signifiers. But if we rewind nine years ago, there was a time when sharp, concealed brows, a matte mauve lip, and a perfectly contoured nose were the norm (i.e., the “Instagram Baddie” aesthetic). Oh, and don’t forget every glam photo that graced our feeds was complete with the infamous Snapchat floral headband filter.

2016 was undoubtedly a golden era of glam, marked by the height of beauty YouTube, where influencers like Aaliyah Jay and Nikkie Tutorials showed us all how to do our makeup. And now, nearly a decade later, the looks that once dominated our feeds are creeping back into the beauty conversation. 

The signs are everywhere. In 2024, Urban Decay brought back its famous Naked Palette (a favorite amongst the beauty community in 2016) for a limited-time run. This year, Anastasia Beverly Hills recently re-promoted its Dipbrow Pomade with a sentimental reel. On TikTok, Kylie Jenner dug into Kylie Cosmetics’ archives to play around with 2016 Lip Kit shades (like Skylie). And influencers like Mikayla Nogueira are doing refreshed tutorials on 2016 makeup trends.

So, the question is: why now? While we love natural glam, it’s safe to say the makeup community is clearly craving more fun and excitement in their routines. TikTok creator The Digital Fairy says, “A lot of people have been feeling nostalgic about the 2016 makeup era, or just fatigued from the ‘clean girl’ look, wishing that we’d go back to the time when we really put makeup on.”

Beyond that, some hypothesize that Gen Z is also gravitating toward trends from this era because of emotional ties. Social strategist and creative consultant Joel Marlinarson notes that Gen Z is particularly fond of reminiscing about iconic moments like the “King Kylie” era, the viral mannequin challenge, and the iPhone 6s. “It’s not just about pretending to relive your Starbucks run nine years ago,” Marlinarson says. “For Gen Z, 2016 meant being carefree, with less performative social content, and not being so chronically online.” It was a time defined by authenticity, creativity, and truly not caring what others thought.

That energy is now being channeled into how Gen Z wants to approach beauty today. While 2016 makeup was once ridiculed for being “too much,” it’s being reappraised through a more appreciative lens today. The heavy contouring? A love letter to technique. The cut crease? A way to play with artistry. The matte lip? A bold, confident statement. 

Still, the return of 2016 glam comes with a twist: today’s takes are mixing old with new. The brows are filled in, but less blocky. The lips are overlined, but with a softer fade. The foundation is full coverage, but it’s layered over skin that’s been carefully prepped. The 2025 adoption of 2016 trends is more of a reimagining, not a complete rewind. With this, people are realizing you don’t have to choose between minimal and maximalist makeup. You can love skin tints and full-coverage foundation. You can swipe on a clear gloss one day and a matte lip the next. 

For many, reviving 2016 makeup has ushered in a sense of joy. It takes you back to the days when you’d watch beauty tutorials after school and save diligently for your first Morphe palette. Because after all, it wasn’t just about the products back then; it was about the experience and the feeling. And in a fast-paced beauty landscape that can feel oversaturated, revisiting a look or product that was once your go-to is surprisingly grounding.

So if you’ve been holding onto your first-ever Dipbrow pot or can still remember every step of a Jaclyn Hill tutorial, you’re not alone. The return of 2016 makeup isn’t just a trend—it’s a reminder that beauty is cyclical, playful, and always open to reinterpretation.