Makeup trends that will dominate in 2026 Spoiler: Y3K is coming
If 2025 welcomed us with concealer lips, glowing skin, and that clean girl aesthetic stubbornly refusing to go out of style, 2026 switches gears without much explanation. Forget naturalness. Here we enter full Y3K mode, that imagined future from the late ’90s where the new millennium looked like a mix of technology, cyber glamour, and metallic surfaces. Here are the makeup trends set to dominate the new year.
The makeup trends dominating 2026
Neon colors
In 2026, color wants to be noticed again. Neon shades invade makeup in all its forms, from eyes to lips, even blush. Pastels, which dominated runways and editorials in 2025, aren’t disappearing completely, but they are overshadowed by electric, saturated, artificial tones. It’s a direct return to the ’80s excess, when using color wasn’t about approval, but pure fun.
Frosty lips
In 2026, lips freeze. Frosted lips return, with pearly reflections reminiscent of the early 2000s. Gone are the reassuring natural finishes: now it’s all about glossy, cold, almost robotic surfaces, perfect for a Y3K look. Not just pearly pinks anymore, any shade is welcome, from electric oranges to deep hues, for a gothic-glacial effect.
Metallic eyeshadows
On the eyes, color doesn’t stay flat—it becomes almost alive. Metallic eyeshadows dominate with liquid, chrome, and extra shimmer finishes, catching and amplifying light, giving the gaze a luminosity that won’t go unnoticed. Eyeshadow is no longer limited to the eyelid: the face becomes a canvas to play, experiment, and bring movement to the look.
Soft matte skin
To balance the excess of neon colors and metallic finishes, a matte, velvety base will dominate, the perfect ally to enhance the rest without weighing it down, keeping everything balanced and polished, letting the colors speak for themselves.
Makeup 2.0
In 2026, makeup no longer aims to cover, it aims to define. It’s not about using cosmetics to hide imperfections, but to work with your features, highlighting what’s already there. This approach was popularized by make-up artists like Nina Park: strategic, never heavy, makeup that enhances and celebrates your beauty.
