Cast your mind back to the '10s, and you'll recall an explosion of quickly moving, social media-inspired beauty moments. Some of these trends, like matte makeup, evolved easily into the trends of the present day; others now feel like a regrettable experiment. But with the benefit of hindsight, we can look back to the '10s and pull out a few trends that struck gold. For example...
Twinkly Fun
Let's say the visible underwear trend isn't exactly your thing—totally understandable. But let's take the spirit of the accessorizing on Hailey Bieber here: look at the fun bits of shine in unexpected places, including the big studs at her ears. It's like an upscale version of bedazzling!
Surprise Auburn
The '10s gave us a preview of a trend that would become quite prevalent in the '20s: dipping a toe into some temporary hair color with a very pretty, natural red. In an impressive commitment to the bit, Blake Lively also dyes her brows here, which is optional if you'd rather not go that far.
Extreme Nail Detail
The '10s really saw an explosion of nail art in a fun way. Vanessa Hudgens is giving us an ombre base, plus nail polish designs, plus crystals, all matching her outfit. But if you'd like to simply elevate your regular mani, go for one or two of the three elements.
Capital-S Smokey Eye
Looking back at some of our more regrettable '10s trends, the smokey-smokey-smokey eye might have been a little bit of overkill. The key to making it work is dialing it down a bit and emphasizing balance: if you have a strong eyeshadow and brow, like Cara Delevingne here, you need a little more color on your lips.
Lots of Hair Clips
A hair clip is a dash of joy for any outfit, but it's easy to skew a bit young (or like you walked straight out of the '90s). If you're not exactly a maximalist, choose two or three clips and place them on one side of your head—or on either side of a center part.
Shaved Sides
Miley Cyrus, Rihanna, and Kristen Stewart made their hair a veritable canvas in the '10s, leaning in on their edgier personas with wild hairdos. This slightly grown-out mohawk, short on the side and long on top, is the more daring version of a pixie cut.
The "Ariana" Ponytail
If you're unfamiliar, Ariana Grande's hair was extremely damaged after dying it red for so many years on her Nickelodeon shows. The solution (hair up high on her head, with liberal use of extensions) become synonymous with the singer-actor's core look and is highly emulatable.
Balayage and Dip Dye
Ah, yes. Having your hair dark on top and then giving it an ombre effect through the tips—Vanessa Hudgens here being a great example of the trend—was a big '10s thing. A more mild version looks more classic, as in: you don't have to go from deep brown to bleach blonde.
Matte Makeup
Since the '10s pulled from '90s beauty trends and revitalized them, we saw some matte blushes, eyeshadows, and lip colors make a resurgence. This is one of those trends that only became more popular in the '20s; if you like matte makeup, you can wear it every single day.
Cat-Eye x10
Much like its half-sister, the extreme smokey eye, the intense cat-eye was big in this decade. Extreme makeup isn't going anywhere soon (the '20s saw even more extreme iterations of Euphoria-esque eye makeup), but if you want to make it an everyday thing, start small and see how long you can go before it starts to look too extreme.
A Little Crunch
The "wet hair" look has always been seen as daring, given that it's just a few degrees away from the dreaded "crunchy" effect. Ciara wisely doesn't go overboard here, giving her waves some gel and letting them air dry. If you want to replicate, try a little bit at a time.
Thicker Brows
Our brows were BIG in the '10s, and we were proud of 'em! Seriously, though, letting your brows get nice and bushy is a reprieve from the "thin eyebrow" trend. If the hair still looks a bit sparse, and you'd rather not use a brow serum, there are a ton of pomades and pencils to help fill them in.
The Fashion Mullet
Technically this is probably a "mob" (mullet + long bob), but short bangs and flowing layers in the back had a real moment in the '10s. Taylor Swift is doing it right by making the cut subtle, instead of extreme; if you want to dip a toe into the trend, use clip-on bangs and get a lot of layers.
The Intense Tan
Stars walking the red carpet looked intensely bronzed, including Gigi Hadid here. It looks great on Hadid, especially since she's wearing yellow for contrast, but you may want to use a touch less tanner depending on your skin tone—and bear in mind you'll need a different color of foundation and blush.
Cutting the Crease
Using a lighter eyeshadow on your eyelid with a darker eyeshadow "cut" across the middle crease of your lid and onto the upper brow bone makes your eyes look wider and more striking. Make like Rihanna here and go for a subtle, blended effect, instead of a more extreme version.
Over-Lining
If you want to make your lips look bigger (but don't want to lean on lip fillers, another big '10s trend), over-line your lips: using a lip pencil, draw "over" your natural lip line, then fill in your lips with lipstick or gloss. Keep it subtle, like Kendall Jenner does.
Big, Big Lashes
Fake lashes experienced a huge upgrade in the '10s, becoming bigger, bolder, and easier to apply. Jennifer Lopez, who loves a beauty trend, was a pioneer of the bold lashes look—again, this is a case of experimenting with what looks good with your eye shape.
The Chelsea Blow-Dry
Kate Middleton's big, bouncy, loosely curled hair actually has a name (the Chelsea blow-dry), and the royal made it extremely popular at her myriad royal events in the '10s. If you want to style your hair in a slightly more modern iteration, make the ends a little less curly and break up the uniformity.
Formal Festival
Kate Moss was giving us festival fashion way back in the '00s, but looking like you were going to Coachella really caught on in the '10s. The formal version, with Emma Roberts delicately placing fake buds and pearls intermittently throughout her half-up 'do, is still a great way to channel the trend.
Matching Your Squad
Going out with your best buddy in matching outfits is definitely not a '10s invention, but we got even better at "twinning" in this decade. Specifically, Taylor Swift found new ways to signal that her friends were part of her "squad," including with matching crimped hair and bangs.
Bold, Bold Eyes
Love a colorful eyeshadow? Fantastic, because the '10s really leaned in. (Also, this is a good example of a cut crease that works well!) Frankly, colorful eye makeup is never a bad decision—as ever, the goal is to achieve balance in your face, which might mean a bolder lip.
Beachy Hair
The Victoria's Secret Fashion Show started way back in the '90s, but the "beachy hair" trend was all the rage in the '10s. Think: a lot of blonde highlights, some volume spray, perhaps a bit of wave in the body—basically looking like you just came off a surfboard.
Smart Contouring
Contouring wasn't always our friend in the '10s, and there are some extreme iterations that in hindsight look a bit severe. But you shouldn't be afraid of contouring in general, just go for a milder and more blended look. Carla Gugino's contoured cheeks are the perfect example.
No-Makeup Makeup
First, I love Gisele Bündchen's hair clips here. Secondly, I love that she even does her own makeup for a shoot. Thirdly, even though she clearly has foundation and blush on, it looks so natural that you can't really tell. You don't need to be a supermodel to achieve a "no-makeup" makeup look, though, and it's an evergreen beauty style.
The "Earscape"
Long before the "earscape" was a thing (i.e., having a bunch of piercings to give a cool, thoughtful aesthetic to your lobes), celebrities were pioneering it. ScarJo here is a forerunner of the "tons of piercings on the red carpet" vibe; if you want to try but don't want to commit to quite this level of intensity, add a few ear cuffs.
"Glass" Skin
The "glass skin" effect originated as a K-beauty trend that quickly went viral in the U.S.—for good reason, since it makes your skin look shiny and luminous. Achieving it can really depend on your skin, but starting with a highlighter and glowy foundation is a good place to start.
Rainbow Hair
Our red carpet stars have loved playing around with hair color, and the '10s really upped the ante with colorful hues. Let Helen Mirren be a sign to you that you don't need to be young to try a cool new hair color (and also that temporary hair dyes are incredibly easy to apply).
Super-Dark Lipstick
Lana Del Ray was doing goth-chic before the rest of us had caught on, with her lip colors ranging from matte beige and bright red all the way to black. This deep wine color (a near match to her red hair!) is very emulatable—just swipe on a single layer first and see how you like it.
A Center Part
There has been ongoing debate about whether a side part or a center part reigns supreme, the latter often espoused by younger generations; but the center part did not originate in the '20s. In fact, it can make your face look longer and more symmetrical (as Kendall Jenner shows us here) and conceal hair thinning or loss.
The Shaggy Bob
Celebs who became known for their longer hair took the plunge and chopped off several inches—Sienna Miller's piece-y lob (long bob) isn't the shortest haircut she's ever given us, but it is a great example of a great short cut that works for a lot of face shapes.
Messy Buns
The "messy bun" (meaning hair that's been quite styled but still looks a bit casual and undone) was popularized by Meghan Markle: even at formal outings, she still had pieces coming out of her updo. It's an awesome style—but it does require a little bit more styling than you'd expect. You have to make an updo and then start pulling pieces out.
More Foundation Shades
Our queen, Rihanna, founded Fenty Beauty in 2017. And we're so thankful that she did—in addition to her products being top-notch, she also deliberately opted for a wide range of colors in foundation and concealer to cater to more skin tones. Being able to find a shade that works perfectly for you: priceless.
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