23 Early 2000s Makeup Trends You Forgot You Were Obsessed With
Seen on the faces of Britney Spears, Brandy, and more.
Fact: Early '00s makeup trends walked so Euphoria smokey eyes and TikTok brows could run. Even though the 2020 makeup trends might seem like a far cry from the frosty lids and shiny lips of the early aughts, there's no denying that our modern looks have been heavily influenced by '00s beauty icons like Britney Spears, Tyra Banks, Jessica Simpson, and Halle Berry. And to prove it to ya, I rounded up the 23 most ~influential~ makeup trends of the early '00s—including a few you might even know and love today (looking at you, glittery eyeshadow). And, psst: Don't forget to tell me what you think about these trends in the comments, below 👇👇👇.
This '00s purple eyeshadow
It doesn't get more 2000s than heavy purple eyeshadow—especially when paired with skinny brows and pink blush, à la Britney Spears. I mean, your 2020 smokey eye could never.
This colorful eyeliner
If there was ever an opportunity to wear brightly colored eyeliner, an early aughts red carpet was definitely it. Celebs usually picked a color that matched their chunky accessories, like this teal eyeliner look from Rihanna.
These very 2000s lids
You know that sparkly eyeshadow you sweep on every Friday night? Yep, you can thank the early aughts for that (and, like, this cute-AF red-carpet look from Brandy).
This '00s lip gloss
You can't think of early aughts makeup trends without immediately envisioning shiny, glossy lips. Here, Jessica Simpson paired the trend with soft purple eyeshadow.
These early aughts skinny brows
Forget about the full, brushed-up brows of 2020—the early '00s focused heavily on pencil-thin arches (seen here on Beyoncé in 2000).
This '00s white eyeshadow
Was it really a 2000s red carpet if no one showed up with chunky white eyeshadow? Definitely not, as evidenced by this OTT look on Christina Milian.
The classic frosty lipstick
The perfect addition to any '00s beauty look? Frosty lipstick, obvs. In 2000, Christina Aguilera paired hers with a heavy smokey eye and teeny brows.
This shiny lipstick
Neutral, frosty hues weren't the only popular lipstick shades of the '00s. Warmer, shinier formulas were also a red-carpet staple, and celebs like Halle Berry liked to pair 'em with sunglasses and hoop earrings.
This '00s emo makeup
The emo scene was absolutely thriving in the early aughts, and singers like Avril Lavigne made it known in their makeup looks (think: thick black eyeliner, neutral lips, and matte foundation).
This pink blush
You know that natural-looking flush you see all over your Instagram feed? Yeah, the '00s blush trends were basically the opposite of that—celebs (like Tyra Banks) leant into bright-pink hues blended right on the center of their cheeks.
These matching lids and lipstick
Matchy-matchy makeup trends were huge in the '00s, as evidenced by this cute look from Alicia Keys circa 2001. Don't those rich purple hues look so pretty together?
This throwback blue eyeshadow
Are you sensing a theme yet? Early '00s makeup trends were all about color. Here, Jessica Alba swept bright-blue eyeshadow all over her lids for a fun little look.
This smudged eye makeup
Sure, this smudged-out eye makeup is still one of Lisa Bonet's signature looks, but there's no doubt that it definitely had a moment in the early '00s. The coolest thing about this smokey eye is that you don't need any brushes to recreate it—just smudge it out with your fingers.
This visible lip liner
The perfect addition to any early '00s lip gloss? Super-defined lip liner, as seen here on Mariah Carey. Bonus points for picking a shade slightly darker than your gloss.
The white inner-corner shadow
Inner-corner eyeshadow is obviously still a thing, but the early '00s took it to a new level. To really nail the trend, your shadow had to be brighter and heavier than the rest of your eye—like Kim Kardashian's bright-white hue here—and as unblended as possible.
This '00s glowy skin
J. Lo's glowy skin still remains a major trend, but in the '00s, it was less about contouring and defining and more about highlighting (think: matte foundation with a couple sweeps of warm powder).
This brick-red lipstick
Bright eye makeup wasn't for everyone in the '00s—celebs like Gwyneth Paltrow opted for light foundation, bare eyes, and deep, brick-red lipstick for a nice contrast.
This '00s pink eyeshadow
In the early 2000s, you couldn't go wrong with a few layers of candy-pink eyeshadow (and, okay, maybe a fedora to match if you were going for the full Nicole Richie effect).
This 2000s black eyeliner
All-over, inky-black eyeliner + pink lip gloss = a '00s makeup trend that not even Hilary Duff could resist. And, I'm sorry, but can we talk about this iconic poufy hairstyle for a sec?
The classic bottom eyeliner
When colorful eyeshadow wasn't an option, celebs like Ashlee Simpson went for a pop of color on their lower lash lines, like this lime-green look.
Ruby was the beauty editor at Cosmopolitan, where she covered beauty across print and digital. Her work has appeared on The Zoe Report, Fashionista, and StyleCaster. Follow her on Instagram.
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