6 of the Most Embarrassing Beauty Trends From the 2000s
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Ask any editor, industry expert, or acclaimed beauty 'guru' and they'll tell you that makeup — along with our approach to it — has changed quite significantly since the early 2000s. Just think about it: a decade or so ago, if makeup was your thing, then chances are we could find you copping some questionable looks from your favorite TV characters and pop stars, possibly over-plucking your poor arches, or liberally smearing on whatever variation of super-shiny lip gloss you could convince your parents to buy you. Frosted cream eyeshadow was the go-to party look, eyebrows were anything-but-bushy, and glitter was ubiquitous. In other words, it was an interesting time for makeup — and it certainly wasn’t all rainbows and butterflies.
But now we’re here, kids. 2016. It’s the age of rapid innovation, where trends go in and out overnight, social media stars are the new trailblazers, and cosmetic companies are constantly pushing out products that never cease to blow our minds. And TBH, most of the changes have been for the better. But! — and we know you all saw this coming — even with the plethora of progress we've made, there's no denying that we still have our fair share of struggles when it comes to makeup. For starters, can somebody please tell us when exactly the contour craze will wane?
Complaints aside, we’re here to help you every step of the way — and to poke fun at our past and present while we’re at it. With that said, scroll through for the skinny on some of the most prevalent makeup struggles from then and now. Let the nostalgia commence.
1/12Brows Then
In the early aughts, thin brows were (unfortunately) still trending, which meant that many of us suffered an unhealthy addiction to our tweezers. The ‘tadpole brows’ from the '90s were still widespread and there was nothing (we repeat: nothing) cute about it.
2/12Brows Now
Fast forward 10 or so years and we’ve finally made it to the opposite end of the spectrum: big, bushy, in-your-face brows. Any proper beauty buff knows the bold brow trend doesn’t seem to be going anywhere soon. So what’s the problem? Well, the issue used to be over-plucking, but now it’s over-drawing, over-concealing, etc. to the point where the brows end up looking far-from-natural. Case in point: There are even Instagram accounts devoted specifically to making fun of aggressive brow offenders.
3/12Lips Then
Lancôme Juicy Tubes, Lip Smackers, MAC Lip Glass, and any other product that offered an extreme dose of shine and smelled like fruit-slash-your favorite brand of soda was the way to go in the early 2000s. This left our lips smelling sweet, for sure, but they were perennially sticky.
4/12Lips Now
Nowadays, even though we have a myriad of lip products to pick from, we still struggle with appearance-altering trends like plumping or excessively over-lining the lips to achieve a fuller pout. Sadly, in many cases, people take it to extreme (read: dangerous) levels. Remember the ridiculous Kylie Jenner Lip Challenge, anyone?
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5/12Blush/Bronzer Then
An overall bronzed (i.e. heavily tanned) glow was the preferred look for many back then, but it often ended up reading way too extreme and well, fake. Blush was also piled on at no expense, resulting in a pretty colorful (a.k.a. clown-like) effect that ultimately wasn’t too flattering on anyone.
6/12Blush/Bronzer Now
Contouring is officially the trend that won’t quit. What started as a way to create some natural-looking dimension has turned into full-fledged madness. We’ve seen tontouring, clown contouring, henna contouring, strobing … the list goes on and on. And TBH, the problem isn’t the trend itself, but the way some people get too carried away with it, subsequently making it far from realistic for IRL. Even certain celeb makeup artists like Nick Barose and Pati Dubroff have openly addressed the fact that contouring can easily be taken too far.
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7/12Eyes Then
The frosted eyeshadow craze of the early 2000s was, in a word: alarming. Not only that, but thickly lined (read: raccoon) eyes were also popular. Why? We couldn’t tell you. What we do know: Both of these trends were about as universally unflattering as it gets.
8/12Eyes Now
Even with the help of beauty bloggers, YouTube tutorials, and user-friendly new products, the infamous ‘cat eye’ still remains one of the most arduous (and frustrating!) eye looks to achieve. The battle of trying to make both wings look the same alone is enough to send most people into a crazed Q-tip-and-makeup-remover frenzy. It’s no wonder so many don’t even bother — but remember that practice makes perfect, my friends.
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9/12Hair Then
I instantly tense up when I think back to the “über-trendy” zebra-striped highlights that donned the heads of so many just a decade ago. Who knows how or why hairstylists would let their clients walk out with such chunky highlights — we’re just glad it’s over now.
10/12Hair Now
While highlights and styles have undoubtedly improved two-fold since the early 2000s, there’s no denying that issues of cultural appropriation — especially when it comes to hair — are more prevalent now than ever ... from Ky-Jen’s cornrows, to girls donning "boxer braids" as if they're a new trend, to Miley’s dreads — and these are just a few examples. Don’t get us wrong: We’re not implying these celebs (or anyone else for that matter) mean any harm, but we do think it’s super important to show respect for all cultures — and that means not copping hairstyles specific to a certain culture and claiming them as new.
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11/12Self-Tanner Then
Everyone from Jessica Simpson to Christina Aguilera was self-tan-obsessed back in the day — which is fine! — except when it was taken to oompa loompa-like levels. Which unfortunately was quite often. That said, we must note in their defense that self-tanners are totally not what they are today.
12/12Self-Tanner Now
It’s no surprise that everyone still loves to look sun-kissed, but there are fewer mishaps these days, thanks to all the groundbreaking self-tan options we have now. That being said, with so much on the market, it can definitely be overwhelming to decide what’s right for your skin tone, type, etc. — and if you choose the wrong one, well it can definitely lead to disaster city. A total first world problem — we know. But we can’t be the only ones who find having too many options stressful at times.
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Oh damn that was only a few short years ago for me, but I think I'd tell myself to just chill and try my best to always live in the moment. College classes and trying to secure internships and all that ... Read More
