On TikTok, one of the most viral moments from The Summer I Turned Pretty is from season 3, episode 7 when Belly attends her bachelorette party. Her luminous complexion, rosy cheeks and lips, and dark smoky eyes stunned fans, prompting them to recreate the look for themselves.
One such content creator, Gretchen Schwent (@gretchytok), tells Teen Vogue, “This is the most intense makeup we have seen Belly wear in the entire show, and she pulls it off beautifully.” Julie Huang (@juliebabulieofficial) says, “It highlights and dramatizes Lola Tung's gorgeous features, it’s simple yet intense, and the scene is so pivotal and emotional,” she says.
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All it takes is black liner blended with warm brown, rosy blush at the center of the cheeks, and a dusty-rose lip. To get the look, Schwent suggests layering Saie’s Glowy Super Gel, Dew Bronze, and Dew Blush, then finishing with ILIA’s Clean Line Liquid Eyeliner, Maybelline’s Lash Sensational Mascara, and Benefit’s Benetint. “It’s a little messy in a stylish way, since Belly has been wearing it all day,” Huang explains.
The trend has also started much buzz about how Belly’s beauty isn’t just aesthetic — it’s storytelling. Each bare face, eyeliner wing, and tinted lip mirrors her emotional journey, captivating viewers with every turn.
Scroll on to read about fans' theories about how and why Belly’s makeup evolves across the seasons.
Belly's makeup in season 1
At 15 going on 16, Belly’s look is as natural as her story’s beginning. “She was meant to look fresh-faced, wearing very little to no makeup,” explains Schwent. Think glowing skin, a hint of blush, and lips kissed by a tinted balm — innocence bottled up in beauty.
“During the first episode, we see her at the exact moment everyone is starting to look at her differently,” says fan and creator Makayla Franks (@makaylaabigail). “When Conrad tells her, ‘I liked you better with glasses,’ it shows how he’s always seen her for who she truly is.”
Makeup artist Marcela Regina Grew (@marcelagrewmua) adds: “Season 1 Belly is very fresh, natural, and beachy. Even at the debutante ball, the makeup is more about innocence than drama.”
Belly's makeup in season 2
Season 2 brings Belly’s heaviest emotional weight yet: grieving Susannah. Her look becomes almost bare — just concealer, with nothing on her lips or cheeks. “Many viewers criticized the makeup as flat and colorless,” Schwent admits, “but I think that was the point. Belly’s muted look externalizes grief.”
Schwent imagines the reasoning: “Perhaps she only wore concealer to hide dark circles from the sleepless nights she spent mourning.” The absence of makeup becomes a narrative choice — showing Belly stripped of her light.
Belly's makeup in season 3
By season 3, Belly is older, in college, and beginning to heal. The Summer I Turned Pretty's makeup artist Tara Sall told Popsugar, "We knew Belly was more mature now — this is a time jump — and we wanted to show her coming into her own style. She still has her little signature things she likes to do. She's not try-hard, but you can tell she's now putting in effort."
Her look evolves into something sharper: defined brows, blush, and her now-viral soft cat-eye. “Seeing her after the time skip and after having discovered her makeup style was super cool,” says Huang. “The eyeliner wings, pink blush, and tinted plumped lip show her maturity and confidence — along with her new love and lifestyle choices.”
TikTok creator Jessica, best known as @faeryfolkk, often analyzes Belly’s character and sees tension beneath the beauty. “Season 3 shows Belly slowly losing who she is over time. Her outer appearance reflects her subconscious — trying to be Susannah’s doll, or embodying womanhood from Bye Bye Birdie.”
The turning point comes in Paris, when Belly cuts her hair. “She does it for nobody else but herself,” Jessica says. “It symbolizes cutting away those Bye Bye Birdie beliefs. She’s no longer trying to be Susannah or Kim — she’s ready to be herself.”
Belly’s beauty arc, completete with a bold red lip, proves that makeup in teen dramas is never just cosmetic — it’s character work. “As a woman, I can relate to her,” says Franks. “Wanting to be conventionally beautiful. But what’s evolving alongside her external beauty is her internal beauty, too.”
It’s that duality that makes Belly such a rare teen lead: a character whose glow-ups don’t erase the messiness of growing up, but embody it. As Grew puts it, “Sometimes the way we present ourselves tells our story before we even say a word.” And in The Summer I Turned Pretty, Belly’s makeup tells us everything.
Get the Look: Belly’s Makeup Must-Haves
Want to channel Belly’s beauty evolution yourself? Here are the products fans and creators swear by for her bachelorette look:
Glowy Skin: Saie Glowy Super Gel in Starglow, tinted moisturizer, and cream bronzer (like Dew Bronze in Swim).
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Blush & Flush: Saie Dew Blush (shades Baby and Chilly mixed), Benefit Benetint, or a dusty rose powder blush.
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Eyes: Ilia Clean Line Liquid Eyeliner in Midnight Express, Makeup Forever Aqua Resist Pencil in Graphite, NYX Jumbo Eye Pencil in black, neutral brown transition shadows, and Maybelline Lash Sensational Firework Mascara.
Lips: Clinique’s Black Honey Almost Lipstick, Makeup Forever lip liner in Wherever Walnut, or a rosy nude tint dabbed all over.
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