Popular Makeup Trends of the 2010s

Most 2010s makeup trends are still popular among makeup stylists and consumers today. But one thing is certain: the decade saw numerous transformations, particularly with the rise of social media.

Makeup and fashion trends were no longer limited to movies, red carpets, or television. Beauty influencers and makeup artists started their own YouTube channels and social media accounts. Because of advancements in technology, the average makeup user now has easy access to professional advice from top makeup artists and brands.

Top Makeup Trends of 2010

Smokey Eye

At the beginning of the decade, formal occasions and evenings necessitated dark, smoky eye makeup. Before she became a music sensation, this was Taylor Swift’s distinctive look. Black or gray eyeshadow that has been buffed out is a timeless and undeniably seductive look.

Beaming Highlighter

Highlighting is the best way to use contouring. It is the opposite of contouring and the best way to use it. It almost makes things worse. Instead of using shadows to make a part of the face stand out, it uses bright, shiny colors. Illuminator has never been more popular, and beauty junkies often use phrases like “highlighter you can see from space” to describe it. This trend can work with any beauty routine, from a soft, natural glow to a metallic shine that sparkles from across the room.

Big Brows

Over the last ten years, eyebrows have gone from being an afterthought to a big deal. Brow makeup in general has become very popular, and services like threading, waxing, microblading, and laminating are booked like manicures. Even though there has been a lot of nostalgia for ’90s fashion this decade, skinny brows haven’t made a comeback like scrunchies, brown lipstick, and French manicures have. Eyebrows that are big, bold, and bushy are here to stay.

Contouring

Do you ever wonder how the Kardashians manage to have such perfect bodies? This has nothing to do only with Photoshop. It’s called “contouring” in the makeup world, and it’s a way to define and highlight parts of your face to get the shape you want. With this method, creams, powders, and brushes are used to blend and chisel the face and even some parts of the body to give an otherwise flat base depth and definition. Kim Kardashian liked the idea so much that she made her own Contour Kit and sold it through her KKW Beauty line. In typical Kardashian fashion, it sold out right away.

Overlined Lips

Overlined lips are the result of a desire for perfectly shaped lips (which liquid lipsticks make possible) and a desire to make optical illusions with contouring. This look is a combination of two trends. Kylie Jenner helped start this bee-stung look because everyone with an Instagram account wanted to look like her. You only need lip liner and to draw outside of the lips’ natural shape to make them look bigger.

All-out Eye Shadow 

In the 2010s, people’s expectations for what they could do with their makeup went through the roof because there were so many makeup tutorials online. Girls as young as in their teens could learn how to do makeup looks that used to require going to school to learn. It seems as simple as knowing how to connect your phone to your Bluetooth speakers to know how to make a perfect eyeshadow look that gives the lids depth and shape. When you think about how popular winged eyeliner and fake eyelashes (or maybe even eyelash extensions) are, it’s easy to see that eyeshadow has never been more popular.

Bushy Brows

The early 2000s were all about thin, arched brows, but thankfully, the 2010s were all about bushy, natural-looking brows. People are now drawing on their eyebrows to make them look fuller and stand out more than ever. This is one trend we hope never goes away—RIP to all the brow hairs we plucked out in the early 2000s that still haven’t grown back.

Dewey Skin

This decade saw the rise of ultra-snappy, unapologetically over-the-top makeup looks, as well as their opposite, the no-makeup makeup look. The “less is more” philosophy of the trend went for a simple look that brought out the natural features of the face and even showed off some flaws. The trend started with dewy skin, which uses dewy base products, facial oils, and glossy highlighters to make skin look healthier and younger by giving it a glow that seems to come from within.

“No-makeup” Makeup

The “no-makeup” aesthetic appeared somewhere between dramatic eyeshadow, contouring, and the Kylie Lip Kit. It consists of makeup that makes it appear as though the wearer is not wearing any. BB cream or Glossier products may also be included. Even though there were some spectacular makeup looks on Instagram at the end of the 2010s (such as Kylie Jenner’s), the “no-makeup” look has remained popular in recent years, with an emphasis on skincare and natural glam.

Tanning

Who could forget the popularity of The Jersey Shore in the 2010s? It encouraged women of all ages to appear tanned, which made it a tremendous hit. However, the proliferation of tanning booths and self-tanning creams has also led to health issues.

K-Beauty

In the 2010s, pretty much everything Korean took off, including tourism, fashion, music, TV shows, movies, and, of course, beauty. The makeup style, with its “glass skin” and “gradient lips,” was a nice change from Western makeup, and beauty addicts all over the world loved it. K-Beauty also started things like face masks, cushion compacts, and pimple patches as new ways to take care of your skin. Now, you can find Korean beauty brands like Innisfree, COSRX, Dear Klairs, Banila Co., and more at almost every mall and online store, which wasn’t the case ten years ago.

Nail Art 

Simply coloring your nails was not enough in the 2010s. Including nail art in your makeup routine was a popular trend among teenagers and middle-aged women alike. Thanks to customized manicures, nail art technology, and a plethora of designs, picking your favorite nail art has never been easier. Many of us still enjoy dabbling in this trend with at-home nail-art supplies.

2010s Top Makeup and Fashion Icons

Zooey Deschanel

Everyone honored the decade in their own unique way, from Hollywood stars to TV personalities and fashion icons. Even celebs were pleased to embrace their individualism and exhibit various red carpet outfits. These trends contributed to defining cosmetics and beauty trends of the 2010s.

Let’s take a look at the cosmetics and fashion industry’s trendiest and most prominent names of the 2010s.

Zooey Deschanel 

Zooey Deschanel was the fashion queen at the beginning of the 2010s. Who knew it was so cool to dress like your grandmother? Before Deschanel walked around in her peter pan collar blouses and midi dresses, we had no idea. Early in the decade, the quirky style quickly became popular. Over time, her style was replaced by things like puffy sleeves, floral prints, and big knit sweaters.

Her usual makeup look was to color the apples of her cheeks with a pink cream blush. She also used a lot of rosy-colored lipstick and gloss in the same color to make her lips stand out.

The Kardashians 

If you go back to the middle of the 2010s, it seemed like the Kardashians ran the fashion world. The sisters were without a doubt one of the most important celebrities. They had a big effect on fashion and beauty for the whole decade. You won’t be surprised to hear that Kim Kardashian won the first Influencer Award from the Council of Fashion Designers of America. Kylie Jenner has become a street style icon, and Kendall Jenner has become a supermodel. Other family members have also made a lasting mark.

The Kardashians changed how we thought about makeup, contouring, and bodycon dresses. They deserve a lot of love and respect for starting some of the beauty and make-up trends of the decade.

Chiara Ferragni 

Ferragni, a name from the beginning and middle of the 2010s, was one of the first bloggers. This famous person did a lot of firsts that no influencer could ever hope to do. She started her own record label and wrote a book about how to blog. She also put out a movie about what it’s like to be an influencer.

If you really like the makeup styles of the last ten years, you should check out her makeup collection and see how she does her makeup every day.

Former Duchess Meghan 

The American actress who is now the Duchess of Cambridge was not always a style icon. Before she became a princess, she had a very different style. But she soon got a lot of attention in the fashion world when she stopped wearing jeans and t-shirts and started wearing gowns and pleated skirts.

Since it became public that she was going to marry Prince Harry, she has gotten a lot of attention for her royal-worthy clothes. No matter what she wore, it was the talk of the town. Her soft makeup look was made up of colors that were light and pastel. We didn’t see Markel with a lot of contouring or a “baked” look very often. Even at her wedding in 2018, she liked to look natural and didn’t wear any makeup. She appeared to be straight out of a fairy tale.

Conclusion

In many ways, the 2010s were the beginning of a lot of new trends. With technology changing quickly and people finding better ways to make things, companies have made a number of revolutionary makeup products.