Y2K makeup runs from a single dab of white shimmer at the inner corners of the eyes to full saturated blue lids with rhinestones scattered across the cheeks.
The rule that picks your look is how much of your face you want to be loud: choose one feature, whether lips, lids or lashes, and let everything else stay quiet.
Frosted shadow with glossy lips is the easiest place to start, and the toolkit section covers what to buy to get that shimmer.
1. Glossy Lips
Y2K lips were wet-looking and sticky-bright, and that shine does more than any lip color to date a look.
A clear or tinted gloss over a bold shade, like the red here, gives a liner-free, high-shine finish that reads as pure early 2000s.
I’d pick one shiny feature and let it lead. With a shimmery shadow already on the lids, glossy lips keep the face from looking busy.
Gloss slides, so blot once and reapply through the day.
2. Bold Blush
Blush placed high on the cheekbones and swept up and outward, almost to the hairline, gives that flushed, youthful look, and a hot pink pushes it further than a soft peach ever will.
Cream formulas blend fastest with fingertips, and they sit well under gloss.
My advice: build in thin layers. Pink pigment goes from fresh to clownish in one heavy swipe, so tap on a little, check the mirror, then add more.
With winged liner and glossy lips already in play, keep everything else quiet.
3. Frosted Eyeshadow
Pastel frost, like the icy blue here, is the shadow I’d start with if Y2K is new to you. The pearly finish catches light and makes the lid look wet.
Press it on with a flat brush or a fingertip rather than sweeping it, since pressing packs the pigment and keeps it from fading to a faint wash. A light base on the lid helps it stick.
Pair it with glossy nude lips so the eyes get all the attention.
4. Graphic Eyeliner
A double wing is a plain liner flick with a second line stacked above or beside it, and that repetition is what makes it graphic. Liquid or gel liner gives the crispest edge.
Draw the first wing, then place the second with a matching angle before you fill anything in. Glitter, such as a purple shade, goes on last, pressed over liner that is still slightly tacky so it grips and stays put.
Long false lashes can carry this much drama, but I’d skip heavy lip color alongside it.
5. Rhinestones
Small rhinestones around the eyes are the fastest way to make a look scream Y2K, especially against blue shadow. Cheek placement, as in this look, spreads the sparkle beyond the lids.
Use cosmetic-safe adhesive made for skin, not craft glue, and place each stone with tweezers. Start with a few and step back; a scattered handful looks deliberate, while too many gets crowded.
Remove them gently with oil-based cleanser before washing your face.
6. Body Glitter
Silver hair, gold moons and shimmer on the skin: body glitter works best when it looks like part of the glow rather than a layer on top. Fine glitter reads softer than chunky pieces.
Apply it over a gel or balm so it grips, and tap it on instead of rubbing, which drags it into streaks. Keep it away from your eyes unless the product says it is safe for them.
Expect it to travel, and plan to find some on your pillow.
7. Butterfly Clips and Headbands
Silver butterfly clips with dangling chains do the work of an entire outfit in a small space. Pinned onto 2 small buns, as here, they sit right at the top of the head, where the eye lands first.
I’d use 2 clips of the same size so the buns look matched, and let the chains hang free instead of tucking them in. Keep the makeup light, since the accessory is already the loudest thing on your head.
8. Inner Corner Highlight
Bright white at the inner corners of the eyes is a small move that opens the whole eye area. Here it sits alongside glossy lips and pink blush, so the face reads fresh instead of heavy.
Dab it on with a fingertip or a small brush, right in the tear-duct corner, and stop there.
A pearly white looks better to me than a chalky one, and a thin amount beats a thick one, which can look like a patch.
9. Blue Eyeshadow
Saturated blue across the whole lid is the boldest way to wear Y2K color, and the portrait here shows why it needs support: glossy lips and neat, defined brows keep it looking styled instead of costume-like.
Sweep it from lash line to crease in one even layer, then tidy the brows after you finish the eyes, since blue fallout can smudge them. I’d keep the cheeks soft and let the lids be the only loud feature.
10. White Waterline Eyeliner
White liner on the lower waterline makes the eyes look wider and wide awake, and mauve lipstick, as in this selfie, keeps everything else muted enough to let the eyes stand out.
Hold the lower lid down gently and draw a thin line along the inner rim.
Use a pencil made for the eye area, and don’t share it. It can fade or transfer, so I’d check the mirror again after an hour or so.
11. Spiky Clumpy Lashes
Spiky lashes on both the top and bottom rows, with a clean winged liner above, give the eye a deliberately separated, starry look. Clumps are the point here, not a mistake.
Coat the upper lashes, then while the formula is still wet, pinch a few together with the wand’s tip to form points.
Use the wand’s tip on the lower lashes too. I’d pick a lengthening black mascara, and I’d keep brows groomed so the eye stays tidy around the spikes.
Y2K Makeup Toolkit
Start with a shadow palette that moves between a light daytime shimmer and a bolder evening look.
Glittery shades, bright blues, shimmery pastels and foily finishes all belong in the mix, so check the pan colors before you buy. Urban Decay’s Naked Ultraviolet and ColourPop’s Baby Got Peach collection are 2 palettes worth a look.
For the mouth, pick a high-shine gloss with fine glitter particles.
NYX Butter Gloss and Fenty Beauty Gloss Bomb both fit. A frosted lip liner in a matching shade gives the pout a defined edge.
Add a liquid or cream highlighter and a small pack of face gems. Gems and mini butterfly clips run cheap at ColourPop and on Amazon, so a small order is enough to find out whether the look suits you.
Of course, no early 2000s getup is complete without a full face of makeup to match and there were certain products that were synonymous with the time. Think lots of pastel eyeshadows and super shiny baby pink lipgloss.
— Glam
Skin Preparation
Moisturize first and give it a few minutes to sink in. Skin that is hydrated before makeup goes on looks like a glow instead of a shine sitting on dry patches.
Then use a primer. It helps foundation blend smoothly and last longer, and an illuminating one adds radiance underneath everything else.
Pick a radiant finish over a heavy matte foundation. Layer in an illuminating primer, a liquid highlighter and a dewy setting spray, and the skin will carry the glow all day.
I’d choose a light foundation here. Thick coverage fights the luminous effect you just built.
Makeup Application Tips
Treat this look as play, not a test. Bright color is the point, so blend for effect instead of perfection.
One easy approach is a neon shadow on the lids, blended outward into a gradient. A dot of glitter or shimmer pressed onto the middle of the lid catches light and makes the whole eye look brighter.
A glossy lip in a bold, bright shade closes out the look.
Highlighter is the one place I’d stay deliberate. Pat the product once with a damp makeup sponge before you blend, and the shine settles into a softer glow.
