In 2024, the world of makeup is overtaken by dewy skin, heavy blush, minimal eye looks and simple lashes. In 2016, a full beat was the everyday norm. Beauty influencers like NikkiTutorials, Jeffree Star and MannyMUA ran the internet.
Regular people were dying to understand the perfect technique to achieve the sharpest cut-crease and Instagram eyebrow.
Why did we stray away from having fun with our makeup? When did it become socially unacceptable to wear a sunset-inspired eyeshadow look to run errands?
Modern Makeup
Makeup is a multifaceted art form. Besides being a creative outlet, it can be used to highlight your most favorite features and hinder the ones you hope no one else notices. This is the most functional form of makeup use. It’s a great feature that these products have but it feels that in current times, that’s all it’s used for.
Beauty tutorials seem to consist of similar techniques and final endings. The videos are focused on how to properly apply the products, which yes, can be very helpful, but the lack of artistic value is noticeable. Makeup videos are no longer entertaining rather than informative when we used to have both.
The Beauty of Color
Makeup is a form of art. You can portray yourself in any way you like by the way you decide to place the products onto your face. Edgy, proper, classic, fun. A deep smokey eye or a pop of color in your waterline can become the final touch for the outfit you feel was missing that special something.
You don’t need to consider yourself a professional or be able to create the most intricate looks in the world. Makeup should be about having fun. VALLEY recommends taking a risk if you don’t usually step out of your comfort zone. It can be something small, like a shade brighter of lipstick than you’d normally wear. The joy within it comes from looking in the mirror and knowing that through your makeup you can add a little bit of color to your look.
A Slight Resurgence
HBO’s hit series “Euphoria” brought about a slight resurgence with the use of creativity in makeup. The head makeup artist, Donni Davey, utilized colored shadows, rhinestones and glitter to portray the character’s personalities and current mental states.
Euphoria makeup took the internet by storm. Suddenly rhinestones on your face and colored eyeliner were all the rage. Donni Davey also released a makeup brand called “Half Magic” that allows people to buy glitters, shadows and other products similar to the looks done on the show. The brand is centered around fun makeup.
The “Euphoria” makeup kick didn’t last long, though. Once the series went on hiatus, so did the internet’s obsession with colorful makeup. Now, we have reverted back to the “clean girl” look. The “Euphoria” trend does go to show that the world wants fun makeup to come to the forefront but keeps getting pushed away by natural looks.
This is VALLEY’s official petition to make makeup fun again. Try out that new lipstick shade, add that glitter to your cheek and don’t be afraid to experiment with that colorful eyeshadow. Tag us in your fun makeup looks on Instagram @VALLEYmag!
