10 Makeup Trends That Defined The Early 2000s

The 2000s makeup trends were very distinctive: Think heavy pink blush, ultra-thin arches, body glitter, and high-contrast lip liner. Here are the most iconic beauty looks of the era, as seen on stars like Britney, Christina, and Rihanna — prepare to feel a lot of nostalgia.

Heavy Blush

The 2000s was not a decade of subtle blush. Instead, people applied rouge to the cheeks with a heavy hand — the more color, the better. Take Mariah Carey as a prime example: Here, the star rocks a rosy color at a benefit event in 2004.

Pastel Blue Eyeshadow

Britney Spears was one of the top icons of the era and has worn pretty much every 2000s makeup trend you can think of — including frosted blue eyeshadow, showcased on her lids at a concert in Paris circa 2000.

Glossy Lips

In the early aughts, the trend was to carry around a tube of lip gloss (like a Lancome Juicy Tube) so you could keep your pout shiny all day long. At the 2001 MTV Video Music Awards, J.Lo sported the look, which matched her glowy cheeks and brow bone perfectly.

Super-Thin Brows

Christina Aguilera consistently wore one of the most staple 2000s beauty trends: overly-plucked brows. The singer’s pencil-thin arches were on full display during a 2002 performance in New York City.

Fully Lined Eyes

People went all-out with eyeliner in the 2000s: The trend was to make it dark, smudgy, and go all the way from the top to the bottom waterlines. Jessica Alba’s liner was the star of her makeup look at the 2002 Golden Globes.

Extra Bronzer

The 2000s called for lots of bronzer for a faux tan look. Case in point: Jessica Simpson at an MTV event in 2001 wearing tons of the product. Your makeup had to match your spray tan, after all.

Lip Liner

Visible lip liner remained a trend after its heyday in the ‘90s, but it was worn with lighter pigment lipstick in the early ‘00s. Rihanna wore a pale bubblegum-pink shade with her liner at the 2005 MTV Video Music Awards.

Frosted Everything

In the 2000s, people turned to frosted pigments for full shimmer — including on the lids, cheeks, and lips. Tyra Banks makes the makeup trend look icy-hot at an awards ceremony in 2007.

White Eyeshadow

Nicole Richie paired two of the decade’s biggest eyeshadow trends — complete with thin brows — at an event in 2002: pastel blue and white. Though blue lids have made a comeback, TBD on whether white pigment will experience a resurgence.

Body Glitter

The shimmer didn’t stop at eyeshadow — the 2000s was the decade of body glitter that people rolled onto their chest, arms, and legs. Ashanti showed off hers at Playboy’s 50th Anniversary celebration in 2003.