Beauty
16 Times Dua Lipa Proved She's The Queen Of Y2K Beauty
Pigtails? Check. Baby blue eyeshadow? Check.
From beehive hairdos to bondage bustier dresses and her recent penchant for the ’00s-style exposed thong trend, Dua Lipa’s style is that of a time-traveling chameleon. There’s really not a look that the “Levitaging” singer is too afraid to try, regardless of which decade it stems from. If you follow her, though, you’ll see that Lipa seems to favor styles from the late ’90s and early 2000s in particular — especially considering that she’s recently sported baggy low-rise jeans, head-to-toe cow print, and chunky platform flip flops. And her Y2K aesthetic isn’t exclusive to her fashion choices.
There have been countless instances that prove Lipa’s 2000s-era hair and makeup styles often make yesteryear’s less conventional beauty fads look cooler than ever, too. A pioneer of the return of bold money pieces and face-framing tendrils as well as pastel shimmery eyeshadow, the 26-year-old is the queen of masterfully evoking Y2K nostalgia. To name a few examples: Just look at her regular updos featuring antenna bangs and pigtails, hairstyles adorned with butterfly clips, and selfies rocking frosted blue lids. To honor the queen of Y2K beauty, Bustle rounded some of her best looks inspired by the era — keep scrolling for 16 times Dua Lipa nailed early 2000s glam.
1Bleached Tendrils
Ginger Spice donned the look in the early aughts, but the vivid money piece trend was arguably resurrected by Dua Lipa. Here, the star is seen wearing her bleached pieces down with the rest of her hair pulled back into a sleek bun on the night of the 2020 Grammy Awards.
2Butterfly Nail Art
Who could forget Lipa’s show-stopping butterfly dress from the 63rd Annual Grammys? No one. But did you know the singer also matched her makeup and manicure to the glittering gown? Alongside lustrous lilac eyeshadow, peep her fingertips to spot butterflies on each nail.
3Baby Braids
Along with fellow Y2K trend enthusiast Hailey Bieber, Lipa’s also a fan of the very tiny braid. She’s sported face-framing braided tendrils in the past, but this time the singer opted to make multiple tiny braids to wear atop the rest of her strands for some subtle nostalgia.
4Heavy Eyeliner
Lipa took the heavy black eyeliner 2000s trend (circa Avril Lavigne in “Sk8er Boi”) for a run and topped it off with an iridescent purple eyeshadow, high ponytail and an orange-tipped French-style manicure for the ultimate Y2K look.
5Spiky Bun
The 2000s-era spiky updo — a hairstyle Bella Hadid also loves — is one of Lipa’s go-to hairstyles. Here, she rocks the throwback look with the ultimate Canadian tuxedo.
6Blue Eyeshadow
This entire look is giving Powerpuff Girls in the best way. Along with multiple braids tied into one pony, Lipa rocks blue eyeshadow that matches her top for an iconic and very early 2000s-style monochrome moment.
7Half-Up Half-Down Hair
The half-up half-down hairstyle is an early-aughts classic, and it’s one Lipa regularly turns to. Here, the star shows the look pairs perfectly with face-framing tendrils pulled out in the front.
8Bedazzled Barrettes
It was basically a rule in the early 2000s that you had to own bedazzled hair accessories. Obviously, Lipa knows this: Here, she wore her hair parted down the middle with two oversized clips serving a nostalgic and eye-catching pop.
9High-Contrast Roots
The early aughts were enamored with high-contrast hair tones and middle parts. Lipa seamlessly wore a combo of both trends to the 2022 Grammys, complete with a chunky choker.
10Lava Lamp Nail Art
For yet another instance in which Lipa rocked early 2000s-inspired nails, this orange, red, and silver mani looked just like a lava lamp — the emblem of the early aughts.
11Messy Updo
The “messy” bun, especially when it features face-framing strands, is an early 2000s beauty staple — and one that Lipa dons like a pro.
12Baby Spice Pigtails
Lipa serves a fierce nod to Baby Spice with this high set of pigtails that gives off major 2000s nostalgia.
13Claw-Clipped Updo
Claw clips have maintained their hold on Y2K beauty enthusiasts (and their hair) for nearly 30 years, and it’s a trend Lipa consistently turns to.
14Square French Mani
Here, Lipa’s combination of glistening magenta makeup, hair clips, and a classic white French mani — complete with square-shaped tips — looks like it just walked out of Limited Too.
15Eye Gems
While face gems are currently associated with Euphoria, the trend really got its start in the ’90s and 2000s when stars like Gwen Stefani, Cher, and Jennifer Lopez wore the look. These days, Lipa shows the bedazzled glam is still incredibly chic.
16Braided Pigtails
This photo was not pulled from a Delia’s catalog — it’s just Lipa rocking Hit Me Baby One More Time braided pigtails and sparkly hair clips.
