Blue Is Back, Baby — Here’s How To Embrace the Y2K-Inspired Beauty Trend

Updated:

30 Apr 2024

Jas is the Senior Content Specialist at Adore Beauty. Beauty admirer turned addict, Jas comes from a diverse media background with her words featured in The Age, Sydney Morning Herald and Broadsheet. A ‘culture vulture’, being across what’s trending is in Jas’ DNA. When she’s not putting her body on the line for “work”, she’s rummaging through vintage stores or binging Bravo.

I’ve got a case of the blues… of the beauty variety.

It all started with Emma Chamberlain’s iconic Met Gala makeup look last year. Then, the Cobalt NYX Vivid Brights Eyeliner landed on my desk. My algorithm, ever the snooper, picked up on my interest and began serving me 'Ice Princess' and 'Cold Girl' makeup trends. In January, no less—rude.

To top it all off, I stumbled upon the perfect cerulean blue cotton shirt while thrifting last weekend, only to later discover via a "very legit" TikTok colour analysis that it's MY colour.

Why didn’t anyone tell me?? You’re all booted from the group chat, immediately.

Just kidding… but seriously, where has this moody hue been my whole life?

Hiding behind all the black, perhaps.

ANYWAY, while I’ve been patiently awaiting the seasonally appropriate time to drop a blue beauty routine, the shade has been making its way across our screens to become *the* colour of the season.

From our beauty vanities to our wardrobes, it’s all about something blue.

A Bit More on Blue Beauty.

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A post shared by emma chamberlain (@emmachamberlain)

As a nineties baby, blue beauty defined my childhood.

Eyeshadow, mascara, liner, nails, glitter, clips—I slapped the shade on everything I could. I even convinced my parents to paint my bedroom wall aqua blue (a choice I’d come to regret for years to come).

So you can imagine my delight when the Y2K revival brought blue back.

Expanding beyond the frosty lids of the early 2000s, today’s blue beauty trends know no bounds with aqua, azure, cerulean, and sapphire looks all making waves.

Pinterest has also joined the party, predicting blue as this year’s most sought-after makeup hue, with searches for 'blue eyeshadow aesthetic' rising by 65% on the platform.

Which probably explains my colour-coded algorithm… that and the 24 million #blueeyeshadow posts over on TikTok.

Needless to say, it’s time to dive into a blue beauty routine.

Want to follow along at home? Tune into the below video for a step-by-step tutorial.

My Blue Beauty Routine.

Step 1. Base.

For the sake of time, I've skipped my complexion routine to focus on the eyes.

(But if you're curious, I'm wearing Estée Lauder Double Wear, MAKE UP FOR EVER HD SKIN ALL-IN-ONE PALETTE contour shades, MAKE UP FOR EVER HD Skin Concealer, and the elf Cosmetics Putty Blush in Tahiti.)

For everything else, I used the NYX Professional Makeup Ultimate Shadow Palette - Vintage Jean Baby

I also used a handful of brushes from the Adore Beauty Tools of the Trade 7-Piece Brush Set

You could start with an eyeshadow primer if you prefer. I typically don’t, as I find a swipe of concealer over the lids does the trick.

With a fluffy blending brush, I applied shade 12 (the cornflower blue) all over my lids, gently blending outward into my crease.

It's a light shade, so you may need a couple of applications for solid pigment.

Step 2. Crease.

Using a smaller, denser brush, I applied shade 9 (the muted blue) in my crease.

I have hooded eyes, so I like to extend my crease shadow slightly upwards and outwards in a triangular shape (see pic above) to elongate them and make them appear bigger.

With a small angled brush, I carried this shade along the outer edges of my top and bottom lashes, then used a fluffy brush to soften any harsh lines.

Step 3. Liner.

With the same small angled brush, I applied shade 16 (the electric blue) along the outer edges of my top lash line.

I find it easiest to stamp the shadow onto my lids to achieve clean, straight lines. Then I use the same brush to gently blend and soften the liner once I’m happy with its placement.

Step 4. Glitter!

Feel free to skip ahead if glitz and glam aren’t your thing. I'm a sparkle-holic, so obviously, I couldn't finish this look without at least a little bit.

I used my finger to apply shade 1 (the creamy glitter) onto the centres of my lids. I then applied a touch to the high points of my cheeks and nose for a little highlight.

Step 5. Final Touches.

To complete my eye look, I applied Benefit BADgal Bang Waterproof Mascara to my top and bottom lashes.

I've only recently discovered this mascara and I love it SO much.

It makes my lashes super long and wispy, and never clumps. My only qualm is that it does transfer a bit, but the way it makes my lashes look is worth it IMO.

For the finishing touch on my Y2K-inspired look, I leaned into the frosty vibes with the Huda Beauty Faux Filler Gloss in the shade Sugar Baby.

I couldn’t help but get my nails in on the trend too, and the essie Nail Colour - Aruba Blue proved the perfect choice.

It’s shiny (tick), fun (tick) and lasts (tick!).