Beautiful Virgin Islands

Friday, Aug 07, 2026

10 Beauty Trends That Ruled the 2010s

10 Beauty Trends That Ruled the 2010s

Some of these makeup and hair looks are best left in the last decade, while others have become a part of beauty canon.

As we enter 2021 and officially situate ourselves in the 2020s, it's time to look back at the past decade's biggest beauty trends. The 2010s were a time of many transformations, especially in the realm of technology with the boom of social media. Beauty trends were no longer confined to the school hallways, runways, or feature films–they could be posted and shared by anyone on a global scale, and spread on platforms like Instagram, Tumblr, and Pinterest. Some of these trends have survived past the 2010s, becoming staples of the beauty industry in our new decade, and some we'd rather leave behind. Here, L'OFFICIEL revists 10 beauty trends that defined the 2010s.

                                                

Smokey Eye


How could we ever forget the raccoon eye trend? The heavy smokey eye was featured everywhere–red carpets, Ke$ha music videos, in high fashion magazines–making that "still wearing last night's make-up" look seem cool. Though there might have been a time and place for this trend, we've evolved into a more subtle smokey eye that's much more flattering for the everyday.

                                                

Ombre and Dip-Dyed Hair


In the early 2010s, you couldn't log onto Facebook or Instagram without seeing a girl you knew with ombre hair. From subtle and strategic lightening of the ends to dramatic and colorful DIY dip-dyes, celebrities to middle school girls alike participated in this trend.

                                            

Full Eyebrows


Before the 2010s, overplucking was the name of the game. Then society did a sharp 180, with supermodel Cara Delevingne and others sporting natural, full brows. Big brows were back (much to the dismay of everyone who suddenly had to magically undo years of plucking). This trend continues to stick around, with the laminated brow Instagram trend and many models wearing messy, au naturel brows.

                                            

Dark Lipstick


Emo and goth fashion became wearable in the 2010s, thanks in part to Tumblr's influence. Along with dark eyes, dark lipstick took runways by storm. Though this bold look can be glam, it's not always the most practical.

                                            

Beachy Waves


If the everyday goth look wasn’t for you, chances are you probably followed all the Victoria’s Secret models and subsequently tried to replicate their main hair trend of the 2010s: the beachy wave. Somewhere in between straight and the curling iron, it's that (not so) effortless look that’s withstood the test of time.

                                            

Overlined, Matte Lips


This was not the poppin' lip gloss Lil Mama sang about in 2008. The 2010s traded in Juicy Tubes for a matte finish and overlined lips. Neutral and brown-toned lipsticks became the go-to colors, and Kylie Jenner's Lip Kit sensation took the world by storm.

                                            

Heavy Contouring


Before there was a Kardashian beauty line by nearly every Kardashian family member, there was Kim Kardashian's contour. As the reality star rose to fame, so did her full face contour, and soon enough, contour, extreme highlight, and face baking became key steps to achieve an Instagram-ready face beat.

                                            

"No-makeup" Makeup


Somewhere in between dramatic eyeshadow, contour, and the Kylie Lip Kit came the "no-makeup" makeup look–makeup designed to make it look like you're not wearing any. It usually consists of a combination of lip balm (preferably Carmex), Mario Badescu's Rose Facial Spray, and maybe some BB cream or Glossier products. Though the end of the 2010s witnessed some dramatic Instagram make-up looks (à la Kylie Jenner), the "no-makeup" makeup look has persevered, with a hyper focus on skincare and natural glam over the past few years.

                                                

The (Overly) Tanned Look


We can't forget the phenomena of The Jersey Shore in the 2010s. It both demonstrated (and perhaps advocated for) the tanned look that was all the rage for a while. With that came the rise in self-tanner and tanning booths, which resulted in big health risks.

                                                

Extra Nail Art


Making your nails pop was a big thing in the 2010s. With the emergence of customized patterns, manicures were all about being extra and artistic. Nail art has evolved since, and now nail art conitnues with at-home products making manicures more accessible than ever.

Newsletter

Related Articles

Beautiful Virgin Islands
0:00
0:00
Close
HMRC’s 2029 Tax Shift Could Overlap Old and New Self-Assessment Bills
Thetford Disorder Prompts Expanded Police Powers Amid Asylum-Housing Protests
Cambridge Faces Calls for Independent Review of Jason Arday Appointment
Scotland’s ‘Cock of the North’ Woodland Is Being Felled After Wind Damage
Reform UK and Greens Unite Against Vast Solar Plans for Kent Marshland
New Zealand Draws Wealthy Americans With Revamped Investor Visa
Senate Panel Votes to Hold Anthony Fauci in Contempt After Fifth Amendment Testimony
Cambridge Professor Jason Arday Resigns as University Opens Inquiry Into His Credentials
Manchester Power Failure Disrupts Trains Across North West Into Friday
Lightning Strike Kills Yala FC Player During Match in Southern Thailand
Senate Scrutinises AI-Driven Personalised Pricing
Spain Seeks Mainland Transfers for 1,100 Children Stranded in Ceuta
Spain and Morocco Trade Blame After 72,000 Migrants Enter Ceuta
Met Police Investigated Journalist Who Questioned Cambridge Professor
Badenoch Defends Tory Candidate Jailed for Antisemitic Abuse of Luciana Berger
NHS Spends £240m a Year Storing Paper Records Despite Digital Push
Apple Seeks Court Order to Stop OpenAI Using Alleged Trade Secrets
Breaking With the Past: One of the World’s Smallest Countries Changes Its Name
AI Is Remaking the US Economy, From GDP Growth to iPhone Prices
Comcast: Tied to a Chair and Hit in the Face With Cake: The Regular Humiliation Ritual at the US Corporate Giant
Aston Martin Faces Legal Threat Over £550m Rescue Deal
Reform UK Wants the Royal Navy to Return Channel Boats to France
US and Japan Step In to Support the Yen in Rare Joint Intervention
The AI Pricing Problem: Companies Cannot Predict Their Own Bills
Europe’s Heat and Drought Are Now Disrupting Power, Shipping and Tourism
Apple’s OpenAI Lawsuit Becomes a Public Fight Over AI Hardware
UK Man Jailed After Keeping His Mother’s Body in a Freezer and Claiming £78,000
A SpaceX Rocket Is About to Crash Into the Moon — and Scientists Hope to Watch
World War II munitions discovered after wildfires in southern France
BP profits reach four-year high amid Middle East conflict
Europe’s Drying Rivers Trigger Power Cuts, Factory Shutdowns and Wildfire Emergencies
Nigel Farage Expresses Openness to Potential Alliance with Restore Britain
Triple Lock Lifts UK State Pension but Leaves a Wider Retirement Gap
Danube Drought Forces Hungary’s Paks Nuclear Plant Into Full Shutdown
Ceuta Death Toll Rises as Spain and Europe Clash Over Border Response
Cuba’s Grid Fails Again as Fuel Crisis Deepens
Nazca Lines Flight Crash Kills Thirteen as Peru Suspends Aerodiana
Modern Slavery Decisions Broaden the Al Fayed Inquiry’s Frame
FIFA’s Retreat Leaves a Larger Question Over Who Guards the Game
Two Firefighting Crew Members Die in Helicopter Collision West of Athens
Ceuta Border Surge Recasts Europe’s Migration Debate
Burnham Promises a Harder Channel Response as Crossings Test His New Government
Finland Deploys Commercial-Scale Thermal Batteries Using Crushed Rock to Store Renewable Grid Energy
Valued at $109 Million: F-35B Fighter Jet Crashes in Southern California
Andy Burnham has Announces Plans to Redistribute Income Tax Revenue to English Mayors
Early-Release Scheme Faces Fresh Scrutiny as Reoffending and Prison Recalls Rise
Police Phone Checks Followed Report on Murder of MI5 Agent Inside Sinn Féin
Archbishop of Canterbury Reaffirms £100 Million Reparative Justice Fund During Ghana Visit
Drought Status Extended Across All of Wales as Heat and Dry Weather Deepen Environmental Strain
Record-Low Danube Exposes Probable Mammoth Remains in Bulgaria
×