2016 makeup is back, and honestly, I'm here for it. But I don't want the museum version. I want the sculpted cheekbones, the defined brows, the lifted liner and a real lip, without the parts that looked dry, heavy and stamped on in daylight.
Full glam feels fun again after years of barely-there skin tints and clear brow gel. Keep the structure, but make it lighter. Soften the edges and let your skin look like skin.
Pick the one thing that makes you feel most like you, and let the rest of your face play a supporting role with softer texture and cleaner edges.
Why 2016 Makeup Is Trending Again
The original 2016 beauty era was maximal: carved brows, matte liquid lipstick, warm transition shadow, cut creases, stripe contour, baking, champagne highlight, and enough setting spray to survive a concert. It looked fantastic under ring lights and Valencia-filter selfies. It was less forgiving under office lighting, flash photography, or real skin texture.
Back then, the look asked a lot from every product: thick concealer, powder everywhere, and lipstick that could feel uncomfortable by lunchtime. You can still get the same sculpted effect now with creamier contour, finer powder, and lip products that move with you.
Don't start over. Keep the shape, then take away one layer: use less concealer, powder only where you crease, or clean up just the brow tail instead of outlining the whole brow.
How to Make 2016 Makeup Feel Current
You don't have to make every feature dramatic. Pick one thing to really enjoy — a cut crease, a structured brow, or a defined lip — and let the rest be softer. Keep the sharpness where you want people to look; blend the rest until you can't see where the product starts and stops.
If skincare or sunscreen makes brow pencil slide around, do your brows first. Then do skincare, move on to your eyes while it settles, and apply foundation last. Build the base from the center outward, add concealer only where you need it, set the places that crease, then finish with lips and setting spray.
The easiest way to keep a soft-matte base from looking flat is to leave some glow on the cheeks and lids. You still get the polished 2016 effect, but your face doesn't look overworked.
See the 2016-to-2026 update in motion:
A Real 2016 vs. 2026 Glam Comparison
The useful part of Desi Perkins' split-face tutorial on Selena Gomez is seeing how little has to change. The 2016 side has more product, a fuller brow, stronger eye definition, and a clearly shaped nude lip. The newer side puts everything in roughly the same place, but the base is lighter and the edges are softer.
If you love the eye, keep the skin and lip quieter. If you're doing a sculpted cheek and a strong lip, make the eye less busy. In 2016, the brows, liner, lashes, contour, highlight, and lip were often all trying to be the accent at once. For a newer version, pick one or two features to lead.
Because in 2016, we didn't pick an accent — we picked all of them:
Want a quick before and after? Desi's Reel shows the contrast:
Watch a Full 2016 Recreation From Start to Finish
This is a helpful reference if you want to see the full original version: cut crease, matte base, contour, baking, all of it. Use it to spot the pieces you actually miss before deciding which ones you want to bring back.
Watch the full tutorial: cut crease, matte face, all of it:
Here is what is still worth borrowing from that full-glam routine.
What to Keep From 2016 Makeup
The best part of 2016 makeup was that it looked intentional. These are the bits worth bringing forward.
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1Keep the Brow Structure
Fill sparse spots with hair-like strokes, not one solid block. Leave the inner corner softer, then brush clear gel through the brow so you can still see skin between the hairs.
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2Keep Contour, but Move It Up
Place it just under the cheekbone, stop before the center of your eye, and blend upward. Choose a cool shade about two steps deeper than your skin so it reads as shadow, not a tan stripe.
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3Keep a Proper Cut Crease
Load concealer onto a flat brush, start at the inner corner, and draw the line along your crease. Keep that edge crisp, then add shimmer or glitter to the lid. Taupe, cocoa, and soft plum are especially pretty alternatives to orange-brown.
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4Keep the Wing, Just Shrink It
A smaller wing still lifts the eye without taking over the whole look. Keep the line thin toward the inner eye, soften the lower lash line, and let lash glue get tacky before placing falsies.
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5Keep the Lip Shape
Follow your natural edge, soften the liner inward with lipstick, and keep the corners clean. The goal is a defined lip, not an overdrawn one; if you go matte, a cool-toned liner keeps it fresh.
What to Skip From 2016 Makeup
You don't have to bring back the block brow unless you genuinely love it. A very squared inner corner can feel heavy in daylight, so start filling where your brow is sparse and leave the front a little softer.
If your skin is normal or dry, you will probably prefer targeted powder to a full under-eye bake. Baking can still help with an oily T-zone, stage makeup, or a long event. For brightness, press a tiny bit of HUDA BEAUTY Easy Bake Powder only where your concealer creases, then leave the rest alone.
Skip any matte liquid lipstick that cracks on you. A defined lip is still gorgeous; it just does not need to feel dry. Liner with a satin lipstick, stain, or gloss keeps the 2016 shape without the crumbly texture.
"If you want 2016 makeup, you need full-coverage foundation everywhere."
Tap to revealPut foundation or concealer where you want more evenness. Let the jaw, hairline, and outer cheeks have less product so the base does not feel mask-like.
"A matte finish can still look modern."
Tap to revealA matte finish can still look fresh. Keep the center of the face more matte, then leave a little light on the cheekbones and lids.
"A carved brow always makes makeup look cleaner."
Tap to revealA pale concealer border around the whole brow can look obvious. Try cleaning up only the lower tail, then blend that concealer into your eye base.
How to Modernize 2016 Brows, Contour, and Baking
Brows and Concealer
For brows, split the job into three parts: keep the front light, add little strokes through the arch, and give the tail a bit more shape. If you like a brushed-up brow, use clear gel after pencil so the pencil has something to grip. No pomade? A matte eyeshadow and small angled brush work beautifully on sparse spots.
For concealer, start with a shade close to your skin tone and brighten only if you want to. A lighter shade at the inner corner, outer corner, and beside the nose gives a lifted look without covering the whole under-eye area. If you want the full throwback brow, clean up the tail with a thin line of concealer rather than tracing the entire brow.
Contour and Bronzer
Find your cheekbone with your finger first. Place contour where the hollow begins, then blend it upward toward bronzer or blush. Keep bronzer and contour separate: bronzer warms the outside of the face, while contour creates the shadow.
Work cream contour into your brush or the back of your hand first, then use what is left to blend upward. A cool tone that looks almost gray in the pan usually reads more like a real shadow than a warm orange stripe.
Powder, Cheeks, and Highlight
For everyday, use a mini puff to press powder into the crease under your eye, beside the nose, and through the center of your forehead, then brush away anything left on the skin. Save a longer bake for a very oily T-zone, a night out, or the full throwback version.
Contour and powder can leave the face looking a little gray, so bring warmth back with a light touch of bronzer around the forehead and low on the cheek. Then add cream or liquid blush just above the apples and blend it toward the temple. If you want highlight, keep it small: the nose tip, inner corner, and brow bone are enough. Finish with setting spray so the powder settles into the skin.
Soften one edge instead: brush through the brow, blend the contour higher, or press away extra powder under the eye. That is usually enough.
For the complete throwback routine—from Dipbrow and Shape Tape to baking, strip lashes, and Champagne Pop—watch Allie Glines recreate it step by step:
A Small Kit for a Modern 2016 Look
You do not need a full drawer of products for this look. A brow pencil, cream contour, concealer, targeted powder, liner, and setting spray will get you most of the way there. Pick the pieces that suit the version of 2016 glam you actually want to wear.
The Six Pieces That Do Most of the Work
A brow pencil, contour, concealer, targeted powder, liner, and setting spray.
The fine tip makes it easier to fill sparse spots without turning the brow into one solid shape.
Cream contour gives you the 2016 sculpt with a thinner, more skin-like blend. Pick the shade by depth and undertone, not the name on the stick.
Use one thin layer for brightness and spot correction. Pick a shade that matches your skin or sits one step lighter, and blend it before it dries.
Press a tiny bit under the eye and around the nose. You get the brightened effect without a heavy bake.
A sharp felt-tip liner for a smaller, lifted wing. Keep the line thinner than the old Instagram wing and let your lashes do the rest.
A flexible way to set the look without recreating the old shellacked finish. It comes in a full size and a mini.
Your Modern 2016 Makeup Routine
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1Set the Brows, Then Prep
If skincare makes your brow product slide, fill and set your brows first. Then do your skincare, move on to your eyes and let it settle before foundation. Going full throwback? Fill the brows with a little matte eyeshadow instead of pomade.
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2Apply Foundation Thinly
Start in the center of your face and fade outward. Put the most blur on redness and pores. Your jaw, temples and hairline should get the least product. If your matte foundation is too light, mix in a second shade instead of adding more layers. Blend with a round, flat-top kabuki brush.
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3Brighten Where You Want It
Correct with a concealer close to your skin tone, then brighten only the inner corner, outer corner, and beside the nose. Blend before adding more. For the full throwback, use a brighter shade in a triangle under the eye and clean up the brow with a flat concealer brush.
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4Sculpt Upward
Load the contour onto your brush, not straight onto your face, then place it high and blend up into the cheekbone. Never drag it below the corner of your mouth and don't swap it for warm bronzer. The throwback version uses a cool, almost gray shade and sits lower on the cheek. For a modern face, keep it higher.
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5Powder Where You Need It
Press powder where your makeup creases or shines, then leave the outer cheek area alone so the base stays soft. For the full 2016 effect, bake under the contour and sweep away the extra with a big fluffy brush. Add bronzer around the forehead and low on the cheek, a light layer of powder blush, and a small highlight on the nose tip, inner corner, and brow bone. Finish with setting spray.
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6Build a Soft Smoky Eye
Shape a warm matte crease, then deepen it with a smaller blender and build the color by going back and forth between shades. For a crisp cut crease, load plenty of concealer on the brush, start at the inner corner, and do not over-blend the line. For a softer update, swap the sharp cut for a bronzer wash, a soft shimmer on the lid, and a smaller wing.
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7Line, Lash, and Define the Lip
Make the wing smaller, pick a wispy lash or a strong curl over a heavy strip, and use liner to refine your lip shape, not redraw it, before a satin lipstick or gloss. For the throwback version, keep the wing thin and crisp toward the front, use a light coat of mascara before falsies, and pair a matte lip with a cool-toned liner.
What Can Make the Look Feel Too 2016
Full glam can still look great. It usually starts feeling heavy when the layers are too visible: powder sitting under the eyes, contour left unblended, or brows that are much darker than the rest of the face. The fix is not necessarily less makeup — it is taking a minute to soften the edges.
You also do not need every nostalgic detail at once. There is nothing wrong with going fully throwback for a night out, but for an everyday version, choose two or three details you love. Try a sculpted brow, soft cut crease, and satin nude lip — or matte skin, lifted liner, and a glossy brown lip.
Best for: Anyone who likes a polished base without a shiny T-zone.
Try it like this: Use thin foundation, targeted powder, and setting spray to bring the layers together.
Watch out for: Too much powder can emphasize pores and under-eye lines.
What it is: A fully filled brow with a squared inner corner and concealer-carved border.
Try instead: Hair strokes, brushed-up texture, and a softer front third.
Why: It keeps the shape but feels less severe in daylight.
What it is: Lip liner slightly deeper than your natural lip, softened inward.
Try it like this: Use brown-rose, pink-brown, caramel, or cocoa liner with balm, gloss, or satin lipstick.
Why it works: You keep the shape without relying on a dry, gray-beige liquid lipstick.
Frequently Asked Questions About 2016 Makeup
2016 makeup is the full-glam style from the peak YouTube and Instagram beauty era: sculpted brows, a matte base, bright concealer, contour, baking, cut creases, winged liner, false lashes, highlighter and defined matte lips. In 2026 it's coming back with softer edges and lighter textures.
Yes, but as an edited version of full glam. You'll still see sculpted cheeks, defined brows, liner, lashes and shaped lips. The difference is sheerer base layers, softer borders and less powder.
Use the same structure with thinner layers. Go for hair-like brows instead of block brows, cream contour instead of powder stripes, a little targeted powder instead of heavy baking, a smaller wing, and lip liner with satin or gloss instead of a drying matte liquid lip.
Skip block brows, heavy under-eye baking, harsh contour stripes, chalky champagne highlight, very pale concealer lips and matte liquid lipsticks that crack. They make the look feel dated because they put texture and hard borders front and center.
Yes, if you pick one or two elements. For daytime, try softly filled brows, a small wing, cream contour and a defined lip with balm. Save the full cut crease, false lashes and heavier powder for the evening or photos.
Clean girl makeup is minimal, sheer, glossy and skin-forward. 2016 makeup is more structured: matte to soft matte, sculpted, and deliberately defined. You can borrow the 2016 shape while keeping the lighter texture and softer blending of a clean-girl look.
The Bottom Line
2016 makeup is fun to revisit because it does not pretend to be effortless. Take the parts you missed — the liner, sculpted cheek, and proper lip — and leave behind the parts that made getting ready feel like hard work.
Start with one or two details, then see how you feel. You can always add more, but you do not have to recreate the entire tutorial face for the look to work.
Use the parts you loved. Leave the parts that annoyed you.
