As beauty continues to evolve, we're shifting our focus from past makeup trends to what lies ahead. This spring, the Y3K trend - named after the year 3000 -has emerged as the next big thing in makeup.
While Y2K beauty celebrated soft glam with glossy lips and frosted eyeshadow, Y3K takes things into a futuristic direction. It blends high-shine finishes, iridescent hues, and avant-garde techniques, creating a look that feels both otherworldly and effortlessly chic.
Unlike the softer vibes of Y2K, this futuristic trend feels more cutting-edge, incorporating cool-toned pastels, bold graphic liner, and reflective textures that catch the light from every angle.
© @juliafoxLeading the charge with this new trend is a range of beauty content creators and brands such as MAC Cosmetics, who channeled their recent 'Ultra Violet' into the futuristic trend
H! Fashion spoke to MAC Cosmetics' Global Senior Artist Carly Utting, for the inside scoop on the growing makeup look.
Why has Y3K makeup started dominating makeup trends?
"We have begun to see Y3k makeup trends dominate the industry over the last year or so for a number of reasons. Makeup artists and creatives are looking to the future of style and makeup, how we can think forward to new exciting methods and aesthetic in how we present ourselves. Whether that’s through new technology within the beauty landscape such as AI makeup design or new formulas, it’s an exciting time within the industry."
© PintrestHow would you describe the key elements of Y3K makeup?
"Y3K doesn’t have just one defining feature, although texture plays a big part of its characteristics. It’s combining a blurry matte feature alongside something slick and glossy that gives it the edge. Embellishments are also a staple to the Y3K style of makeup, with charms, crystals and beads seen on the runway over the last few seasons being a key moment. Liner takes on different shapes and forms and is often seen in an unusual shape or unconventional application but always done with beauty in mind."
Where did MAC Cosmetics' Ultraviolet Y3K makeup trend come from and what was the inspiration?
"With Lavender and lilac featuring heavily on the catwalks during fashion weeks for 2 seasons in a row, ultraviolet trend was born from bringing backstage trend to the consumer through key products and new launches. M·A·C Strobe cream in Ultraviolet has seen huge success, combined with Magic Aura creates the perfect Y3K makeup.
© PintrestLavender is definitely a go to-shade along with silver. With lavender, depending on what it is combined with it can either be a holographic multi chrome lavender/blue eye with powdered skin or a powdery wash of matte lilac on the eye with a statement contoured glossy lip."
Which Y3K-inspired beauty products do you swear by?
"Strobe cream for me would be a staple essential in creating a Y3K makeup, its ability to transform skin into a AI like glow is incomparable. Products such as MACs squirt gloss gives the benefit of non-sticky high shine formula, combined with MAC studio Fix powder is a perfect Y3k texture story. A total fan fav for an uber metallic high shine lid is M·A·C’s Dazzleshadow Liquids, which come in a huge array of sparkly to metallic shades, the perfect adornment on the eye."
How can we create a wearable, everyday version of this signature Y3K trend?
"Creating a Y3K makeup at home can seem daunting, but in fact a few tweaks to your current regime can take it to the future. Keeping the eyes simple with a wash of frost and withholding a 'socket line' or eyeliner transports a makeup to the future and investing in a great quality foundation to illuminate and treat the skin is something we should be doing now not in the future."
With Y3K makeup, it's all about going against the norm. This year, perhaps embrace the idea of pushing the boundaries of experimentation and letting your individuality shine through.
