Want Y2K Beauty Inspiration? Look No Further Than These Iconic Red Carpet Moments

Y2K beauty, in all its peak pop culture glory, is back. At the turn of the millennium, as technology took off at warp speed, the minimalism and grunge that dominated the ’90s gave way to flashy hues, metallic shine, and unabashed individuality. “In the 2000s, fashion began to mean more than one thing to more than one kind of person,” explains Vogue’s Hamish Bowles in the In Vogue: The 2000s podcast series. From iridescent makeup to cyber-inflected hairstyles, these expressive, era-defining beauty looks lived their best lives on red carpets and onstage at awards shows like the MTV VMAs. 

As TikTok’s obsession with #Y2K (currently at over 6 billion views) reaches feverish new levels, there’s no better time to look back at the pioneers of this aesthetic. From Beyoncé to Britney Spears, the era’s stars served up chunky streaks, frosted lids, and chromatic lips with aspirational levels of irreverence and swagger. Whether you lived through the noughties or not, here scroll through a myriad of Y2K beauty looks sure to stoke your nostalgia and sustain your moodboards.