How makeup trends have changed over the last 5 years

I’m sure you’re all very well aware that makeup trends change from year to year, but have you ever wondered exactly how the trends change over time? One of our wonderful readers was kind enough to share a few images highlighting how makeup has changed within the past 5 years. Since I have no life and love looking at pictures on the internet, I looked into it for you guys!

If you’re not a fan of people wearing makeup, this article might be hard to stomach. Makeup is just my brand of fun, so if you want to jump down to the actual pictures and analysis scroll down a little ways. If a girl in a full face of makeup leaves you feeling all giggly inside, then read on!

To sum it up: There’s been a huge trend of minimal makeup over the past year or two. While just five years ago we were all about heavy contouring and dramatic smokey eyes, now we prefer to highlight what we already have and keep it more natural looking. 

Before I get into this, I want to point out that these trends are in no way scientific or representative of the entire world. This is just one girl’s interpretation of how makeup has changed over the years. That being said, it’s still fun! Here we go:

The Before with heavy contouring and shimmery eyeshadow

The After with minimal makeup and a bit of a natural glow

I left the lip color alone because I think it’s very relevant to this article. It was a dark red matte lipstick, but just five years ago it would have been unheard of to have such a boring and subtle lip color. In fact, these days we’re shying away from anything that isn’t creamy or sparkly.

The Before with caked on foundation and bold eye makeup

The After with a light dusting of powder and natural looking eyes

5 years ago it was trendy to have your face completely covered in foundation, going with a very heavy hand in applying it to the eyelids/eyelashes as well! These days, not many of us wear foundation on our eyelids…it’s just too much. We’ve all come to agree that eyeshadow is the perfect replacement for foundation when you want your eye makeup to be really bold and bright.

The Before with winged eyeliner and dark red lipstick

The After with winged eyeliner and a pink lip stain

Looking at this comparison, it’s actually pretty incredible how much the trends have changed in just five years. Not to say that we’re against dark lipstick because there are still lots of people out there wearing it – but over all, bright red lips are kind of passe. This is where I should remind you that just because girls are wearing minimal makeup now, it doesn’t mean that you should feel bad if you still love a smokey eye or a bright pink lip. Just try to keep in mind that this is what’s going on out there.