After years of minimalist makeup, beauty is shifting back toward expressive looks in 2026, driven by consumer fatigue with uniform aesthetics and strong sales from bold products. Here's what you need to know...
Nostalgia for 2016 is influencing makeup again, tied to a desire for individuality after Instagram’s algorithm encouraged years of sameness and performance-driven beauty looks.
The “clean girl” aesthetic is losing relevance, as creator and consultant Rachel Lowenstein, who has 92,000 TikTok followers, says it limits self-expression.
Tarte shows bold makeup still sells, with Shape Tape (launched in 2016) continuing to sell and remaining a top-selling concealer brand.
For celebrity makeup artist Hung Vanngo’s makeup brand, bright colors account for about 50% of eyeshadow palette sales at Sephora, while red lipsticks are selling out, including the New York Red shade worn by Selena Gomez at the Golden Globes.
Anastasia Beverly Hills is leaning into the shift with Glidr eyeshadow sticks in 25 shades, betting that eye makeup will lead the next phase of experimentation.
A look back at 2025’s top-selling makeup shops on TikTok Shop shows consumers were already buying bold, high-impact products, paving the way for 2026’s return to expressive beauty.
Charm data below shows top-sellers and sales in the makeup category alone from January 1 to December 31, 2025 on U.S. TikTok Shop.
Total Revenue: $80.8M
Total Item Sold: 2.9M
Top Product: tarte colored clay CC undereye corrector ($15.6M)
Total Revenue: $15.1M
Total Item Sold: 547.0K
Top Product: Best of the Best Baked Starter Kit (3PC) ($2.0M)
Total Revenue: $12.6M
Total Item Sold: 1.1M
Top Product: LIP LINER STAY-N: Peel-Off Lip Liner Stain All Day & Night Lipliner with Hyaluronic Acid & Vitamin E ($8.1M)
Total Revenue: $12.6M
Total Item Sold: 458.6K
Top Product: ONE/SIZE Ultimate Blurring Setting Powder Full Size Blurring & Brightening Loose Powder ($4.0M)
Total Revenue: $12.3M
Total Item Sold: 1.1M
Top Product: Colossal Bubble Mascara, get Buildable Volume and Length for Bold, Separated Lashes ($6.6M)
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