Out with the Clean Girl Aesthetic, No-Makeup Makeup trends, Maximalist fashion and beauty are taking over. This time last year, beauty trends have favoured a predominantly minimalistic approach. However there has been a transition to being unapologetically extra. Maximalist makeup thrives on utilising bold and vibrant colours and focusing on luminous skin and expressive beauty looks. This could be a result of the Clean Girl Aesthetic being interpreted as boring, identical, and lacking in and limiting identity, whereas people want to bring individuality, creativity and self-expression back into their looks.
Roots in Pop Culture: Zara Larsson the ‘Pop Princess’
In addition to the move away from the simplicity of the Clean Girl Aesthetic, cultural shifts and a desire for freedom are also major drivers in the shift towards Maximalist makeup. Fuelled by pop culture and amplified by social media, Midnight Sun artist, Zara Larsson has contributed to the rise of Maximalist makeup. From her statement styling including her iconic keychain belt, to her sparkly lids and rhinestone accents, her recent makeup tour looks, by her MUA Sophia Sinot, have been gaining lots of traction and noise due to her risky yet whimsical colour combos and creative placement.
Zara is always iconically drenched in colour, with her most memorable looks featuring expansive blush placement that sweeps over her nose, and doubles as contour. Maximalist makeup looks invites experimentation and personality, and seeing the ‘Pop Princess’ herself embrace bold colours and playful techniques inspires others to follow and excites fans to experiment too.
The Revival of 2016 Makeup
2026 isn’t the first year where we’ve seen the transformative power of makeup. Ironically, we’ve also seen it a decade ago, in 2016, where graphic wings, metallics and glitter, creative face art, and bright lips were the fundamentals, already making statement finishes. Maximalism is a continuation of this, with dramatic eyes, bold lips paired with strong eye looks (not one or the other), and a fusion of gloss, shimmer, and metallic finishes all in one look. The only difference now is that pigment is higher, impact is instant, and individual makeup products are now formulated to work together and blend better. These new and improved products including high-pigments creams, liquids and powders can create high-impact creative placement and saturated colour without easily wearing off or requiring multiple layers of application.
As the ‘Clean Girl Aesthetic’ may not be as prominent as before, it is still present and continues to influence style and beauty looks today. Even still, it works seamlessly with Maximalist makeup looks. Although this trend is more pronounced, it’s not seen as a replacement for the ‘Clean Girl’ makeup look – both aesthetics can coexist and compliment each other, depending on the vibe and the occasion. Ultimately, as a result of this upcoming trend is that there was a growing demand for something new, different, and more individualistic.
