If you miss the unapologetic glitz of Y2K makeup looks, you’re not alone. Along with creating choreography for the latest Britney Spears single and staying up late to watch the newest episode of One Tree Hill, Y2K makeup is without a doubt one of our favorite throwbacks. Like all the best ones, it’s now making its way back into our makeup bags.
“We’ve been in this place of skincare-driven beauty looks for so long that I think people want a return of some frivolity,” says Sara Wren, our Director of Artistry.
The revival of Y2K makeup trends comes with all the beauty frivolity you could ask for: high shimmer, cool tones, and super shiny lip gloss. “It was definitely a time of more is more,” says Sara. The ultimate way to bring this aesthetic into your current makeup routine? Use our most versatile product: Milk Makeup Color Chalk.
For those new to Color Chalks, they’re our handmade eyeshadow sticks that come in a range of stunning metallic hues. Sara’s top picks for the most stellar Y2K eye makeup vibes include Freeze (a supermodel-esque silver), Hula Hoop (a Baby Phat frosty lilac), Dodgeball (dusty pink fit for Zenon), and Yo-Yo (a Zoolander-y cobalt). You can definitely add Skip It (a perfectly Paris Hilton-esque pink) and Green Light (a rich emerald fit for a pop queen) to that list, too.
We designed Color Chalks for unlimited creativity, but if you’re wondering how to give them a more 2023 spin on Y2K makeup, there are a few different ways to apply them. Sara recommends creating a smooth, primed surface on your eyelids with our Hydro Grip Eye Primer. This extra step will ensure that your Color Chalk of choice appears as bright and twinkly as possible. From there, you can glide the pigment directly onto your lids and blend out the edges with a fluffy eyeshadow brush. For a more diffused, ethereal effect, she suggests dusting the Chalks onto your brow bones and cheeks with a fan brush.
Can't have Y2K looks without glossy lips, and our Odyssey Lip Oil Gloss gives you that throwback look with its super shiny, semi-sheer hues, without that sticky-icky, drying feel lip glosses used to have 20 years ago. We added jojoba oil and goji berry extract to make sure your lips stay moisturized when you swipe it on—with or without lip balm.
Take cues from our team. We tried 15 ways to wear our favorite 2000s-inspired makeup looks. Read on to get inspired.
Pop Star PinkWHO TRIED IT: Rie Verna (she/her), Social Media Marketing Intern GET THE LOOK: Hydro Grip Primer, Vegan Milk Moisturizer, Bionic Glow in Reality, Future Fluid Concealer in 21 & 23W, Bionic Bronzer, Lip + Cheek in Rally and Flip, Highlighter in Lit, KUSH Mascara, Infinity Long Wear Eyeliner in Limitless, Hydro Grip Set + Refresh Spray, and Odyssey Lip Oil Gloss in Soul Search. So many things come to mind when I think of Y2K…The Cheetah Girls, Hannah Montana, Destiny’s Child, Christina Aguileria—pop stars! I was inspired by a mix of (early) Rihanna and Britney Spears 2000s red carpet makeup looks for this, so I leaned into soft, shimmery pinks, updating the look with a more 2020s glowy base. I started with Hydro Grip Primer, then I mixed Vegan Milk Moisturizer with Bionic Glow in Reality to give my face allover radiance. I evened my complexion with Future Fluid All Over Cream Concealer in 21W & 23W before bronzing with Bionic Bronzer in Invincible. I brought some more of that rosy color to my face by combining Lip + Cheek in Rally and Flip to my cheeks, and added more dimension to my look with Highlighter in the shade Lit. |
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Brown Smoky EyeWHO TRIED IT: Bryanna Strickland (she/they), Social Media Marketing Intern. GET THE LOOK: Hydro Grip Primer, Hydro Grip Eye Primer, Matte Bronzer in Blitzed, Lip + Cheek in Werk, RISE Waterproof Mascara, Pore Eclipse Matte Setting Spray, Odyssey in Trek. For my Y2K makeup look, I went with a brown smoky eye and a shimmery red lip. Normally, when people think of Y2K, they think about bubblegum pop, but I wanted to show another side of the early aughts. I loved looking at R&B artists like Kelly Price, Destiny’s Child, and Amerie served back then—they’re who inspired this beat. I started with Hydro Grip Primer on my face and Hydro Grip Eye Primer on my lids and under eyes. Then, I contoured my cheeks with Matte Bronzer in Blitzed and used a makeup sponge to buff in Lip + Cheek in Werk. I wanted to achieve a dramatic smoky eye look, so I took a brown eyeshadow and applied it to my lids, intensifying it with a darker shade of brown. I finished my eyes with RISE Waterproof Mascara. To finish off that Y2K vibe, I used a brush to line my lips with Matte Bronzer in the shade Blitzed and then used the Odyssey Lip Oil Gloss in Trek to get that shimmery semi-sheer shine hallmark of the era. |
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Purple Smoky EyeWHO TRIED IT: Jihan Forbes (she/her), Editorial Manager GET THE LOOK: Pore Eclipse Primer, Hydro Grip Eye Primer, Hydro Ungrip Cleansing Remover + Cleansing Water, Infinity Long Wear Eyeliner in Outer Space, KUSH Mascara, KUSH Brow Shadow Stick in Grind, Future Fluid All Over Cream Concealer in 22NW, Lip + Cheek in Quickie, Odyssey Lip Oil Gloss in Voyage. I was obsessed with smoky eyes in the 2000s. Was I good at doing them? No! But I'm happy to report I've since improved. Back then, I did my smoky eye more emo style, but this time, I wanted to do something far more glam. For this update take on a Y2K classic, I wanted to go for a shadow that was way more high-impact than the ones I remember from the early aughts. I started by priming my face with Pore Eclipse Mattifying Primer, then swiping a bit of Hydro Grip Eye Primer on my lids and under eyes. I took a black cream shadow stick and applied a few short strokes to my lids, then blended it out. I kept building up the black base and blending it out before using my finger to apply a dimensional purple eyeshadow. After buffing and blending more of the black and purple shadows out, I cleaned up the edges with a cotton swab soaked with Hydro Ungrip Makeup Remover + Cleansing Water. I added more intensity to my eyes by tightlining them with Infinity Long Wear Eyeliner in Outer Space, then adding several generous coats of KUSH Mascara to my lashes. I filled in my brows with a little bit of KUSH Brow Shadow Stick in Grind, then shaped and locked it all in with a tinted brow gel. I applied a glowy tinted sunscreen all over my face, then a little Future Fluid All Over Cream Concealer in 22NW to hide my dark circles. On my cheeks, I used a brush to buff in Lip + Cheek in Quickie. I saved the lips for last. I started with a dark eggplant lip liner, filling my lips ever so slightly to amp up the gloss I was going to add over it. Of course, I reached for Odyssey Lip Oil Gloss in Voyage, a blackberry hue that complemented the liner perfectly. I tried to give an updated version of this matte purple look I love. This one is chrome, futuristic, and perfect for the 2020s! |
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Classic Smoky Eye + Clear LipsWHO TRIED IT: Shruti Dube (she/her), Creative Project Manager GET THE LOOK: Hydro Grip Primer Future Fluid in 15NW and 14N, Matte Bronzer in Blaze, Lip + Cheek in Smirk, Color Chalk in Tag, Infinity Liner in Outer Space, RISE Waterproof Mascara, Brow Lamination Gel in Clear. Black, smudgy eyeliner and clear, glossy lips are a staple look of the early 2000s. For my take on Y2K makeup, I wanted to recreate the look that marked so many of the decade’s iconic pop culture moments. Whenever I do eye makeup, Hydro Grip Eye Primer is a must, so I started by priming my lids and crease with it. Then, I applied Color Chalk in Tag to give me a shimmery base. Then, I lined my lids with Infinity Long Wear Eyeliner in Outer Space and smudged it out. After finishing my eye makeup, I primed the rest of my face with the Hydro Grip Primer, followed by coats of the Future Fluid All Over Cream Concealer in 15NW on my undereyes and any hyperpigmentation on my face. I added warmth to my cheekbones with Matte Bronzer in Blaze and applied Lip + Cheek in Smirk for a rosy flush. Y2K makeup calls for glossy lips. To finish my look, I used Odyssey Lip Oil Gloss in Journey. Odyssey brings the high shine and Journey is the topper to use with any lip color. |
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Classic Smoky Eye + Defined LipsWHO TRIED IT: Esther Faciane (she/they), Lead Content Manager + Photographer While there’s a million reasons to love this Y2K eye makeup, for me, it’s all about how versatile it is. Our Color Chalks blend and build really nicely, so it’s easy to do a subtler lid wash for day or layer them up for a dramatic smoky eye. These shades of pewter and silver were perfect for creating a cool-toned eye that I paired with a dewy base, courtesy of Hydro and my favorite skin tint. During the day at the office I wore it with a white (rhinestoned…Baby Phat…because obviously) tee, a stack of my favorite necklaces, and gold hoops. Then, later that night, the Milk team was going to a benefit for the Parsons School of Design, so I swapped my tee for a cropped black blazer, added a bolder necklace, and threw on a pair of these huge, incredible beaded hoops from Jeniece Blanchet’s line, JeBlanc. |
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Frosty Blue EyeshadowWHO TRIED IT: Iley Cao (she/they), Junior Social Media Content Creator GET THE LOOK: Hydro Grip Primer, Hydro Grip Eye Primer, Hydro Grip Set + Refresh Spray, Color Chalk in Tag, KUSH Liquid Eyeliner, KUSH Mascara, Electric Glossy Lip Plumper in Wired When I think of Y2K, the first thing that immediately comes to mind is the Spice Girls, Destiny’s Child, Lizzie McGuire, and Bratz Dolls. I was still in elementary school when Y2K beauty was in its prime, so I was never fully able to experience the era in its glory. At the time, I wasn’t allowed to wear makeup—so I was spared from the blue eyeshadow horror stories—but I still begged my mom for chunky flatforms and consumed every piece of Bratz and Lizzie McGuire media I could get my hands on. For this look, I recreated the quintessential icy blue eyeshadow look by using Hydro Grip Eye Primer and Color Chalk in Tag for a budge-proof, frosty blue wing. Then, I went in with eyelinerfor a cat eye and brought the flicks down to the inner corners of my eyes. Next, I applied falsies on my top lashes and loaded up the bottom ones with KUSH Mascara. I also used Electric Glossy Lip Plumper in Wired because it isn’t a Y2K makeup look without super glossy lips. Finally, I locked it all in with Hydro Grip Set + Refresh Spray so my blue eyeshadow wouldn’t go anywhere—sorry, Mom! |
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Soft Glam MakeupWHO TRIED IT: Shawn Fisher (he/they), Field Sales Manager GET THE LOOK: Pore Eclipse Mattifying Primer, Hydro Grip Eye Primer, Color Chalk in Skateboard, Trampoline, Hula Hoop, and Skip It, Sunshine Under Eye Tint + Brighten in 1 and 2, Matte Bronzer in Baked, KUSH Clear Brow Gel, Electric Glossy Lip Plumper in Pumped When I think of the ‘00s, I can’t help but appreciate the emerging emo pop-punk bands. I wanted to go with a heavy 360-degree dark eyeshadow with minimal face to embody my teen self. To start the look, I layered Pore Eclipse Mattifying Primer on my face and Hydro Grip on my eyes. For skin, I dabbed Sunshine Under Eye Tint + Brighten in shade 1 under my eyes and on the high points of my face and blended shade 2 everywhere else. Then, I sculpted with Matte Bronzer. Next, I saturated a brush with Hydro Grip Set + Refresh Spray and Color Chalk in Skateboard before smudging it onto my lids and under eyes. I buffed out the edges with Color Chalk in Trampoline and highlighted the inner corners of my eyes and brow bones with Color Chalk in Hula Hoop. To tame my brows, I brushed on our KUSH Clear Brow Gel. And to finish off the look, I mixed Color Chalk in Skip It with Electric Glossy Lip Plumper in Plumped for my lips and spritzed my trusty Hydro Grip Set + Refresh Spray all over. |
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All Over BronzerWHO TRIED IT: Kate Ingram (she/her), Director of Creative Operations One of my favorite things to do as a pre-teen was to go to the mall and use my allowance to purchase one exciting beauty product per week at Sephora—mostly because that’s all my allowance could afford. I was super into anything blue. I had cerulean blue mascara and a coveted baby blue glitter eyeliner that I wore every day. I recreated my signature Y2K makeup look with a thin liner brush damped with Hydro Grip Set + Refresh Spray and Color Chalk in Yo-Yo for a liquid liner effect. Then, I went over it with Color Chalk in Freeze. Lastly, a frosted Y2K lip finished things off with a mixture of Highlighter in Flash and Electric Glossy Lip Plumper in Buzzed. Y2K beauty also reminds me of too much sunless tanner, so I slathered on Matte Bronzer in Baked to give me that sunny glow. And of course, I topped everything off with a choker and baby clips. I mean…Had to. |
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High-Shine Lip GlossWHO TRIED IT: Brooke Hannel (she/her), Editorial Intern GET THE LOOK: Hydro Grip Eye Primer, Color Chalk in Dodgeball, Bionic Bronzer in Time Travel, Bionic Glow in Virtual I was in elementary school when Y2K was having its moment, and I remember being obsessed with Paris Hilton, Britney Spears, and Lizzie McGuire like everyone else. For my look, I tried to keep it glowy, glittery, and bronzed—similar to Paris’ classic leaving-the-club vibe. (Who could forget her in that crystal cowl-neck dress?) To get the sparkly look that Paris would be proud of, I covered my lids in Hydro Grip Eye Primer and dabbed Color Chalk in Dodgeball on top. I also added a bit more on the outer corners of my eyes for extra smoky dimension. Then, I bronzed my face with Bionic Bronzer in Time Travel and tapped Bionic Glow in Virtual onto the tops of my cheekbones for the flash of the paparazzi cameras to bounce off of. Because I was a kid back in the early aughts and the only makeup my mom would give me was gloss, I also made sure my lips were as glossy as they were in 2005. To finish it off, I fluffed up my brows à la Olivia Rodrigo for a modern pop princess twist. |
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Bubblegum Pink LipsWHO TRIED IT: Sarah Y. Wu (she/her), Contributing Content Director GET THE LOOK: Hydro Grip Eye Primer, KUSH Fiber Brow Gel in Grind, Color Chalk in Yo-Yo and Skip It My Y2K makeup of choice used to be frosty blue eyeshadow dotted with silver glitter gel, blue mascara, and a solid inch of pink gloss that would inevitably get stuck to my hair. It was honestly a vibe for the mall, but I toned things down a little for the 2022 version (and finally found a non-sticky way to do that shimmery pink lip so I could eat my lunch outside in peace). Our Color Chalk in Yo-Yo is the perfect bright blue with the ideal amount of shimmer. I wet a makeup brush and worked Yo-Yo along my upper and lower lash lines. Then, I blended it over Hydro Grip Eye Primer on my lids for a diffused blue wash. I somehow managed to spend the ‘00s with brows that were simultaneously overtweezed and overfilled, so I happily updated that with full, fluffy brows using our KUSH Fiber Brow Gel. My lip look was especially fun to do and one I think I’ll be wearing regularly from now on: bright pink lip liner mixed with a generous dusting of Color Chalk in Skip It and topped with the slightest touch of clear gloss. Best of all, nothing stuck to my hair and my face wasn’t covered in a layer of shimmery fallout, letting me relive only the good parts of my 2000s makeup memories. |
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Green Smoky EyeWHO TRIED IT: Joachris Ortiz (she/her), Workplace Experience Coordinator My look was inspired by the Y2K goth princess, Amy Lee from Evanescence. She always rocked a smoky cool-toned look. For my own version, I did a smoky eye look with warmer tones and a pop of green. I started with the Hydro Grip Eye Primer to really make the Color Chalk pigments stick to my eyelids for longer wear time and enhanced color. Color Chalk in Double Dutch was my main base for a smoldering warm effect to enhance the bright green shade, Green Light. I even sacrificed a few brow hairs to recreate that iconic thin eyebrow look that Amy Lee was rocking. The KUSH Fiber Brow Gel in Grind shaped and sculpted my new brows to perfection. I couldn’t do this look without a faux eyebrow piercing and a choker: It really told a story of how the Y2K baddies operated! |
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Black Waterline EyelinerWHO TRIED IT: Harmony Boyer (she/her), VP of Retail Accounts GET THE LOOK: Hydro Grip Eye Primer, Color Chalk in Double Dutch, Matte Bronzer in Blaze, Bionic Blush in Infinity, Lip Color in Wavy, Hydro Set + Refresh Spray, RISE Mascara When I think back to the early ‘00s, I'm not gonna lie, I'm a little bit bitter. Yes, I lived out some of my best moments soundtracked to every epic song from The OC, but I also had the thinnest eyebrows of my life. For this look, inspiration came in the form of a late ’90s Drew Barrymore, my favorite Spice Girl (Posh), and Jared Leto in My So-Called Life. Frosty blue shadow wasn't my thing, so I went with brick-brown lipstick, smoky brown shadow, and lots of liner (top and bottom, of course) instead. This always successfully gave me the up all night vibe, even though I've literally been in bed since 9:30 P.M. |
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Silver EyeshadowWHO TRIED IT: Robert Quick (he/him), Associate Copywriter GET THE LOOK: Hydro Grip Primer, Hydro Grip Eye Primer, KUSH Mascara, Color Chalk in Freeze, KUSH Clear Brow Gel, Hydro Grip Set + Refresh Spray The theme of this look is boy band meets Euphoria. I usually have a beard but did a clean shave to really embody this fantasy. For a nice, dewy base, I slathered on our Hydro Grip Primer and prepped my lids with Hydro Grip Eye Primer. Then, I blended Color Chalk in Freeze all over them as well as under my eyes with my fingertip. It was kind of smudgy, but it worked because I didn’t wanna look too much like the Tin Man. Next, I used a little KUSH Clear Brow Gel to get my brows nice and fluffy and rounded out my face with a swipe of KUSH Mascara, which added some desperately needed drama. Finally, I set everything with a few spritzes of Hydro Grip Set + Refresh Spray. |
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Hot Pink EyeshadowWHO TRIED IT: Danielle Odiamar (she/her), Influencer Marketing Project Manager When I think of makeup in the early aughts, I’m transported back to seventh grade. I’m standing in my Catholic school uniform being scolded by Sister Maureen, a severely abrasive nun and our school principal, for wearing makeup and gracefully receiving my detention sentence. At this point, I am deep in my emo music discovery phase while clinging hopelessly to my pop girl roots, so pink and black were basically my whole personality. This translated to pink sparkly eyeshadow and heavy black eyeliner in equal parts excessive on my face, as recreated here with Color Chalk in Skip It and KUSH Liquid Eyeliner. Pre-teen me would be proud of this look, mostly for the life-changing discovery of the Hydro Grip Fam so my look could last past third period. Young Danielle would have also loved the plumping effect of Electric Glossy Lip Plumper. Most of all, pre-teen me would be excited to see how far I’ve come while staying true to my roots. Back then, there was definitely a way less precise cat eye and I wouldn’t have dared to test Sister Maureen’s patience with a trace of hair dye, but my sparkly-meets-defiant spirit has remained to this day. |
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Bright Pink BlushWHO TRIED IT: Devon Abelman (she/her), Contributor One of my earliest Y2K makeup memories is sneaking to the bathroom before picture day in sixth or seventh grade at my painfully preppy private school in South Florida to draw black eye pencil onto my lower lash lines and slick on the shiniest Victoria’s Secret lip gloss. This look is a technicolor ode to my rebellious Y2K beauty spirit. Black liner was swapped out in favor of Color Chalk in Green Light, which I swept onto my lower lash lines with a thin liner brush. I also flicked it outward from the corners of my eyes to amp up the edginess. With the same brush, I ran Color Chalk in Yo-Yo along my waterline for some unexpected depth. Then I coated my lashes with RISE Mascara. I’ve been listening to Paramore’s greatest hits on repeat lately, so I felt compelled to incorporate a Hayley Williams-inspired hue in the form of the Bionic Blush in Teleport. I smeared the bright coral pink blush onto the tippy tops of my cheeks with my fingertip and took the color all the way up to my liner to really bring out the playfulness of the Y2K eye makeup. Then, to pay my ultimate respects to the high-octane gloss of 2000s makeup, I created a wet shine-like effect on the center of my lids with Color Chalk in Freeze. The same silvery pigment was also tapped onto the middle of my deep plum-glazed lips. I brought the same glassiness to my skin with a generous misting of the Hydro Grip Set + Refresh Spray. |
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Meet the Expert
Sara Wren (she/her) is the Director of Artistry at Milk Makeup. In her role, she does all the makeup artistry and direction for our Milk Makeup global campaigns, educates the staff and field team on application methods, stars in the brand’s social media videos, and travels to different markets spreading Milk Makeup’s good vibes. When she’s not on set, Sara loves experimenting with DIY hair colors, eating tacos, watching basketball, and scouring for vintage cosmetics to add to her impressive collection.
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