Nostalgia is main the cost for 2026 magnificence tendencies and, after revisiting the matte lips of 2016, we’re digging again even additional within the archives. Enter “ballet-slipper” lips: cool-toned pinks and frosty finishes which might be making a powerful case for a Y2K magnificence renaissance.
This winter, influencer Haley Sluss racked up almost 2.5 million TikTok views attempting out L’Oréal’s Color Riche Lipstick in Ballerina Footwear (this shade is not out there within the UK however shade 303 Rose Tendre is an effective different). She paired the creamy, frosted method with a glowy make-up look, full with babydoll blush and a shimmery eyeshadow. The lipstick began to promote out throughout the nation and impressed loads of re-creations. Flash ahead to February, 2026, and ballet-slipper lips have emerged as a significant pattern.
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“The Y2K pattern has positively pushed this pattern to the forefront and TikTok has exploded with it,” says Allan Avendaño, a star make-up artist on the L’Oréal Paris League of Consultants. In 2026, “this look additionally provides one other dimension to different tendencies like glowing dewy pores and skin and Douyin make-up,” he provides.
Prepared for a throwback? Maintain studying to learn how ballet-slipper lips can match into your present routine.
J. Merritt
What are ballet-slipper lips?
Ballet-slipper lips are characterised by their gentle, cool-toned base shade and icy, catching end. To nail the look, the objective is to make your lips resemble the graceful, semi-reflective end of pink satin. Most individuals go for a frost or shimmer end over a juicy gloss — assume silky versus moist — however a topcoat of clear glitter gloss can have an identical impact.