Trends Change, Icons Don't: Exploring a Decade of Maybelline Makeup from 2016 to 2026
Back in 2016, we treated makeup like a statement. It was the era of “strobing”, dramatic cut creases, and stamped-on eyebrows you could spot a mile away. Each step of our makeup routine embodied the ‘full-glam’ aesthetic.
10 years on, we’ve moved away from this maximalist makeup approach to something more subtle. Today, we’re all in on real-looking skin, soft-focus flourishes, and enhancing – rather than transforming – our natural features.
Of course, there are techniques that we mastered back then that we still employ today – we just approach them with a much lighter hand. And if we’re comparing 2016 vs 2026, one of our biggest learnings is the art of restraint. Now, we stick to a single point of focus, rather than pair a statement lip with a statement eye with a statement brow with… you get the idea!
Despite the changing makeup landscape from 2016 to 2026, Maybelline has remained a constant in our beauty routines. In fact, some of the iconic products we used then are still as relevant as ever. So, join us for a decade in review as we dive into the nine most memorable makeup trends of 2016 – and what their modern counterparts look like in 2026.
1. Full glam matte to radiant skin-like finish
We’ve alluded to this already, but one of the biggest differences between 2016 vs 2026 was how we embraced full glam finishes.
Back then, there was a big emphasis on “flawless” skin – an aesthetic that was largely achieved using matte foundations and heavy powders. Today, we tend to lean towards dewy, glowy finishes that work with your skin’s texture instead of masking it.
Whether you’ve stayed loyal to a matte finish or you’re a full dewy convert, two Maybelline foundation formulas stayed with us throughout the decade: Fit Me® Matte + Poreless Foundation and Fit Me® Dewy + Smooth Foundation.
Both foundations launched in 2015, and the Fit Me® Matte + Poreless Foundation is still widely used today by oily skin types to gently refine pores and softly mattify skin.
If you loved the Fit Me® Dewy + Smooth Foundation, the Lifter Plump and Glow Foundation is destined to be your new favourite dewy finish foundation. Formulated with a 90% skincare base, the Lifter Plump and Glow Foundation helps brighten and hydrate dry skin types – giving you that trademark 2026 luminous finish.
2. Thick, stamped-on brows to fluffy, natural brows
If there’s one 2016 makeup trend we’re happy to leave in the last decade, it’s thick, dramatic – almost 'stamped on' – brows. Instead of airbrushed brows, we’ve evolved to natural-looking, fluffy brows that are gently sculpted and defined.
For a subtle tint and flexible volume in the 2026 style, we recommend the Superfluff Brow Mousse, which delivers a polished, natural finish – without overdoing it!
3. Graphic eyeshadow and cut creases to blended neutrals or single-shade metallics
We were all ambitious in our 2016 eye makeup efforts: attempting cut creases, heavily blended smokey eyes, and colourful graphic eyeshadow looks – where no colour combo was too outlandish!
Maybelline the Rock Nudes was a firm favourite in our 2016 hearts, a palette filled with every smoky, metallic shade of our dreams. In 2026, our love for cool-toned shades has mellowed to an affinity for soft, warm nude shades.
These days, our go-to shade range is the Eyestudio® Nudes Of New York 16 Pan Eyeshadow Palette, which is perfect for blending soft neutrals that can double as a day or night look. For a pop of intense shimmer that reminds us of our ghosts of makeup’s past, we turn to the Shadow Drip Eye Tint Liquid Eye Shadow.
4. Big, dramatic winged liner to softer eyeliner looks
Eyeliner trends in 2016 were defined by dramatic, sharp winged liner. After all, we needed something to tie together our bold eyeshadow looks!
Since we’ve toned down our eyeshadow makeup from 2016 to 2026, our eyeliner looks have morphed into something softer as well. Micro-winged liner, upper tightlining, and softly smudged eyeliner are some of our favourite 2026 trends.
For subtle micro wings or upper tightlining – both looks that subtly define and enhance the eye shape – we love the Eyestudio® Hyper Easy Liquid Eyeliner, which offers precise lines with every stroke.
To achieve the perfect smudged eyeliner aesthetic, gel pencil is the way to go. In 2016, we were using the Eyestudio Master Drama Cream Pencil Liner. Today’s iteration of this formula is the Tattoo Liner Automatic Gel Eyeliner with Smudger Eyeliner – which is even longer wearing and fade-resistant than its 2016 counterpart.
5. Bold, overly lined lips to soft-blur matte lips
In keeping with our full glam habits of 2016, lip looks were predicated on “perfect” pouts, bold colours, and full, overlined lips.
These lip looks are still popular, but we’ve started mirroring French and K-beauty lip techniques – such as blurred lips – more closely. This artfully undone aesthetic provides that “just-kissed” effect, rather than the sharp, precise lines of a decade ago.
Maybe it’s because we all collectively feel more time-poor in 2026, but we love a lip product that does the heavy lifting for us. Enter: the Superstay Teddy Tint 12h Soft Matte Lip Tint. Bridging the gap between low effort and high impact, this lip tint delivers a buildable flush of blurred matte colour onto the lips – with up to 12 hours of wear.
If you’re after a weightless feel and buildable blurred lip colour, our go-to is the Cloudtopia Cheek & Lip Mousse, which has a lightweight whipped matte finish. Like the Superstay Teddy Tint, Cloudtopia also doubles as a blush – so you can shave off even more time in your beauty routine, without compromising on the final finish.
6. Heavy contour to a warm, sun-kissed complexion
In the shift from 2016 to 2026, we’ve abandoned the harsh contouring and minimal blush that once had us in a vice grip. Overall, our complexions today look softer, with a focus on warmth and colour over careful sculpting.
We used to rely on the Maybelline New York Master V-Face Duo Stick for our contouring but now we’ve upgraded to the Lifter Stix™ Multi-Use Face Stick, which imparts a natural glow and a softer, more blendable contour to create subtle depth and shadows on the face.
Our relationship with blush has also changed in a big way.
Admittedly, we’ve experienced some blush blindness in recent times, but we feel like we’ve finally struck the perfect balance between adding a flush of colour without over-doing the application. We adore the Sunkisser Multi-Use Glow Liquid Blush and Bronzer for a rosy, lit-from-within glow.
7. Intense highlighter to all-over glow
Remember that proclivity we had for more is more? Well, we also had a slight problem with over-applying highlighter in 2016. But hey – makeup is a learning curve!
Instead of intense application on the tops of the cheeks – colloquially known as “strobing” – we’ve moved to a more understated luminosity. You can use the Sunkisser Multi-Use Liquid Highlighter to enhance your natural radiance along the high points of the face where light naturally hits. No strobing needed.
8. Under-eye baking to lightweight, radiant concealer
In pursuit of a flawless foundation finish, many of us were obsessed with “baking” our under eyes in 2016.
The goal? To create a smooth, crease-free, matte finish that looked airbrushed. While beneficial for full-glam or stage makeup, though, this is less practical for everyday wear.
Today, under-eye concealer application takes a lighter approach using the triangle method: one dot underneath the centre of the eye, and a dot in either corner.
There’s one Maybelline icon that has taken us through our (regrettable) baking days right up to now – Instant Age Rewind® Eraser Dark Circles Treatment Concealer. This hero concealer launched back in 2010 and is still a firm-favourite today for blemish and dark circle coverage and general brightening.
9. False eyelashes to natural lashes with intense volume
We were particularly fond of false eyelashes for almost any night out in 2016.
Of course, this requires a lot of effort. In 2026, we still want big volume and length but without the hassle of a false eyelash. Our cheat code is the Volum Express® The Colossal® Washable Mascara – the solution to bold, dramatic lashes. This formula has been around since 2008, so consider its volumising legacy cemented!