2026 is the new 2016, right?
BY KHRYSTYNA BURLAK, IMAGE BY GETTY IMAGES PRO/CANVA
Social media platform TikTok did not even exist in 2016 – but that didn’t stop LGBTQIA+ influencers from shaping makeup trends online. YouTube or Tumblr were the real stages, where bold brows, cut creases, heavy contour and glitter became tools of self-definition. For queer women, makeup was not just beauty – it was the way to identity, resistance, and play.
Today, TikTok has brought this era back to life, blossoming with nostalgia. While some Gen Z creators use 2016 makeup to step back from “clean girl” minimalism, others use it to make a humorous and respectful statement.
On TikTok, queer influencers like Sarah New have created viral videos recreating 2016 makeup trends. Other makeup influencers like trans superstar @tokiioreo are carrying this trend, who wrote: “If you’re a trans woman I suggest you do your makeup like we did in 2016. I’ve never felt this unclockable in my life.”
@sarahnew when the palette transports you back to #2016 ♬ suara asli – rummm – user62883642927
For queer and LGBTQIA+ women, 2016 was a year of intense personal and urgent visibility. Gender expression, including drag-inspired makeup, full beat and soft glam were pivotal in self-expression.
Both culture breakouts and collective grief shaped 2016. The legacy of television programs like Orange Is The New Black shaped pop culture. Women’s marches, protests in the wake of the Pulse nightclub shooting, and an increase in anti-LGBTQIA+ rhetoric made visibility seem political. Social media became a space where people could express themselves.
@tokiioreo i feel so c8nt #fyp #2016 #2016makeup #trans #mtf ♬ Lean On – Major Lazer & DJ Snake ft. MO
In both 2026 and 2016 years, makeup operates as a visual language rather than a passing trend – a symbol of freedom and choice. For LGBTQIA+ and queer women, bold makeup was a way to take up space and control visibility in a world. Across time, the meaning remains consistent: the freedom to choose how one appears, how one is read and when to be seen. The past isn’t repeated in this revival; rather, it is purposefully, confidently and proudly rewritten. Looking back helps explain the present.
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