The 2026 Awards Season Was All About One Major Beauty Trend: Nostalgia

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Published on March 16, 2026 at 10:45 AM

As a '90s baby, no one is happier than I to see nostalgic trends like the jelly aesthetic and accessories like butterfly clips make a comeback. There's a growing shift in the air — a return to the beauty trends of the late 1990s and early 2000s because, despite what we previously thought, many of them have stood the test of time, with many possibilities for modern takes.

While platforms like TikTok are a gold mine for throwback makeup and hair trends, it isn't just the masses taking a stroll down memory lane. This awards season has been packed with celebrity takes on nostalgic trends — from oversized hair bows to temporary tattoos and exciting variations of classic styles like the French manicure.

It's even evident in the commercials. Just take Dove's "Let Your Body Body" ad, which premiered at the 2026 Grammys and promotes its new Dove Alcohol Free Whole Body Deodorant to the iconic tune of The Pussycat Dolls' "Don't Cha."

On the red carpet, stars like Hailey Bieber, Jenna Ortega, and Chappell Roan leaned in. They couldn't resist the opportunity. Whether you were obsessed with Bieber's brown lipstick or Roan's jaw-dropping temporary back tattoos, take a look below at every nostalgic trend these celebrities backed on the 2026 award show circuit.

Micro Braids

Nostalgic styles like micro braids, woven-in styles, and bubble braids are a Y2K dream, and they're totally making a comeback. At the Grammys this year, Roan's woven-in fishtail braids were the most noticeable, but Tyla's high ponytail, accented by a few mini braids and longer face-framing pieces, can't be forgotten either. At the Oscars, Chase Inifini wore long, cascading micro braids that gave her an etheral look.

French Manicures

A French manicure is classic and never goes out of style. Some might say it's a callback to a simpler time for nail art, but recent fresh takes on it beg to differ. This awards season, multi-hyphenate Teyana Taylor rocked a modern, elevated version of the look. A proper zoom-in on her gold-and-white swirled French manicure shows it's anything but basic. Award-winning artist Doechii went a similar route by wearing a gold micro French to the 2026 Grammy Awards. In fact, Doechii's nail artist, Rachel Sun, is known for creating incredible modern takes on classic nail looks for other artists like Chappell Roan.

Hair Bows

Just like butterfly clips, this is one of my favorite nostalgic accessories to make a comeback. One recent look that went straight to my inspo board was Jessica Williams's old Hollywood-style half-up, half-down hair (complete with a black bow and plenty of volume) at the 2026 Critics' Choice Awards. Other celebrities like Kirsten Dunst followed suit at the Actor Awards with a sleek, black bow-adorned ponytail. This isn't the first year we've seen a variety of bows trend on the carpet again, either. During the 2024 awards season, everyone from Riley Keough to Rachel Brosnahan wore some sort of show-stopping bow on the carpet. It seems this romantic and nostalgic trend is here to stay.

Shawna Hudson is a beauty, wellness, lifestyle, and travel writer whose work has appeared in Bustle, The Zoe Report, Who What Wear, Byrdie, Elite Daily, and more.

Temporary Tattoos

In case you missed Chappell Roan's iconic (and slightly controversial) Mugler look at the Grammys, there's much to discuss. The stars of the show (besides the, ahem, illusionary nipple hangings) were the intricate temporary tattoos in the front and back of the dress. In the early 2000s, temporary tattoos were all the rage amongst friend groups, with many of us opting to get matching ones. Most of them were on a sheet, and you had to press them on with a washcloth, but luckily, here in 2026, they're much more sophisticated, as evident on Roan. Other stars like Tyla were also seen out recently during Paris fashion week, wearing a top made completely out of a temporary snakeskin-printed tattoo. Who needs clothes these days when we have temporary tattoos, right?

Choker Necklaces

The '90s revival is real. According to celebs, this award show season, choker necklaces are back and better than ever. While the '90s were all about velvet and black elastic-looped chokers, Jenna Ortega's beaded option at the Actor Awards this year is so elegant. On the same carpet, Connor Storie also proved that a bejeweled choker can be equally as chic with menswear.

Brown Lipstick

Brown lipstick is so '90s Janet Jackson- and Halle Berry-coded. This awards season, it was harder to find someone not wearing it to a carpet or after-party. For starters, Hailey Bieber's rich shade at the Grammys really stood out. It's the perfect cross between a brick red and cocoa brown. Next, Jamin Savoy Brown's lighter nude-brown shade at the Actor Awards was the focal point of her simple, yet sophisticated look.

Another trendy way celebs played around with a brown lip this season included wearing a rich brown liner and a lighter gloss or lipstick on the center of the lips. Everyone from Chase Infiniti and Ortega at the Actor Awards to Zara Larsson and PinkPanthress at the Grammys opted for this.

Grunge Makeup

In the early to mid-1990s, grunge makeup took center stage thanks to stars like Courtney Love, Winona Ryder, and Kate Moss. If the 2026 awards season has proven anything, it's that grunge never went anywhere. Most noticeably, Olympic medalist Amber Glenn's Madonna-inspired grunge look at the GLAAD Awards was a real show-stopper. Her exaggerated, structural smoky eye look was a callback straight to the '90s. Dove Cameron's midnight-hued nails and deep burgundy lip at the SAG Awards also screamed Girl, Interrupted in the best way possible.

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