Ballet has been creeping back into fashion for a while now, but lately it looks like beauty is catching up, too.
Part of that renewed attention came after Misty Copeland made a surprise appearance during the 2026 Oscars, performing in the show’s live Sinners segment on March 15. (See her perform toward the middle of the video, below.) The moment put ballet back in front of a huge mainstream audience and gave the whole aesthetic another push.
According to data shared by Fresha, searches for “ballet” hit 12 million over the past month, while searches for “bows” climbed to 2.6 million. And now that soft, romantic look is moving beyond clothes and into beauty.
Annabelle Taurua, a beauty expert at Fresha, says the shift makes sense. Balletcore never really disappeared, but now it is showing up in a way that feels more wearable for everyday life.
“Clean girl beauty focused on simplicity; with glowing skin, neutral nails, and slick-back buns,” Taurua explains. “Ballet-bow beauty takes that same polished base but adds something softer and more romantic. It’s all about the details like soft pink tones, glossy finishes, and subtle bow accents.”
On TikTok, Pinterest, and across beauty trend coverage, ballet-inspired looks have already been showing up in softer pink makeup, ribbon details, and glossy, almost doll-like finishes. Even beauty outlets have been tracking ballet-adjacent looks for a while now, from classic balletcore to moodier spin-offs like “dark ballerina.”
Taurua says makeup is one of the easiest places to see the trend taking shape. “It’s almost nostalgic, like discovering your mum’s makeup bag when you were younger and playing dress-up ballerina. We’re seeing people add bow accents to eyeliner looks or use soft pink tones across blush and lips to recreate that ballet aesthetic.”
That does not mean the look is overdone. In fact, part of the appeal is that it still feels light.
“It’s still minimal,” Taurua says. “The aim is to look fresh and delicate rather than heavily made up.”
The nail side of the trend may be even easier to pull off. Taurua says salons are already seeing more requests for ballet-inspired manicures built around soft pink shades and tiny details.
“Soft pink nails have always been popular,” she explains. “But now we’re seeing that evolve into ballet-inspired designs; milky pink tones, bow nail art, and ribbon details.”
Fingers bent on nails stones and pink stripes with a white bow
She says the look works especially well with almond-shaped nails and glossy finishes. “Think ballet-slipper pink, sheer whites and simple bow designs,” she says. “It’s elegant but still playful.”
For anyone who likes the idea of the trend but does not want to look like they are headed to a costume fitting, Taurua says the easiest way in is to keep it simple.
Start with the color palette. Soft pink nails, rosy blush, and neutral tones do a lot of the work without feeling forced.
Then add one detail. That could be a small bow accent in eyeliner, ribbon-inspired nail art, or even a hair accessory.
And keep the rest of the look clean.
“The beauty of the ballet-bow aesthetic is that it feels effortless,” Taurua says. “It’s delicate, feminine, and super easy to wear, which is exactly why it’s starting to take off.”
And if you were paying attention to this year’s red carpet beauty looks, this trend probably will not feel totally out of nowhere. The Oscars gave us plenty of softer makeup inspiration, and the hair side was just as telling, with several looks that already feel easy to translate into real life.
