If TikTok is to be believed, Gen Z are addicted to trying out new beauty trends. The platform showcases fresh trends on a weekly basis, flipping between ‘clean girl’, ‘strawberry girl‘ and ‘latte’ makeup, with barely time to buy the products needed to create the look, before a new one has overtaken.
So, when I polled HELLO!’s Gen Z members of staff, I was surprised that they’re not interested in buying into trends. Instead, they’re relying on tried and tested makeup that they know works for them, leaning into underconsumption and turning to heritage brands – who knew Rimmel was so popular still?
When they are tempted into a trend, it has to actually do something – they’re not wearing spot patches just for their cool credentials, for example, which is more than I can say with the trends I bought into in my teens and twenties.
Here’s what our Gen Z team members say is actually cool right now.
Skincare as street-style
© InstagramRhode’s eye patches have made it out of the bathroom and into the outside world
From London to Lancashire to Love Island, not a day goes by that I don’t see people proudly going about their business wearing fun-shaped spot patches – and this is a trend HELLO!’s 23-year-old Junior Writer Maria Sarabi has fully bought into, taking her under-eye patches out of her evening self-care routine and onto the streets.
“As someone who takes just as much pride in their sartorial agenda as their beauty routine, there’s something undeniably playful about blending skincare into street-style and making a fashion statement with something that doesn’t just look good, but actively cares for your skin,” she says of wearing status symbol skincare outside.
On where the trend comes from, look no further than Gen Z icon Hailey Bieber and her brand Rhode’s Peptide Eye Prep cooling hydrogel eye patches, £28 / $25, that depuff and brighten the under eyes.
“Designed to be ‘taken on the go whenever your eyes need a little wake-up,’ the product description makes it clear these eye patches aren’t confined to the privacy of your bedroom or reserved for a six-step self-care ritual. Instead, they invite us to move through the day looking unapologetically glazed,” Maria says.
“While the trend may feel fresh, it’s far from new. Star-shaped pimple patches have long reigned on the fashion frontlines; with sleek finishes, subtle logos, and playful designs, they double as cool accessories while quietly tending to our skin’s needs.
“I’ll admit I’m partial to stepping out the door in Rhode’s eye patches, matcha in hand, a leather jacket slung over my shoulders and baggy jeans completing the look – pure Hailey energy. Sure, it might earn a few curious glances, but I’m far more focused on tackling dark circles with the help of ingredients such as caffeine, peptides, and sodium PCA. The product is available in two designs: one featuring Rhode’s signature ‘r’ and the other showcasing the full ‘rhode’ logo against a grey backdrop.”
Chanel’s eye patches are status symbol beauty
Maria notes that even Chanel has caught on, unveiling its anti-ageing Le Lift Flash Eye Patches, £88 / $120. The campaign imagery oozes chic: a model cloaked in tweed lifts her sunglasses to reveal the patches beneath, makeup perfectly intact. The result? Model–off-duty energy.”
Rimmel Redux – yes, really
When I, a 36-year-old beauty writer, was growing up, Rimmel was all the rage. Kate Moss saying “get the London look” echoes in my brain to this day. But I had no idea Gen Z loves the heritage brand too.
Chatting to my colleagues, both 25-year-old Editorial Assistant Iona MacRobert and 22-year-old Junior Digital Market Executive Alannis Archer namechecked Rimmel as a favourite.
“I love the trend for lip oils and it was a total game-changer when I bought Rimmel’s Oh My Gloss! Lip Oils, £8.99 / $6.48. They leave a tinted shine and provide the same moisture boost as a lip balm. The ingredients include coconut oil, raspberry seed oil and passion fruit oil, making the application smell nice and fruity.”
Rimmel’s Oh My Gloss is a big hit with Gen ZZ
Alannis echoed Iona’s romance with Rimmel, adding: “For those not looking to break the bank, the Rimmel ‘Oh My Gloss!’ lip oil collection also does a great job at giving you that lip glimmer, and I love the Rimmel Lasting Finish Cappuccino Lip Liner, £3.99 / $5.45.“
Maybelline is a hit, too. Lifestyle Writer Katie Daly says the Maybelline Lifter Stix Bronzer, £6.52 / $9.97, is her “absolute favourite”, explaining: “It glides on and doesn’t disrupt my base (foundation is out, the Elf skin tint is in).”
Alannis rates Maybelline too, singing the praises of the brand’s Lash Sensational Firework Mascara, £6.50 / $11.98, for “fine, evenly parted lashes.”
Low-key lashes
Speaking of mascara, less is certainly more for Gen Z. When I was their age, I used the Bourjois clumpy Volume Clubbing Mascara, but these gals are not into the overdone look. Like Alannis, Katie prefers her lashes subtle.
“No mascara is very in, but not a trend I personally vibe with,” says Katie. “I like a subtly defined lash, so opt for a thin brush to avoid clumps. Think Hourglass Unlocked, £34 / $46.26 (or Barry M’s Feature Length, £5.38 / $9.99, if I’m feeling frugal).”
Embracing underconsumption
TikTok and Instagram are both hotbeds of content creators selling you their must-have beauty buys, but don’t be fooled into thinking that Gen Z are falling for it, as 25-year-old Podcast Producer Millie Jackson says.
“Underconsumption-core is the word for 2026. I’m turning away from the impulse to buy new products and instead, sticking to what I know works. My Urban Decay Naked eyeshadow palette, £45.60 / $62.04, still works just as well for me now as it did back in 2016. As I’m fair-skinned and a redhead, I tend to go for classic shades such as Half-Baked and Toasted, a gorgeous shimmery gold and pink that give a natural elevation to an easy makeup look. Whatever TikTok tells me, the only trends worth following are the ones that bring me confidence,” she says.
K-Beauty Superstars
As much as I’m keen to denounce many of the TikTok trends as flashes in the pan, a few do seem like they have longevity – one such example being Laneige.
© InstagramLaneige is popular with Gen Z
Millie mixes her Laneige Lip Glowy Balm, £17.99 / $24.08, with Dior lipstick for a glossy look, while Alannis says: “I particularly love Laneige, which I recommend for its delicious, non-sticky formula. It sits perfectly on the lips and delivers a noticeable shine.”
