Your 2016 Makeup Called — But She’s Had a Glow-Up

Your 2016 Makeup Called — But It's Had a Glow-Up: What to Scoop in 2026

You're ready to step into the new year and out of your clean-girl era but your 2016 makeup doesn't have to come back to haunt you. Let us show you how to make it an everyday, wearable look rather than full glam (unless that's what you're going for). More skin-feel, more glow, more blend.

Here are the must-haves you need in your cart for 2026.

Glow Up Base

Ditch the heavy foundations and mattifiers of 2016 by starting your glow-up base with Napoleon Perdis' Auto Pilot Pre-Foundation Skin Primer, a lightweight, hydrating formula that smooths pores, blurs imperfections, and creates a velvety canvas for makeup that lasts all day across all skin types, including oily and combination complexions.

Follow with NP's featured foundation stars like BBB Cream SPF 30, a multi-tasking tinted balm that hydrates, evens tone, and delivers sheer, natural glow with sun protection—perfect for 2026's skinimalism trend—or the Advanced Mineral Makeup SPF 15, a lightweight mineral liquid offering breathable, dewy coverage with SPF for sensitive skin, infused with vitamins for a radiant, second-skin finish that outshines thick, cakey layers of yesteryear.

Layer on Bronze Patrol bronzer next, a homepage-highlighted essential, for natural, sun-kissed radiance that adds warmth and dimension without the heavy, powdery fallout of 2016 formulas.

The eyes have it​

Colour Ritual Eyeshadow quads and single shade Color Discs are great for softly diffused colour gradiant that defines the eye – choose warm terracottas, dusty mauves, sunlit golds in matte and shimmer finish that catch the light. Think warm sunrise glow not high beam moonshine. Pro tip: layer metallics with your fingertip rather than a brush for a less precise more natural look.​

Statement lips, soft edges​

Matte lips were the signature of 2016 - liquid lipstick that refused to budge even through three cocktails and a midnight snack. The 2026 iteration still loves impact, but adds a layer of care.​

Soul Matte lipstick is the quiet hero – offering rich, saturated pigment but with buttery hydration. The colour payoff nods to the past but the comfort belongs in the present. Pick up two or three in your favourite shade at a discounted price for a limited time for Boxing Day, or experiment with new colours.  The trick is in the application. Forget the ultra-sharp outline. Use fingertips to diffuse edges for a lived-in look - soft, full, confident. Like you’ve just come from the best night out of your life and you’re still glowing from it.​

Why It Feels Right, Right Now​

The resurgence of 2016-style makeup says something bigger about beauty’s mood. After years of minimalism - skin tints, clean lines, and quiet luxury
- we’re craving expression again.​

Not perfection, but presence.​

Not subtlety, but self-assurance.​

It’s less about “look at me” and more about “this is me.”​

And that’s why this trend fits so effortlessly within the Napoleon Perdis world - where artistry meets authenticity, and where every product is designed to enhance, not mask.​

The Closing Scene​

So yes - 2016 makeup is back. But this time, she’s had a glow-up that you can take into 2026 with confidence.​

Her brows are brushed up, not carved out.​

Her highlight melts into skin, not sits on top of it.​

Her eyes shimmer with confidence, not excess.​

It’s a return to beauty as performance — expressive, tactile, and joyfully imperfect — interpreted through the sophistication of 2026.​

Because glamour never really left.​

It just learned how to breathe.​