Make-up is fun again (and it’s coming back faster than you think).

Ten years after the glitz, glam and bold looks of 2016, make-up has officially become fun again. The pendulum has swung away from the clean-girl era of the early 2020s and towards eccentric, overly glamorous looks for the everyday.

We’ve seen it once, we’ve seen it twice, and chances are we’ll see it again. Fashion and beauty trends always find their way back into the mainstream. From the bell-bottoms of the early 2000s to aqua turquoise crop tops, everything eventually comes around. The difference now is speed. Instead of waiting two or three decades for a look to resurface, we’re watching trends return after a mere ten years.

As a 20-something who grew up in the 2010s Australian fashion and beauty scene, I feel like I’ve lived 15 different lifetimes when it comes to my style. Once, a single look could define an entire decade, whether that was the eccentric disco of the 1980s or the free-flowing psychedelia of the 60s. Now we’re closer to one major defining trend a year. It’s a far cry from past eras, but a more honest nod to the micro-trends that have flooded our screens in recent years.

Nowhere is that clearer than at Marc Jacobs Beauty. If you remember the original line, which first dropped in 2013, you’ll remember the sleek, minimal packaging that oozed downtown 2010s New York. Five years after it was quietly discontinued, the company is loudly and proudly back on our shelves, only this time the mood is very different. Where the original line exuded inner-city sophistication, the new edition feels brighter, more youthful and playful from every side.

The collection is built around what the brand calls “Joyride Sensoriality,” an approach that plays with textures, tactile finishes and formulas made to be experimented with, not just for MUA’s, but for everyone. The packaging was designed by Marc himself, with fun signature charm motifs adorning each product to identify a category: a daisy for complexion, a star for eyes and a heart for lips.

The range is now out in-stores and online at Sephora Australia shelves from 1 September 2026, check out our favourite products to exeperiment with

The playful streak isn’t limited to the luxury end of the market. Making its way to Australia this month, UK beauty brand Trouble Maker is proof that the joy of fun, exciting and playful make-up can be accessible, too.

Leading the charge is the iconic Feral Teddy, a blind-box lip gloss that’s one of nine variations to discover and collect. In our favourite age of the blind box and the dopamine that comes with ripping open a mystery bag, this one definitley spoke us to first. The launch range spans bold and bright lips, complexion products, eyes and accessories, so building your own cast of characters is easy, affordable, and exciting, all whilst encouraging experimentation.

Trouble Maker founders Adam and Sally Minto intro’d the range with the idea that they wanted beauty to feel fun rather than intimidating, which when made this accessible and available for all to enjoy and experiment with, we feel is exactly what our make-up game needs right now. You can shop the Trouble Maker range now online and in-store at Kmart and Target Australia.

The takeaway? No matter if you’re looking to splurge on a Marc Jacobs heart-topped lipstick or if you’re all for collecting Trouble Maker’s bright and bold range at Kmart, the message is the same. Make-up is no longer about looking effortlessly polished, it’s now about experimenting, layering and having a laugh.

If the trend cycle really is speeding up, we may as well enjoy this one while it lasts, because there’s no doubt i’ll be here at my desk, writing about a new (or revisited trend) this time next year.