2026 is the year of leaving behind minimal trends across all aspects of beauty as we see a cultural shift towards embracing colour, maximalism and bold creativity.
People are no longer being viewed as “too much” for using fashion and beauty as a form of self-expression. Instead, beauty enthusiasts are leaning into their individuality and finding new ways to make their looks feel personal, playful and unapologetically bold.
“Glitter maxxing” make-up perfectly captures this shift. But where does the name come from? “Maxxing” refers to taking a particular aesthetic or trait to its absolute limit, maximising it fully.
In the early 2000s, we saw how the entire makeup era was all about icy pastel eyeshadows, high-shine frost and being covered in head-to-toe glitter.
From frosted eyes and glossy lips to rhinestones and shimmering body products, sparkle was everywhere.
Now, beauty enthusiasts are bringing that energy back, but this time around, it is bolder, brighter and far more colourful.
The fun part? Glitter is no longer limited to music festivals, themed parties. Today’s approach is more refined, wearable and versatile, allowing a little sparkle to become part of an everyday beauty look.
Sparkle has evolved into an everyday staple, with options ranging from soft champagne eyeshadows to crystal accents, metallic finishes and reflective glossy lips.
This rise in sparkly beauty highlights a growing desire for playful self-expression, individuality and creative freedom.
We also have the gemstone trend that is currently taking social media by storm, with content creators using gemstones on literally everything, including beauty products, food, clothes, accessories and bags.
The two trends feed into the same wider movement: beauty is becoming less about looking perfectly polished and more about having fun with your appearance.
What is the glitter maxxing trend?
Glitter maxxing is all about embracing light-catching finishes and incorporating sparkle into your makeup look in a way that feels intentional. Rather than simply covering the face in chunky glitter, the trend focuses on layering different shimmering textures to create dimension and luminosity.
Several make-up brands have introduced sophisticated formulas that create a luminous effect without necessarily looking heavy or theatrical, such as fine shimmer, metallic pigments, liquid eyeshadows, reflective glosses and glitter-infused products.
Social media is also playing a major role in this shift. Beauty content creators are experimenting with colourful eye looks, sparkling finishes and editorial-inspired techniques that encourage individuality.
And there are no strict rules when it comes to glitter maxxing. Depending on one’s preference, beauty enthusiasts often experiment with a subtle wash of shimmer across the eyelids, add a few crystals around the eyes or go all out with a face- or body-covered glitter look.
From Y2K nostalgia to modern maximalism
While the trend clearly takes inspiration from the early 2000s, the modern version feels less restrictive. Y2K beauty often revolved around a very specific colour palette of icy blues, silvers, pinks and frosted neutrals.
Today, glitter maxxing gives beauty enthusiasts far more freedom to experiment.
Think electric blues paired with silver glitter, bold purple lids with crystal accents, holographic highlights or even unexpected pops of green and orange.
It is less about recreating a specific decade and more about taking inspiration from it and making it your own.
This is also where the wider maximalist beauty movement comes into play. After the go-to minimalistic make-up trend, neutral palettes and “clean girl” aesthetics dominating beauty conversations, there is a growing appetite for looks that feel expressive rather than restrained.
kamogelo.makhura@nationalmg.co.za