While Millennials might get grouped into one big generation, there are slight differences between the old and the young among us. We might mostly like the same fashions and tinker around with similar makeup trends, but there are certain beauty trends younger Millennials love that older Millennials might not necessarily understand. Or that they have understood, but admired from a safe distance.
Take me, for example. I'm 27 and have more of a willingness to try out bolder beauty trends than most. I've hacked off long, rib-cage sweeping hair into a pixie, sported an undercut, dabbled with glitter roots, and regularly wear black lipstick. But there are still trends that I see my younger cousins rock that make me feel like a middle-aged woman watching little girls play in Justice. Like, "Aw, isn't that sparkly and cute?" But would I, a middle-aged Millennial, walk out with a pink tutu and bedazzled tiara on? No. I'd rather admire those from afar.
I'm in no way saying these things as absolute statements, of course. There are plenty of young Millennials who wouldn't touch anything akin to glitter pits with a 10-foot pole, and 30-year-olds who are all in for trying out blue lippie. But in general, here are 11 trends young Millennials love, but older ones don't necessarily get.
1. Rainbow Freckles
These rainbow freckles make me think back to one of my favorite childhood TV characters: Loonette the Clown. While I would love to get some red velvet pancakes with friends while wearing this colorful makeup trend (I feel like that's an appropriate situation for it), this look might be best reserved for the younger crowd. Specifically, those who still steal Svedka from their parents' liquor cabinet and have locker combinations to remember. #JealousImNotYou.
2. Hair Tattoos
Whether they're stick-on ink or part of the stencil hair trend, this is a bold and festival-approved look for sure. But while spray-painting polka dots or graffiti-ing tumbling flowers down the length of your mane are wildly awesome moves, they might be a tad too wild for some of us older Millennials. Like, how does one walk into their office job and explain the Saved By The Bell shapes inked into their ponytail?
3. Crayola Color Lipstick
Smurf Blues, Bright Yellows, Acid Greens. Ermygod. While the majority of us late-20-somethings have jumped on board with the black, lilac, and purple hues, going towards the Crayola spectrum might be pushing it a bit.
4. Glitter Armpits
While many body positive feminists uttered a giant whoop for the glitter pit and armpit hair dyeing trend, it's mostly the young Millennials who have taken the idea and run with it. While I love seeing a woman embrace her body hair and rock a tuft underneath her arms, those who I've observed with glitterified underarms are usually still hovering on the brink of their 20s. More power to ya, babes.
5. Glitter Lips
While I can totally see myself wearing these glitter lips while sipping on cocktails in a wonderfully kitschy Friday night bar, I have yet to see anyone my age wear one of these disco-ball-pucker looks. I don't know if the majority of us are past fussing with makeup that makes it hard to function (how do you even eat with this on?), or if we get a little more self-conscious with age, but this is a look that's got youth written all over it.
6. Rainbow Roots
Although I love me a good mermaid hair trend, rainbow roots seem to be even bolder than simply going with allover color. Why? Because they give off that grunge, screw-the-system effect that make one look all cool and unkempt. And while I know plenty of punk chicks in my age bracket, that level of rebellion is most often reserved for the younger Millennials.
7. Oil Overload
I know this is edgy and urban and subversive, but in my day, we braided our bangs to the side á la Lauren Conrad when things got too greasy and reached for a baseball hat. Can you younger ladies teach me how to pull this off? Because I feel like someone would just throw a bottle of dry shampoo at my head.
8. Thermal Highlighter
Sure, this is wicked cool and makes me want to applaud the creativity and genius of makeup artists. But the thermal highlighter beauty trend is all about those young folk. Yes, this would be rad to wear to festivals or during Pride Week, but real talk? Seasoned Millennials embraced the "no makeup" makeup look for a reason: Most of us be lazy.
9. Tiny Lip Tattoos
These look ah-mazing, but all my adult brain can focus on is how they'll look once they're half scratched off and fading. Enter a couple of flashbacks to my 9-year-old arms at summer camp, and it's enough to deter me from trying the tats.
10. Rainbow Brows
Decked out in a fury of colors and topped off with a heavy hand of glitter, these rainbow brows are all sorts of fabulous. And not really something I see many older Millennials wearing on the train ride to work come Monday morning.
11. Blue Eyeshadow
Y'all can dabble all you want in the blue obsession, but if you spent the majority of your teen years laughing at your mom's '80s looks, then you've likely felt forced to take a step back from this one. We can't give our mothers the satisfaction of calling us hypocrites, after all.
It's totally natural to not have such a wild streak with beauty trends once you get older. But whether you're a young Millennial or an older one, all these looks are completely amazing and bold.
Image: Courtesy janine_ker_hair/Instagram (1)
