Devil Wears Prada 2 confirms that the ‘clean girl’ makeup era is officially dead!
Devil Wears Prada 2 Trailer, via Youtube
Almost 20 years on from the original, Devil Wears Prada 2 has had a makeover - and no we aren’t just talking in the fashion department!! Watching on at the Palace Cinema community preview screening last Wednesday, it became clear that while the fashion remains as iconic as ever, that the beauty direction quietly steals the show.
Contrasting the beauty uniform of the early 2000s, that was cool-toned matte smokey eyes and matte skin, the sequel film adapts to the modern world of self expression. Sporting bold pops of colour, glitter and razor-sharp liners amongst the occasional muted smokey eye, the beauty department has really gone all in. This may all sound like a recipe for disaster, however, it is tastefully done balancing playfulness with power, mirroring the evolution of the characters in the film and the corporate roles they command.
The rise of playful makeup over the past decade can be traced back to cult-hit television series ‘Euphoria’ (2019), with the cultural reset reframing beauty as storytelling. Leading that movement was Euphoria’s Key Makeup Artist Doni Davy, whose now cult-favourite brand Half Magic, turned crystal-studded artistry into a global aesthetic (and yes, it’s now stocked in MECCA).
Even more recently your FYP page has likely been blowing up with technicolour pops of eyeshadow across the eyes and cheek thanks to celebrity artist, Sophia Sinot, who if you don’t recognise the name immediately, I almost guarantee that you have seen her work. Most famous for her signature looks on pop star Zara Larsson, Sophia’s rebrand of multicoloured looks have almost single-handedly contributed to the rise in Zara’s star-power even after a long and hard working career that has spanned over a decade of bangers like ‘Ain’t My Fault’ and ‘Ruin My Life.’
With experimental makeup trending, you could say that incorporating these elements into the film could make the movie at risk of aging quickly or just not resonating with OG fans. However, the opposite feels true. The beauty direction feels intentional rather than trend-driven. As a makeup artist myself, I thoroughly enjoyed seeing coloured and sparkly eyeshadow sprinkled throughout the film. It wasn’t any more distracting than the occasional admiration for a well tailored coat or a sparkly jumpsuit, and instead became a part of the spectacle, a subtle but impactful evolution to the Prada universe.
At its core, Devil Wears Prada 2 doesn’t just rinse and repeat a cultural icon, it reframes it for a new era and demographic. The makeup looks aren’t there to chase trends or relevance, instead they reflect where fashion and femininity sits today; expressive and unapologetic and indicating the soft decline of the “clean girl” makeup era. In a film created on the power of image and influence, it’s the evolution in self-expression that feels the most lasting.
Sarah Peart (1 May 2026)
