Everywhere you look across TikTok, YouTube, and Instagram, mid-2010s beauty culture is mounting a massive comeback. From full-coverage glam and dramatic lashes to bold warm-toned eyes, beauty enthusiasts are embracing nostalgia heading into the autumn season.
To break down what is worth resurrecting and what should stay in the vault, beauty creator and industry icon Manny MUA—who helped define the mid-2010s makeup movement—sat down with The Source to discuss the revival, Halloween transformations, and his favorite drugstore budget finds.
Bringing Back Fall Glam and Dramatic Eyes
When reflecting on the high-glam era of 2016, Manny is more than ready to welcome dramatic eye looks back into the mainstream rotation.
“Oh my god, the dramatic eyes. Give me the lashes, give me the smoky eye, give me a cut crease I’m soooo ready. 2016 was such a fun time for makeup because we were doing the absolute most, and obviously I was living for it! For fall, I especially love the browns, bronzes, and warm smoky tones. That whole vibe just feels so good and nostalgic. I think now we’re doing it in a slightly more elevated way where maybe you’re taking one or two things from that 2016 glam instead of putting literally everything on your face at once.”
He added that a bold lash remains a timeless staple:
“A dramatic lash? She never left. One of my staples is the Maybelline Lash Sensational Sky-High Mascara – it is such an easy way to bring back that iconic look and it’s carried at Walgreens which, if you know you know, is my favorite drugstore beauty. They are in the middle of their Beauty Savings Event that runs through 9/26 so if I were you, I would go stock up now!”
For Manny, one mid-2010s technique stands above the rest, while another is best left forgotten in the past.
“Bring. Back. The. Cut. Crease. I don’t care what anybody says! I love cut creases. We went so minimal for a minute, and I’m like, can we play with makeup again? Please? And what can stay? I would say the blocky over filled brows… that did no one any favors lol.”
The Evolution of “Pumpkin Spice Latte” Makeup
The signature warm-toned fall look is returning for autumn, but with a refined, modern twist that feels fresh for the current season.
“The original pumpkin spice makeup was VERY pumpkin spice,” Manny explains. “Orange on the eye, warm brown in the crease, bronzed skin, brown nude lip… you looked at somebody and you knew immediately it was October. Now I feel like we’re taking those same colors but making them a little softer and sexier. Maybe it’s a cinnamon wash on the eye, really beautiful skin and a caramel-y brown lip. It’s still giving fall but refined fall.”
Why Gen Z is Obsessed with Mid-2010s Nostalgia
Reflecting on how quickly a decade passes, Manny noted why younger beauty creators on TikTok are gravitating toward the era’s signature aesthetic.
“I want to know how 2016 wasn’t 2 years ago and it was 10 years ago… I’m scared. There’s a whole generation on TikTok that didn’t really get to experience that era of beauty the first time around, so to them it feels new. And meanwhile, those of us who were there are watching it come back are like, ‘I know her VERY well.'”
With Halloween around the corner, 2016 beauty techniques offer the ultimate inspiration for dramatic costume transformations.
“Halloween is literally the perfect excuse to bring all of it back because you can go as hard as you want,” Manny notes. “Contour your face into a completely different bone structure. Put on the biggest lash you own. It’s Halloween — this is not the time to be shy! That’s also why somewhere like Walgreens is a go-to for my Halloween beauty. You can grab what you need for the look without buying a bunch of things you’re never going to touch again after October 31, and you don’t have to break the bank. Win. Win. Win!”
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Refreshing a fall routine doesn’t require overspending, and Manny shared his top daily drugstore holy grails that keep his skin prepped and his makeup locked in.
“For me my biggest wins from the beauty saving event are the things I use ALLLL the time. The holy grail, for me of course, is first and foremost the e.l.f. Power Grip Primer. It’s amazing to keep your makeup on and hydrate you. Second, is the eos Shea Better Body Lotion Vanilla Cashmere, I don’t go a single day without using it. I’ve gone through three bottles, not even kidding. Lastly, the L’Oreal Paris Infallible Setting Mist… your makeup will not budge with that, I’m telling you it’s amazing. Just hold your breath haha!”
How Personal Style Has Evolved
While minimalism dominated recent years, Manny’s approach to glam remains strategic and intentional rather than stripped down.
“I think I’m just more strategic about where I want the drama. I still love glam, duh, you’re never going to catch me being like, ‘I only need tinted moisturizer and lip balm.’ That is simply not my journey. But I know my face so much better now. I know where I want coverage, where I want dimension, what eye shape I like on myself, what actually photographs well on me. I don’t feel like every single part of the makeup has to be screaming at the same time anymore. Still full coverage, but in a more natural way if that makes sense.”
