The Suki look in 2 Fast 2 Furious reportedly used a Paula Dorf primer paired with Tony & Tina Colour Frequency eye shadow—a warm brown that smouldered without overpowering. To recreate it today, blend a taupe matte shadow on the lid with a deliberately upturned outer wing. Pair with a fine brown liner and resist the urge to blend neatly. Here, the messier the result, the better.

Suki’s film make-up was said to have been airbrushed using a foundation in natural tan and dark olive for a luminous, non-cakey finish—groundbreaking for 2003. Today, replicate the effect with a glowy formula like the Laneige Glowy Make-up Serum, applied only to the centre of the face and blended outward. The goal is a sun-kissed flush, not full coverage. Skin should look lived-in and radiant; natural texture and freckles are always an asset.

One of the most subversive elements of Aoki-core is the wholesale rejection of undereye concealer. Instead, beauty creators are enhancing—or even drawing in—natural undereye shadows using a soft eyebrow pencil or a cool-toned taupe liner to achieve the beachy, slightly exhausted aesthetic that Devon Aoki has always worn with total ease. Far from looking unpolished, the result reads as intentional grunge-glamour: cool, confident and completely unbothered.

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Complete the transformation with Devon Aoki’s most covetable feature: the “bitten” lip. Define the cupid’s bow using a cool-toned taupe or chocolate brown liner, then dab a sheer pink or nude shade into the centre using Clinique Black Honey for that effortless, just-nibbled finish. The key is deliberate imprecision. Aoki’s lips always looked considered but never overdone, and that quietly confident balance is entirely the point.

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Suga: tech and audio

Suga’s 2026 BTS brand collaborations have been anchored in the tech and audio space, most notably as an official ambassador for Samsung’s Galaxy Buds4 Pro earbuds. This partnership extends an existing relationship with the brand, having previously reworked Samsung’s “Over The Horizon” ringtone, and now positions Suga as a voice for premium sound and mobile‑centred lifestyles. The BTS members are often used to signal “cool longevity” for consumer electronics, and Suga’s association with the Buds line fits that pattern. His deals this year also suggest that BTS members can move beyond fleeting capsule‑drop hype and into longer‑term ecosystem roles, especially in markets where audio‑tech and mobile‑lifestyle overlap.​

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J‑Hope: fashion and sports

J‑Hope has remained deeply embedded in fashion codes while also flirting with sportswear energy in 2026, appearing in a soon‑to‑launch sneaker collaboration with Louis Vuitton. The pink‑suede BUTTERSOFT sneaker, co‑designed with Pharrell, leans into his performance‑centric image and his existing ambassadorship with the French house. Rumours of a potential Nike global ambassadorship later in the year have added an extra layer of speculation to how BTS members are being courted by sportswear giants. These BTS brand collaborations underline the way J‑Hope’s style is being translated into tangible products, rather than just campaign imagery.

V: fashion and lifestyle

V’s 2026 BTS brand collaborations reflect a full spectrum of high‑end fashion and lifestyle, from Celine and Cartier to Snow Peak Apparel and Compose Coffee. As a global ambassador for Celine, he continues to lend runway‑grade polish to catwalk shows and advertising campaigns, while lifestyle partnerships bring his image into more casual, everyday contexts. The BTS members are often described as style icons, and V’s current roster of deals leans heavily on that reading, pairing luxury‑product placement with more accessible, consumer‑facing brands. These BTS brand collaborations also show how one member can simultaneously occupy both couture‑adjacent spaces and more mundane, everyday‑product categories.​

Jimin: beauty and fashion

Jimin’s 2026 BTS brand collaborations have been dominated by beauty‑centric and fashion‑adjacent partnerships, including ties with Dior beauty and the Korean skincare line Lador. His work with these brands emphasises skin‑focused, soft‑glamour aesthetics that align with his public image and on‑screen visuals. The BTS members are often used to broaden the demographic reach of beauty lines, and in Jimin’s case that comes through in campaigns that foreground close‑up, texture‑driven imagery. These BTS brand collaborations also point to how Korean beauty brands are increasingly choosing individual members as distinct faces, rather than relying on the group as a single unit.​

Jin: luxury fashion and food

Jin has remained a frequent presence at major fashion weeks and has maintained a cluster of high‑end and lifestyle partnerships in 2026, including Gucci and Fred Jewelry. Alongside these, he is also tied to brands in the beauty, food and travel sectors, such as Laneige, Visit Seoul, and Ottogi Jin Ramen, which share his name as a hook. The BTS members are often used to authenticate a brand’s “cool” factor, but Jin’s mix of deals leans into heritage craftsmanship and tourism‑style storytelling. His own liquor brand, IGIN, has also sold out at launch, signalling how BTS members can now launch their own product lines that sit alongside or alongside their endorsement work.​

Jungkook: watches and fashion

Jungkook’s 2026 BTS brand collaborations have been defined by his appointment as a global ambassador for Swiss watchmaker Hublot. The partnership positions him as a figurehead for precision timepieces and links the musician’s image with the brand’s narrative of innovation and craftsmanship. The BTS members are often framed as status symbols for youth‑oriented brands, but in this case Jungkook is being used to connect Hublot with a younger, more pop‑centric audience. These BTS brand collaborations also illustrate how luxury brands are increasingly comfortable naming individual members as global faces, rather than treating BTS as a collective only.

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From Renaissance Italy to Elizabethan England, deathly pale skin signalled wealth and moral purity, achieved through Venetian Ceruse—a paste of white lead and vinegar. Applied thickly to face and neck, this lead face mask concealed scars and blemishes but quietly poisoned its users. Chronic lead exposure caused hair loss, blackened teeth, skin deterioration and neurological damage; many women layered ceruse thicker as their skin worsened, accelerating the cycle. Queen Elizabeth I, a known adherent of beauty rituals, was reportedly a heavy user.

Today, zinc oxide–based foundations and tone-up creams deliver brightness without toxicity.

In Renaissance Italy, dilated pupils were considered irresistibly sensual, prompting women to drip extracts of Atropa belladonna—deadly nightshade—directly into their eyes. The toxin temporarily enlarged pupils, creating a dreamy, aroused look immortalised in portraiture. But repeated use of the strange beauty ritual led to blurred vision, permanent blindness, heart palpitations and, sometimes, death. Beauty here was literally blinding.

Nowadays, cosmetic contact lenses and safe ophthalmic products mimic the effect without risking eyesight. 

After radium’s discovery in the early 20th century, it was hailed as a miracle element, swiftly absorbed into luxury skincare and cosmetics like Tho-Radia creams and powders. Advertisements promised “cellular vitality” and youthful radiance through daily radioactive exposure. Instead, users suffered bone decay, anaemia and aggressive cancers, including the infamous “radium jaw”. The scandal reshaped product regulation worldwide.

Skip the radium and go for vitamin C, niacinamide and light-reflecting pigments, which deliver glow minus radiation.

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Across ancient China, Rome and the Islamic world, vivid red lips and cheeks were achieved with cinnabar, a mercury sulfide mineral prized for its rich colour. Ground into powders for rouges and lip stains, it symbolised vitality and status. Mercury, however, is a potent neurotoxin; prolonged use caused tremors, memory loss, mood disturbances and cognitive decline—the origin of “Mad Hatter” syndrome.

Thankfully, modern iron oxide pigments provide the same crimson payoff safely.

Medieval skincare and beauty rituals leaned heavily on folk remedies, especially for acne. Treatments included bread poultices mixed with bird droppings, bull’s bile or animal fats, applied directly to inflamed skin. While not chemically toxic, these mixtures were biologically dangerous, often introducing severe infections to open sores. In an era without antibiotics, this could escalate to sepsis and death.

Now, safe remedies include salicylic acid, benzoyl peroxide and hygienic dermatological care.

Obsessed with frailty and wasp waists, late-Victorian society embraced one of history’s most horrifying weight-loss hacks: ingesting tapeworm eggs in pill form. The parasite would grow inside the host, consuming nutrients and causing rapid weight loss, but also anaemia, vitamin deficiencies and organ damage. In severe cases, migrating larvae caused fatal cysts in the brain. The concept later inspired a chilling episode of American Horror Stories. 

In 17th-century Italy, Aqua Tofana was sold as a harmless cosmetic tonic—clear, odourless and discreetly packaged among beauty bottles. In reality, it was a lethal cocktail of arsenic, lead and belladonna. While small topical use was possible, its darker reputation came from being slipped into food to poison abusive husbands, mimicking natural illness. Beauty, autonomy and survival intersected in a bottle. 

In the 1930s, Lash Lure promised permanent dark lashes using an aniline dye derived from coal tar. Women flocked to salons for the treatment—until reports surfaced of extreme allergic reactions, ulcerated eyes and infections. One widely reported case ended in blindness and death, prompting public outrage. The scandal directly influenced stricter cosmetic safety laws in the US.

Fortunately, current mascaras and lash tints are rigorously tested under modern regulations.

Greying hair in the 18th and 19th centuries was “treated” with lead-based dyes, silver nitrate solutions or daily brushing with lead combs that darkened hair through chemical reaction. Over time, lead seeped through the scalp, causing nerve damage, headaches and the telltale wrist paralysis known as drop-hand. Many mistook the symptoms for ageing itself. 

For nearly a millennium in imperial China, bound feet—ideally no longer than three inches—were the ultimate symbol of femininity and status. Girls’ feet were broken, folded and tightly wrapped to prevent growth, causing chronic pain, infections and lifelong disability. While not cosmetic in the modern sense, it was a beauty ritual enforced by social power structures. Sadly, it lasted all the way to the 20th century. 

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Actor Jessie Buckley appeared in a colour-blocked Chanel gown combining pink and red in an off-the-shoulder design inspired by classic Hollywood silhouettes. The shape emphasised the neckline and shoulders, with a fitted bodice and a skirt that extended cleanly to the floor.

Her Oscars beauty look complemented the soft colour palette. Makeup focused on even skin and muted tones through the eyes and cheeks, avoiding heavy contour or dramatic colour. The overall approach allowed the contrast between the pink and red fabric to remain the focal point, along with her effervescent smile.

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Gracie Abrams arrived in a two-piece Chanel look that departed from the traditional full-length evening gown often seen at the ceremony. The set consisted of a structured black bodice paired with a coordinating skirt, reflecting the house’s continued use of tailored separates on formal red carpets. She completed the look with Chanel high jewellery, which added a layer of sparkle without interrupting the clean lines of the outfit.

Her interpretation of Oscars beauty leaned toward simplicity. Makeup centred on an even, luminous complexion with soft contour and lightly defined eyes. Neutral tones through the lids and cheeks kept the palette restrained, while the lips were finished in a subtle natural shade.

Abrams wore her hair short, styled with a soft texture that framed the face and allowed the neckline of the bodice and jewellery to remain visible. The overall effect aligned with the evening’s broader direction in Oscars beauty, where pared-back makeup and unfussy hair accompanied couture fashion.

Singer Audrey Nuna arrived in a custom Thom Browne look that blended tailoring with couture volume. The design featured a sharply structured, military-inspired blazer with a high collar and lines of gold sequins cascading down the bodice. At the waist the silhouette shifted into a dramatic black skirt with sculptural volume and layered fabric, creating a striking contrast between rigid tailoring and fluid movement. The black and gold palette referenced the Oscar-nominated song “Golden” from KPop Demon Hunters, which Nuna performs with EJAE and Rei Ami. 

Her Oscars beauty look balanced the strong structure of the outfit. The complexion was even and softly luminous, paired with restrained eye makeup and neutral lips that kept attention on the architectural clothing.

One of the most notable details was her manicure. Nuna wore gold chrome nails finished with sculptural three-dimensional appliqués inspired by the shape and shine of the Academy Award statuette. The design created a miniature metallic effect at the fingertips, extending the gold theme of the ensemble into the smallest elements.

Barbie Ferreira arrived at the 98th Academy Awards in a custom cobalt blue gown designed by Zac Posen for GapStudio. The dress centred on a sharply structured corset bodice constructed with more than seventy internal bones, creating a defined shape through the waist before opening into a voluminous skirt with a cascading train. The moiré taffeta fabric emphasised the depth of the blue tone under the red carpet lights, while a button-front overskirt referenced the construction of a classic shirt dress, a deliberate nod to Gap’s design heritage.

The look was styled with De Beers jewellery and Christian Louboutin shoes, maintaining a clean palette that allowed the architectural structure of the gown to remain the focus. 

Her Oscars beauty approach drew on classic Hollywood references, reminiscent of bombshell beauties past. Ferreira wore her dark hair in deep side-parted waves with controlled volume, while makeup focused on softly defined eyes, even skin and nude-pink lips.

Minimalist is in, and Norwegian actor Renate Reinsve proves its merits in a custom Louis Vuitton gown by Nicolas Ghesquière in a vibrant red tone. Reinsve attended the 98th Academy Awards as one of this year’s Best Actress nominees. The strapless design was noted for its tube‑like bodice and deep thigh‑high slit. The look incorporated a square side train that extended from the hip, contributing to the architectural shape. She completed the ensemble with matching red heels and a chunky silver bangle.

Makeup featured a red lip that matched the tone of the gown, keeping the colour story coherent from dress to lips without relying on strong contrast elsewhere. Her skin appeared luminous, allowing Reinsve’s natural complexion to remain visible under the red carpet lights.

She wore her hair in a sleek, low ponytail, pulled back from the face. The choice maintained clean lines and ensured the neckline and the bold shape of the gown remained clear in profile. Rather than adding ornate accessories, the emphasis on a single colour story between gown and makeup—paired with controlled hair styling—reflected a contemporary interpretation of Oscars beauty that prioritised harmonious composition over elaborate technique.

McKenna Grace attended the 98th Academy Awards in a strapless Oscar de la Renta gown in soft pink satin. The dress featured a fitted bodice that extended into a full skirt with gentle structure, creating a classic red carpet silhouette while keeping the colour palette light and youthful. The smooth satin surface allowed the pale tone of the gown to stand out under the red carpet lights.

Her Oscars beauty look focused on fresh, polished skin. Makeup centred on a luminous base with soft blush and subtle highlight across the cheekbones. The eyes were defined with delicate neutral shadow and mascara, keeping the focus on the complexion rather than dramatic colour. A pink lip mirrored the tone of the dress and maintained the soft palette.

Grace wore her blonde hair styled up in a neat updo, with loose strands framing the face and softening the overall look. The styling kept the neckline of the strapless gown visible and aligned with the understated direction seen across much of this year’s Oscars beauty on the red carpet.

And in an unexpected beauty move, Jack O’Connell arrived at the 98th Academy Awards drawing attention to a deliberate detail in his smile. O’Connell appeared on the red carpet wearing prosthetic vampire fangs, a reference to his role as the vampire Remmick in the film Sinners. The actor has been associated with darker characters in recent projects, including the villainous figure in 28 Years Later: The Bone Temple, reinforcing the visual nod to his recent screen roles. 

The decision also aligned with O’Connell’s long-standing resistance to Hollywood dental conventions. In earlier interviews, he has said he has no interest in altering his natural teeth to fit industry expectations, stating bluntly that “my teeth are my teeth” when asked about cosmetic dental work.

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