If 2025 proved anything, it’s that BeautyTok loves a good showdown. Trends didn’t just trend this year — they battled. Every aesthetic seemed to come with a built-in opposite, and the internet readily split into teams. From nails to brows to hair to lips, each choice became a referendum on taste, generational identity, and which side of TikTok your FYP landed on.
Millennials and Gen Z staked their claims on manicure shapes. The side-versus-middle part debate somehow got louder. Brows stretched to dramatic extremes. Even mascara split into factions: loud and clumpy versus barely-there. And beneath it all was an increasingly opinionated comment section that reflected a larger push and pull in the beauty world.
Because, ultimately, these micro-feuds were never about choosing a winner. They demonstrated a collective effort to define what this generation’s beauty identity is in a moment when every aesthetic is available all at once. Beauty became less about rules and more about customizing your avatar, even switching sides whenever the mood strikes.
Ahead, the biggest beauty battles of the year — the showdowns that defined our feeds, fueled the discourse, and proved that the only wrong opinion is not having one.
1Millennial Almond Tips Vs. Short Nails
This year, nails became the generational Rorschach test. Millennial loyalists held tight to their almond manicures, even as Gen Z collectively rolled their eyes. But the divide wasn’t just about shape — it was also about length. While millennials prefer an elongated, rounded look, Gen Z couldn’t resist the practicality of short and squoval.
2Side Vs. Middle Parts
The side-versus-middle-part debate refuses to end — and face shape filters on TikTok have only fanned the flames. Side-part converts argue it frames the face better and adds polish, while middle parters claim its sleek symmetry makes it the superior choice. But, as Ouai founder Jen Atkin recently told Bustle, the truth lies somewhere in between: “Everyone should do both — don’t be married to just one.”
3Male Gaze Vs. Female Gaze Makeup
The trend that divided social media? Male gaze versus female gaze makeup. Male gaze leaned into girl-next-door charm with soft, “undetectable” glam. Meanwhile, the female gaze aesthetic turned heads with smudged liner and vibes-first experimentation. Ultimately, the divide was less about how to do your makeup — it was an interrogation of what makeup is for: performance or expression.
4Thin Arches Vs. Monobrows
Brows stretched to extremes this year: razor-thin or totally bushy, with not much in between. Bella Hadid and Gabriette rocked ’90s plucked arches, while Charli XCX championed the natural brow movement. No matter which camp you fall into, it’s a much-needed reset from the perfectly groomed, carved-out look that dominated 2016.
5Concealer Lips Vs. Blurred Lips
Lips returned as a focal point of beauty after a long stretch of clear gloss minimalism. Concealer lips resurfaced in all their Y2K glory, this time with an editorial finish. And blurred pouts emerged as their softer opposite — finger-smudged, velvety, and a little undone, as if you’ve just had one too many glasses of red wine.
6Spider Vs. Ghost Lashes
To wear or not wear mascara? That was the beauty question of the year. The spider lashes trend embraced the clumps, but ghost lashes went in the opposite direction. Addison Rae and Gigi Hadid traded jet-black mascara for brown, gray, or clear formulas — and sometimes skipped it entirely — to complete their natural beats.
7Grunge Cuts Vs. Supermodel Blowouts
Hair swung between two totally different vibes. Grunge styles — think air-dried textures, shaggy layers, and lived-in pixie cuts — made a case for something raw and low-effort. But on the other end of the spectrum, supermodel blowouts took center stage with big, bouncy volume and high-gloss polish. (Thank you, Victoria’s Secret show.)
8Tired Girl Vs. Filtered Under-Eyes
The biggest curveball this year? Tired girl makeup. For those embracing the exhaustion, a dab of red-toned shadow or lipstick under the eye romanticized dark circles. But plenty weren’t ready to surrender their filtered finish — instead doubling down on full coverage and brightening.
