Prom makeup inspired by TikTok trends is the look of the decade, according to Gen Z adults

The last couple of years may have been a wash-out for proms due to the pandemic disrupting our normal lives, but this should give you some inspiration for a good look for 2022.

Cruelty-free and vegan makeup brand Lottie London teamed up with Oscar-nominated hairstylist and makeup artist Marc Pilcher to recreate classic looks dating back to the origins of proms back in the 1920s.

A survey of 2,000 US Gen Z adults revealed that of all the styles over the last century, the current look — characterized by feathery brows, faux freckles and dewy skin — was by far the favorite (59%). This was followed by the supermodel glam of the 90s (26%) and the rock and roll chic of the 50s (22%).

Commissioned by Lottie London and conducted by OnePoll, these findings come in as the 2020s mark a hundred years since proms became popular in America.

The social event expanded into an annual festivity where students dress up and wear makeup in the 1920s and has become bigger every decade since. 

With the help of Lottie London and Walmart, leading movie makeup and hairstylist Marc Pilcher, the Oscar-nominated visionary behind the Bridgerton beauty looks, rolled back the years to the 1920s to create this stunning video showcasing a century of prom style. 

While the 1920s were all about the 'flapper' look and the 1930s embraced a thinner brow, the 1950s introduced icons such as Marilyn Monroe and Elizabeth Taylor, who inspired "Hollywood Glam". 

Over the next few decades, makeup became more extravagant, particularly in the 80s when bright eyeshadows and bold blushes ruled the disco. 

The start of the 2020s has seen a shift in the way Americans wear makeup - adopting a lighter touch with the natural, dewy skin, which is what this decade is all about.

"Over 60% of Gen Z are looking for prom makeup that is affordable and both kind to the skin and to the planet," says Nora Zukauskaite, Global Marketing Director from Lottie London. "We are proud of seeing people fully express themselves and experiment with these new trends. We're especially excited to see what proms look like in 2022."

With 61% of American Gen Z's getting their prom makeup inspiration from TikTok, looks such as faux freckles (51%), the instant 'face life' concealer trick (50%) and contouring lipstick blusher (48%) are the most popular trends on the social media platform.

It also emerged that celebrities such as Ariana Grande (40%), Doja Cat (38%) and Zendaya (35%) are said to use makeup in the most innovative ways, with Gen Z trying new makeup techniques a couple of times a month in order to keep up. 

"I grew up watching old black and white movies, Hollywood films and musicals, so I absolutely loved recreating looks from the last 100 years of prom with Lottie London," Marc Pilcher reminisced. "People love to switch up their look and try something new — especially Gen Zers. So taking a look at the changes in hair and makeup over the last century has been great. We didn't wear as much makeup during the pandemic and have learned to embrace a more natural look, so it comes as no surprise that we now want to emphasize our features. Prom looks this decade are going to be all about accentuating those fluffy brows and adding a few more freckles."