Inspired by 8-bit gaming, “pixel makeup” transforms tactile beauty into digital play. Makeup artist Zee Ghielmetti reimagined pixels as paint, using the Make Up For Ever 12 Flash Color Case Multi-Use Palette to create block-like shapes in clashing shades, like maroon with fuchsia, deep blue with teal. Using liner brushes of varying thickness, she mapped each square with precision. “Start simple, build up, and edit as you go,” she says—like beauty in beta mode.
Kieran Punay
Matching the energy, hairstylist Cats del Rosario created Y2K–inspired spiky space buns with braided extensions, keeping things together with the Got2b Glued Blasting Freeze Hairspray and Belfour Water Gloss Hair Setting Lotion. Her advice for keeping strands healthy while styling: “Never mix pre-styling with finishing products,” because they serve different purposes and combining them can cause damage. Turns out, a little pixelation can be part of the picture of self-care.
Kieran Punay
Photographed by Kieran Punay. Modeled by Brea Umali of Luminary. Makeup by Zee Ghielmetti. Hair by Cats del Rosario.
Frequently Asked Questions
Pixel makeup is a beauty trend inspired by 8-bit gaming aesthetics. It involves applying block-like shapes of color to the face using liner brushes of varying thickness, with clashing shade combinations — such as maroon with fuchsia or deep blue with teal — to mimic the appearance of pixelated digital imagery.
Manila-based makeup artist Zee Ghielmetti recommends starting simple and building up gradually, using liner brushes to map precise square shapes in contrasting colors. She used the Make Up For Ever 12 Flash Color Case Multi-Use Palette to create the look, selecting bold, clashing shades and working with deliberate brush strokes to maintain clean block-like edges.
The pixel makeup look featured in Allure Philippines used the Make Up For Ever 12 Flash Color Case Multi-Use Palette for block color application, with liner brushes of varying widths to define each pixel-shaped section. A palette with a wide range of saturated shades is recommended to achieve the high-contrast combinations the trend requires.
Hairstylist Cats del Rosario paired the pixel makeup look with Y2K-inspired spiky space buns with braided extensions, secured with Got2b Glued Blasting Freeze Hairspray and Belfour Water Gloss Hair Setting Lotion. She advises against mixing pre-styling and finishing products, as combining them can cause hair damage.
According to makeup artist Zee Ghielmetti, the key is to start with simple shapes and refine from there — treating the process like editing a digital image. Beginning with two contrasting colors and a fine liner brush, then adding more blocks as confidence builds, is the recommended approach for those trying the trend for the first time.
