Millais's "Ophelia" has emerged as my favorite spring beauty aesthetic—here’s how I'm bringing it into reality.

      Gen Z Says is a bimonthly column that explores the latest fashion and beauty trends through the perspectives of Who What Wear's Gen Z editors. Expect insights on emerging tastemakers, up-and-coming designers, and style and shopping preferences directly from the generation that sets the trends. Living close to one of the most esteemed encyclopedic art museums worldwide has influenced my beauty perspective significantly. When I feel uninspired, I can take advantage of The Met's pay-what-you-wish admission and spend a few hours wandering its immaculate marble halls, hoping to channel the beauty reflected in the familiar faces of its paintings and the shapes of classical sculptures. Thus, it's no wonder that much of what I admire in those distinct pieces of art is reflected in the timeless beauty trends I have recently been drawn to.

      I use the phrase "timeless trends" somewhat loosely because I believe trends are meant to return through continuous reinvention and clever marketing. The terms timeless and trends often counter each other, but how else can we describe the resurgence of beauty practices depicted in a painting? When I view Pre-Raphaelite pieces like John William Waterhouse's "The Lady of Shalott" or John Everett Millais' "Ophelia," I am reminded of the flushed cheeks, long wavy hair, and just-bitten lips of their lovesick subjects, illustrating why many contemporary red carpet beauty styles reflect similar romantic elements. This spring, I plan to embrace my romantic and whimsical side through makeup and hair inspired by these legacies, as a tribute to the ideals that our beauty-loving ancestors cherished, which are just as relevant to the iGeneration today as they were to admirers of Pre-Raphaelite art centuries ago. Selecting specific beauty trends to explore can help define one’s approach, and Gen Z social media users continue to look to history for clues about upcoming trends.

      If you’re not familiar with the Pre-Raphaelite art movement, here's a brief overview. Established in 1848, the Pre-Raphaelite Brotherhood, later referred to as the Pre-Raphaelites, comprised a group of English painters, poets, and art critics who celebrated unconventional techniques in composition, such as natural scenes, vibrant colors, and sharp-focus painting methods, alongside romanticism inspired by medieval imagery. Two prominent members, Dante Gabriel Rossetti and William Holman Hunt, articulated the brotherhood's early principles and their "List of Immortals," which featured both real and fictional characters, including literary heroes from Keats and Tennyson’s works, depicted in the PRB's art. A contemporary comparison would be to relate these "Immortals" to today’s social media-driven aesthetics. Characters like "Ophelia" and "The Lady of Shalott," though fictional, are still widely referenced as two of the most romantic representations of Pre-Raphaelite women.

      Although they evoke a period long before that of Rossetti and Hunt, their ethereal beauty has jumped off the canvas and onto our social media feeds. I noticed a resurgence of nostalgic beauty trends at the 2024 VMAs when Anitta, Lisa, and Chappell Roan showcased Renaissance and medieval-inspired makeup looks that captivated the online community. Roan sported a soft, diffused metallic eyeshadow paired with a matte burgundy lip to complement her sheer Y/Project gown and green velvet robe, while Anitta and Lisa opted for angelic complexions framed by flowing veils. At its core, Pre-Raphaelite beauty blends rich earth tones with delicate details.

      Currently, we are observing a fusion of various history-inspired beauty trends, resulting in modernized iterations of "old" beauty practices. This generation’s fascination with past beauty doesn’t revert us to earlier eras; instead, it offers new avenues to reinterpret vintage beauty trends. The spread of beauty-focused "core" culture allows users to easily access these trends without solely depending on history books and museum guides. This serves as further evidence that the same generation fond of the Y2K beauty comeback also embraces trends from the Middle Ages to the Renaissance.

      As we approach spring, I aim to explore Pre-Raphaelite beauty. I want to highlight my natural features without complicating my beauty routine too much. When actress and painter Elizabeth Siddal took on the role of Millais's muse for his "Ophelia" painting, she could not have anticipated that her visage would become synonymous with the famous Shakespearean tale. Yet, it is Siddal's yearning eyes, rosy cheeks, and pink lips beneath the water that helped shape the art movement's standards of beauty.

      According to numerous makeup tutorials under TikTok's #Pre-Raphaelite Makeup, achieving a Pre-Raphaelite-worthy flush involves using more product than is typical by modern standards and blending from the apples of the cheeks upwards to the temples. The objective? Creating a look reminiscent of someone who just sprinted through a field of flowers to meet a fated lover. It's about embracing romantic qualities