Maria Katrina Paras

Millennial Reboot Young Y2K Hollywood Celebrities Then and Now

Article (news)

<p>Way before curated feeds on Instagram and chaotic content on TikTok, these then-rising stars defined a generation at the height of monoculture. From TV screens to red carpets and magazine editorials, they effortlessly set trends with their main character energy.</p><p>It&rsquo;s no surprise that even 20 years later, the glow-ups are still going strong. Today, <strong>Hilary Duff</strong>, <strong>Nicole Richie</strong>, <strong>Miley Cyrus</strong>, <strong>Selena Gomez</strong>, and the rest of Y2K&rsquo;s it girls have traded the era&rsquo;s &ldquo;more is more&rdquo; aesthetic for softer, more minimal glam.</p><p>And while trends come and go, these women? They&rsquo;re still those girls. Swipe through our gallery for a nostalgic look back on these early and mid-2000s beauties!</p><div><br></div><div><br></div><div><strong>Hilary Duff (2001)</strong></div><p>As Lizzie McGuire, Hilary was Disney&rsquo;s girl-next-door of the 2000s&mdash;yet she was anything but boring. The character&rsquo;s signature bangs and playful layers were a favorite salon reference, while fresh-faced makeup mirrored the era&rsquo;s youthful take on trends.</p><div><strong>Hilary Duff (2026)</strong></div><p>At 38, Hilary is effortlessly polished with a go-to pared-back look that shows off her incredible cheekbones and great skin, often complemented by soft waves of her iconic blonde hair.</p><div><br><span class="fr-img-caption fr-fic fr-dib" style="width: 700px; display: block;" width="700"><span class="fr-img-wrap"><img src="https://od2-image-api.abs-cbn.com/prod/editorImage/1775551392192IMG_0706.jpeg" style="width: 700px;" class="fr-fic fr-dib" width="700"><span class="fr-inner">L to R: Image via IMDb; image via @hilaryduff</span></span></span></div><div><br></div><div><strong>Paris Hilton (2003)</strong></div><p>With The Simple Life debuting in 2003, Paris became the blueprint for all Hollywood heiresses and party princesses that came after her: platinum blonde, glossy lips, heavy liner, and the perfect tan&mdash;everything in unapologetic excess.</p><div><strong>Paris Hilton (2026)</strong></div><p>Decades later, Paris&rsquo; aesthetic has evolved into a sleeker look. It&rsquo;s a toned-down glam that&rsquo;s all about beautiful skin and sculpted features. Now a mom of two, she gives grown-up Barbie vibes with a go-to signature matte base, smoky eye, and nude lip. And that&rsquo;s hot!</p><div><br><span class="fr-img-caption fr-fic fr-dib" style="width: 700px; display: block;"><span class="fr-img-wrap"><img src="https://od2-image-api.abs-cbn.com/prod/editorImage/1775551617915IMG_0710.jpeg" style="width: 700px;" class="fr-fic fr-dib"><span class="fr-inner">L to R: Image via IMDb; image via @parishilton</span></span></span></div><div><br></div><div><strong>Nicole Richie (2003)</strong></div><p>The other half of The Simple Life&rsquo;s iconic duo, Nicole, was the epitome of carefree and chaotic in the early aughts. She didn&rsquo;t shy away from color. She loved blue eye shadow, high-shine lip gloss, and streaks in her hair. And the eyebrows? Razor thin!</p><div><strong>Nicole Richie (2026)</strong></div><p>Nowadays, Nicole has ditched much of the color in favor of clean skin, glam neutrals, and sharp lines that bring out her stunning eyes. What hasn&rsquo;t changed is Nicole&rsquo;s signature edge&mdash;she was cool then, and still cool now.</p><div><br></div><div><span class="fr-img-caption fr-fic fr-dib" style="width: 700px; display: block;"><span class="fr-img-wrap"><img src="https://od2-image-api.abs-cbn.com/prod/editorImage/1775551829878BEAUTY BANNERS.jpeg" style="width: 700px;" class="fr-fic fr-dib"><span class="fr-inner">L to R: Image via IMDb; image via @nicolerichie</span></span></span></div><div><br></div><div><strong>Rachel Bilson (2003)</strong></div><p>Orange County&rsquo;s sun-kissed princess, Rachel&rsquo;s portrayal of Summer Roberts in The O.C. nailed effortless off-duty beauty. Naturally laid-back and perfectly undone, her beachy waves and glowing skin defined SoCal boho in the 2000s.&nbsp;</p><div><strong>Rachel Bilson (2026)</strong></div><p>Today, Rachel prefers to keep it simple on days she&rsquo;s on the Broad Ideas podcast, but still knows how to amp up the glam with the perfect smoky eyes when she makes an appearance at events.</p><div><br></div><div><span class="fr-img-caption fr-fic fr-dib" style="width: 700px; display: block;"><span class="fr-img-wrap"><img src="https://od2-image-api.abs-cbn.com/prod/editorImage/1775551978178IMG_0717.jpeg" style="width: 700px;" class="fr-fic fr-dib"><span class="fr-inner">L to R: Image via IMDb; image via @rachelbilson</span></span></span></div><div><br></div><div><strong>Ashlee Simpson (2004)</strong></div><p>When Ashlee broke out of the music scene with &ldquo;Pieces of Me,&rdquo; she stood out with her punk edge&mdash;an overall darker, more alternative take on 2000s beauty, with smudged eyeliner and jet-black, textured hair.</p><div><strong>Ashlee Simpson-Ross (2026)</strong></div><p>These days, Ashlee still expresses herself best through her hair color. When she&rsquo;s not hiding behind her Galaxy Girl persona on Masked Singer, her current terracotta red is an edgy yet elegant complement to a more toned-down makeup look.</p><div><br><span class="fr-img-caption fr-fic fr-dib" style="width: 700px; display: block;"><span class="fr-img-wrap"><img src="https://od2-image-api.abs-cbn.com/prod/editorImage/1775552129221BEAUTY BANNERS.jpeg" style="width: 700px;" class="fr-fic fr-dib"><span class="fr-inner">L to R: Image via IMDb; image via @ashleesimpsonross</span></span></span></div><div><br></div><div><strong>Lindsay Lohan (2004)</strong></div><p>From fiery red hair to platinum blonde, Lindsay cycled through some of the decade&rsquo;s most memorable beauty moments. Her transformation from plain to plastic in Mean Girls is still a defining pop culture reference today.</p><div><strong>Lindsay Lohan (2026)</strong></div><p>The 39-year-old star&rsquo;s recent glow-up is Lindsay at her peak. She&rsquo;s traded in her natural red for a bright blonde, punctuated by a more mature approach to glam: soft waves, fluffy brows, luminous skin, and her iconic freckles, of course!</p><div><br></div><div><span class="fr-img-caption fr-fic fr-dib" style="width: 700px; display: block;"><span class="fr-img-wrap"><img src="https://od2-image-api.abs-cbn.com/prod/editorImage/1775552271082BEAUTY BANNERS.jpeg" style="width: 700px;" class="fr-fic fr-dib"><span class="fr-inner">L to R: Image via IMDb; image via @lindsaylohan</span></span></span></div><div><br></div><div><strong>Kristin Cavallari (2006)</strong></div><p>Remember Kristin Cavallari during her years as the Queen Bee of Laguna Beach? Bronzed skin, golden highlights, glossy lips, and an overall beachy glam vibe that defined the 2000s.</p><div><strong>Kristin Cavallari (2026)</strong></div><p>With age, Kristin&rsquo;s beauty has evolved into an even more effortless version of the same California girl aesthetic&mdash;just with softer makeup, a more toned-down glow, and a natural radiance that can&rsquo;t be beat!</p><div><br></div><div><span class="fr-img-caption fr-fic fr-dib" style="width: 700px; display: block;"><span class="fr-img-wrap"><img src="https://od2-image-api.abs-cbn.com/prod/editorImage/1775552968903BEAUTY BANNERS.jpeg" style="width: 700px;" class="fr-fic fr-dib"><span class="fr-inner">L to R: Image via IMDb; image via @kristincavallari</span></span></span></div><div><br></div><div><strong>Lauren Conrad (2006)</strong></div><p>Lauren&rsquo;s years on Laguna Beach and The Hills made her glossy hair, thin 2000s brows, and winged liner the reference point for the polished early 2000s California girl. The side part and the pouf were just some of her favorite hairstyles!</p><div><strong>Lauren Conrad (2026)</strong></div><p>The vibe is still the same, only more refined&mdash;her soft, feminine minimalism enduring for 20 years. She&rsquo;s kept to her signature understated elegance with neutral tones, fresh skin, and, of course, her winged eyeliner.</p><div><br></div><div><span class="fr-img-caption fr-fic fr-dib" style="width: 700px; display: block;" width="700"><span class="fr-img-wrap"><img src="https://od2-image-api.abs-cbn.com/prod/editorImage/1775552441262BEAUTY BANNERS.jpeg" style="width: 700px;" class="fr-fic fr-dib" width="700"><span class="fr-inner">L to R: Image via @laurenconrad; image via laurenconrad.com</span></span></span></div><div><br></div><div><strong>Miley Cyrus&nbsp;(2006)</strong></div><p>As a Disney baby, Miley&rsquo;s early beauty moments appealed primarily to the mainstream youth. Playing both Miley Stewart and Hannah Montana, she transformed from a &ldquo;plain Jane&rdquo; brunette to a shiny blonde pop star with ease.</p><div><strong>Miley Cyrus (2026)</strong></div><p>Since leaving her younger, crazier days and stepping back into her Hannah Montana shoes for the iconic series&rsquo; 20th anniversary, Miley has tapered off some of the edge while keeping the best of her bolder choices&mdash;blonde hair, curtain bangs, smoky eyes, and wispy lashes.</p><div><span class="fr-img-caption fr-fic fr-dib" style="width: 700px; display: block;" width="700"><span class="fr-img-wrap"><br><br><img src="https://od2-image-api.abs-cbn.com/prod/editorImage/1775552583525BEAUTY BANNERS.jpeg" style="width: 700px;" class="fr-fic fr-dib" width="700"><span class="fr-inner">L to R: Image via IMDb; image via @mileycyrus</span></span></span></div><div><br></div><div><strong>Selena Gomez (2007)</strong></div><p>Selena&rsquo;s time on Wizards of Waverly Place as Alex Russo was the definition of a fresh-faced Disney darling. Aside from her soft curls, she often wore minimal makeup in shades of pink that highlighted her natural features.</p><div><strong>Selena Gomez (2026)</strong></div><p>As the founder of the highly successful brand Rare Beauty, she often leans into a signature soft glam look marked by a flawless base, nude lips, perfect highlights, soft smoke, and bombshell lashes.&nbsp;</p><div><br></div><div><span class="fr-img-caption fr-fic fr-dib" style="width: 700px; display: block;" width="700"><span class="fr-img-wrap"><img src="https://od2-image-api.abs-cbn.com/prod/editorImage/1775552757540BEAUTY BANNERS.jpeg" style="width: 700px;" class="fr-fic fr-dib" width="700"><span class="fr-inner">L to R: Image via IMDb; image via @selenagomez</span></span></span></div>

Millennial Reboot: How Our Favorite 2000s Young Hollywood Stars Look Now

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Millennial Reboot: How Our Favorite 2000s Young Hollywood Stars Look Now

Elaine Carag-Calderon

Published April 07, 2026 05:00 PM PHT

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Updated April 07, 2026 05:29 PM PHT

Read More:

2026

Beauty

Millennial Reboot

Young Hollywood Celebrities Then and Now

Hilary Duff

Paris Hilton

Nicole Richie

Rachel Bilson

Ashlee Simpson

Lindsay Lohan

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