The clean girl era had a good run. But after years of beige, quiet luxury, and no-makeup-makeup, the internet seems to have decided it wants to sparkle again. Bedazzling is back for a second renaissance – a colourful, proudly ‘tacky,’ rhinestoned free-for-all that has jumped from nails and phone cases to birthday cakes, coffee cups, face masks, and a few unsuspecting poodles.
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The Rhinestone Renaissance
The art of bedazzling goes back further than some of us have been alive. But although Elvis, Dolly, Elton and Prince weren’t afraid to sparkle on stage, rhinestones weren’t likely to show up in your coworker’s or next-door neighbour’s wardrobe.
The first big cultural bedazzling boom was early-2000s maximalism: stoned-up BlackBerrys and flip-phones, Starbucks tumblers, Ed Hardy graphics, Juicy Couture velour, and embellished denim so extra it made early-2000s paparazzi shots glow. Y2K it-girls like Paris Hilton were rarely seen without at least one rhinestone-encrusted accessory – a hot-pink crystal-covered Sidekick or rhinestoned bandana could function as a status symbol on its own.
This time around, the references still lean heavily Y2K, but the application is far less contained. Late-2025 to early-2026 saw the trend bubbling at the surface through bejewelled manicures, rhinestone-adorned makeup and the widening public profile of pop girlies like Zara Larsson. Then, in August 2026, Kylie Jenner hosted her 29th birthday party and the bedazzling boom broke from its confines into unavoidable feed filler.
In a carousel post featuring a gem-covered cake, the Kylie effect did what it does best: it turned a visual vocabulary already circulating on social media into one nearly everyone wanted to join. Within days, creators and brands flooded in, with rhinestones appearing on lipsticks, hair clips, matcha cups and bare skin – all part of the online wave of ‘whimsy-maxxing.’
More Is More, Again
The current bedazzling revival is a kaleidoscopic response to the minimalist aesthetic that has dominated much of the 2020s. After years of neutral tones and ‘bare-faced’ makeup, ‘bedazzled everything’ offers a sparkly release, favouring playful excess and attention-grabbing details over the clean girl’s understated look.
That playfulness makes it a natural companion to the rise of ‘girlhood-as-a-state-of-mind.’ The internet has already given us girl math, ‘she’s just a girl’ and friendship bracelets, feeding an appetite for objects with character and a little room for silliness. Rhinestone sticker sheets offer another way to join in, turning everyday belongings into something you’ve had a hand in decorating.
Yet despite those ties to ‘girlhood’, this revival is less gendered than its aughts predecessor, when bedazzling was largely seen as a girlie pursuit. Rhinestones now appear on runways, in fit checks, across casual menswear and even on NBA merch, making it clear that the sparkle is for anyone.
The appeal may also lie in the small satisfaction of making something with your hands. In an expensive, chaotic and increasingly AI-shaped world, kitsch, whimsy and analogue pursuits offer a welcome way to spend an afternoon. Bedazzling asks very little of you: no app, subscription or prompt, just some change for a sheet of sticky gems, a surface and the conviction that everything could use a few crystals.
The Most Democratic Trend On The Feed?
Social media has accelerated the way trends take hold and fade. During the original Y2K era, a look would circulate through glossy magazines, music videos and paparazzi pictures before becoming part of everyday life. Now, a single post by Kylie can have the official Starbucks Instagram following suit before the week is out.
But speed alone doesn’t explain why bedazzling has spread so widely. It’s cheap, easy and open to almost anyone. Kylie’s version may have involved a lavish birthday bash, but joining in requires little more than pocket change for a rhinestone sticker sheet and a surface to decorate. There’s no designer purchase to save for or technique to master, which makes the leap between seeing the trend and trying it yourself unusually small.
That matters because trends depend on people actually participating. Bedazzling gives them an easy way in, with enough freedom to make their own choices. A phone case, compact or pair of sunglasses can follow the same glittery formula while carrying its owner’s choice of colours, patterns and placement. The DIY element allows a widely copied look to retain some individuality.
This combination may help explain why bedazzling is reaching beyond the usual micro-trend crowd. It satisfies the desire to join in while leaving room to put your own stamp on the result. Everyone might be buying the same mass-produced stickers, but deciding where each gem goes is part of the pleasure. Making it is as much the attraction as having it.
When so much of what we encounter is selected by an algorithm, sold ready-made or generated by AI, sitting at a desk and sticking gems onto a phone case offers a small, absorbing task with no great purpose to fulfil. For a little while, the only decision is where the next crystal should go.
Born in Korea and raised in Hong Kong, Min Ji has combined her degree in anthropology and creative writing with her passion for going on unsolicited tangents as an editor at Friday Club. In between watching an endless amount of movies, she enjoys trying new cocktails and pastas while occasionally snapping a few pictures.
