If you were alive in the early 2000s, you either loved frosty lipstick or you’ve been in therapy about it ever since. The frosted lip. The Paris Hilton special. The shade your mom definitely still has in her bathroom drawer. That trend.
Well. It’s back.
But before you close this tab — hear me out. The frosty lipstick trend 2026 isn’t giving “prom 2003.” It’s giving ballet studio, off-duty model, cool-girl-with-a-$9-lipstick. It’s been renamed ballet-slipper lips, it went mega-viral on TikTok (we’re talking 2.5 million views on a single L’Oréal lipstick), it showed up at NYFW Fall/Winter 2026, and honestly? It looks really, really good.
I was skeptical too. Then I tried it. And then I bought four more shades. So here’s everything — what this trend actually is, how to wear it without looking like a time capsule, the best products from $9 to $40, and shade picks for every skin tone. Because this trend deserves better than “one shade fits all” energy.
What Are Ballet-Slipper Lips?
Ballet-slipper lips are exactly what they sound like: lips that look like the smooth, semi-reflective surface of pink satin ballet slippers. We’re talking cool-toned pinks with a frost, satin, or pearlescent finish — soft shimmer, not glitter. Think luminous, silky, slightly dreamy.
It’s NOT the same as glossy lips (no wet-look shine) and it’s not the same as matte lips (definitely some light play happening). It sits in this beautiful in-between: a soft frost that catches light without screaming for attention.
The trend kicked off when influencer Haley Sluss posted a TikTok wearing L’Oréal’s Colour Riche lipstick in “Ballerina Shoes” — a creamy baby pink with a frost finish. The video racked up nearly 2.5 million views, the lipstick sold out nationwide (at $9!), and suddenly every beauty editor on earth was writing about frosty lips.
Then it showed up on the NYFW FW26 runway at the LoveShackFancy show (via a LoveShackFancy × Tarte collab), and celebrity MUA Allan Avendaño — L’Oréal’s own makeup artist — confirmed it as a legit trend, not just a TikTok blip.
Why now? I think it’s part of a bigger shift away from the clean girl/no-makeup-makeup era toward something more expressive and playful. We spent years doing “your lips but better.” Now we want our lips to look like satin ribbons. I’m not mad about it.
How to Wear Frosty Lipstick in 2026 (Without Looking Like 2003)
Okay, this is the important part. Because YES, frosty lipstick CAN look dated. But it doesn’t have to. The difference between “vintage prom” and “NYFW” comes down to five things:
Tip 1 — It’s About the WHOLE Face
The biggest mistake people make with frosty lipstick is slapping it on with the same makeup they wore yesterday. If the rest of your face is matte foundation, heavy contour, and a dark smokey eye — yeah, the frost lip is going to look weird. It’s going to look like it wandered in from 2003 and got lost.
The fix: match it with dewy skin, babydoll blush, and a soft shimmer on the eyes. Everything should feel luminous. Celebrity MUA Allan Avendaño put it perfectly: when a lipstick doesn’t look right, it’s usually the rest of the makeup that’s the problem, not the lip color.
Think: cohesive glow. Not isolated frosty lip floating on a flat, matte face.
Tip 2 — Lip Liner Is Essential
I cannot stress this enough. Lip liner is the difference between “this looks incredible” and “this looks like concealer lips.” It defines your lip shape, adds depth, and can shift the frost shade to better suit your undertone.
Three approaches:
- Matching pink liner → amplifies the full ballet-slipper effect
- Slightly deeper liner → adds dimension, prevents that “flat frost” thing where your lips look one-dimensional
If you’re new to this trend, start with a nude liner. It’s the training wheels that make everything work.
Tip 3 — Pick the Right Shade for Your Undertone
Not all frosty pinks are created equal — and if you want to go bolder instead, dark romance makeup is the vampy alternative. But back to frosty:, and this is where most “frosty lipstick looks bad on me” complaints come from — wrong shade, not wrong trend.
More on this in the full skin tone section below, but the quick version:
- Warm undertones: Warm rose frost (L’Oréal Mauved)
- Medium-deep skin: Cool mauve frost (L’Oréal Mica)
- Deep skin: Berry or plum frost, or layer a frost topper over your usual deeper shade
Tip 4 — Layer, Don’t Commit
Not sure you’re ready for full frost? Same. Here’s what I did first: I took my normal MLBB (my lips but better) shade and layered a clear shimmery gloss over it. Instant soft frost without the commitment. Baby steps.
You can also dab a frosty lipstick on lightly with your finger instead of applying it full-coverage from the bullet. It gives a diffused, wearable hint of frost that’s way less intense.
Build up over time. You don’t need to go full Paris Hilton on day one. (Unless you want to. In which case — go off.)
Tip 5 — The 2026 Context
What makes this trend work NOW vs. 2003:
Pair with:
- Babydoll blush (flushed, soft pink — the strawberry girl energy)
- Soft shimmer shadow (wash of pink or champagne on lids)
- Clean, brushed-up brows
- Messy girl eyes (smudged liner + frosty lip = full 2026 runway effect)
Don’t pair with:
- Dark smokey eye
- Matte everything
- Over-lined lips (light hand, people)
The vibe is softness and light. Romantic, not Y2K maximalism. Think Natalie Portman in Black Swan meets your local Pilates instructor.
The Best Frosty Lipsticks to Try in 2026
The Viral One: L’Oréal Ballerina Shoes — $9
The one that started it all. L’Oréal Colour Riche Hydrating Satin Lipstick in shade 135 “Ballerina Shoes.” It’s a creamy baby pink with a frost finish, infused with vitamin E, omega-3, and argan oil so it actually feels nice on your lips (not dry and chalky like the frost lipsticks of yore).
2.5 million TikTok views. Sold out multiple times. Currently back in stock at most drugstores but honestly check soon because it keeps disappearing.
Best for cool and neutral undertones on fair to medium skin. If you have warm undertones, keep scrolling — L’Oréal has shades for you too.
Best Drugstore Frosty Lipsticks (Under $15)
L’Oréal Colour Riche in Mauved — ~$9
The warm-toned sister to Ballerina Shoes. A warm rose frost that works beautifully on golden and olive undertones. If Ballerina Shoes looked “off” on you, this might be your shade.
L’Oréal Colour Riche in Mica — ~$9
A cool mauve frost — this is the one for medium to medium-deep skin tones. More depth than Ballerina Shoes without losing the frosty finish.
L’Oréal Colour Riche in Sugar Plum — ~$9
Frosty plum pink. This shade has been quietly going viral alongside Ballerina Shoes and it’s GORGEOUS on deeper skin. WhoWhatWear beauty editors flagged it specifically.
L’Oréal Colour Riche in Spiced Cider — ~$9
A frosty berry brown. The most universally flattering shade in the lineup, honestly. Works on almost everyone because the brown undertone grounds the frost.
L’Oréal Colour Riche in Tickled Pink — ~$9
Another viral shade — pinker and brighter than Ballerina Shoes. Fun for a bold frosty moment.
Revlon Super Lustrous Lipstick (Frost shades) — ~$9
The OG drugstore frost. Revlon has been making frost-finish lipsticks since your grandma was young, and they’re still solid. “Pink in the Afternoon” and “Silver City Pink” are classics.
e.l.f. Glow Reviver Lip Oil in Piggy Bank — ~$8
Not a lipstick — a sheer frost gloss that gives you the ballet-slipper effect with zero commitment. Perfect for testing the waters. Layer it over literally anything.
Best Mid-Range and Luxury Frosty Lipsticks ($15-40)
MAC Frost Lipstick in Angel — ~$23
The gold standard. MAC’s Angel has been THE frost shade for decades — a luminous, buildable pink that makeup artists swear by. If you buy one “real” frosty lipstick, make it this one.
Fair warning from Reddit: MAC may be discontinuing some frost shades soon (they’ve been marking them down), so if you want Angel or Gel, grab them now.
MAC Frost Lipstick in Gel — ~$23
Another cult frost shade from MAC — slightly more peachy-pink than Angel. Beautiful on warm undertones.
MAC Plum Dandy — ~$23
For deeper skin tones — a gorgeous plum frost that gives you the trend without the baby-pink struggle. Reddit users were literally bulk-buying this one when the discontinuation rumors started.
Laura Geller Italian Marble Sheer Lipstick — ~$23
A sophisticated, grown-up frost. More subtle than MAC, more polished than drugstore. Great for the “I want frosty lips at work without getting looks” crowd.
Rhode Peptide Lip Shape — ~$24
Hailey Bieber’s brand got in on the frost trend with a modern, hydrating formula. The pink shades give a fresh, dewy frost that feels very 2026.
Lawless Forget The Filler Lip Plumper (shimmer shades) — ~$26
Frost + plumping in one. The shimmer shades give you that ballet-slipper finish with a subtle plumping tingle. Two trends for the price of one.
YSL Loveshine Lip Oil Gloss — ~$40
The luxury option. Glossy frost hybrid in a chic YSL tube. For when you want your frosty lips to feel like a splurge.
If You’re Not Ready for Full Frost
Totally valid. Here are your easing-in options:
- Dab frosty lipstick with your finger instead of applying from the bullet — diffused, sheer effect
- Try a lip topper — shimmer overlay products that add frost to any lip color you already own
- Start with Spiced Cider (the frosty berry brown) — the most “normal” looking frost shade, easiest gateway
Nobody’s going to take your beauty card if you ease into this gradually. Promise.
Ballet-Slipper Lips for Every Skin Tone
Let’s address the elephant in the room: frosty lipstick has a reputation for not working on deeper skin tones. And that’s because for years, the ONLY frost lipstick anyone talked about was baby pink. Baby pink frost on deep skin can look ashy and chalky. That’s not a “dark skin can’t do frost” problem — that’s a “wrong shade” problem.
Here’s what actually works:
| Skin Tone | Undertone | Best Frost Shades | Products to Try | Avoid |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Fair | Cool | True baby pink | Ballerina Shoes, MAC Angel | Too-white or silvery frosts |
| Fair | Warm | Warm rose, peachy pink | Mauved, MAC Gel | Cool lavender frosts |
| Medium | Cool/Neutral | Pink mauve, soft berry | Mica, MAC Angel | Neon or very bright pinks |
| Medium | Warm/Olive | Warm rose, golden pink | Mauved, Spiced Cider | Flat baby pink (will look off) |
| Medium-Deep | Any | Cool mauve, dusty rose | Mica, Sugar Plum | Pastel pinks that wash out |
| Deep | Any | Plum frost, berry shimmer | Sugar Plum, MAC Plum Dandy, frost topper over deeper base | Baby pink alone without a deeper liner |
The key for deeper skin tones: USE YOUR LIP LINER. A deeper liner underneath adds dimension and prevents the frost from sitting flat or looking ashy. Line and fill your lips with a mauve or berry liner, then apply the frosty lipstick on top. The liner peeks through and grounds the color beautifully.
As MUA Allan Avendaño confirmed: “This could work with most skin and undertones, depending on the lip liner.” The liner is doing the real customization work here.
And honestly? Some of the most stunning frosty lip looks I’ve seen on TikTok are on deeper skin tones — a berry frost on rich, dark skin has this gorgeous dimensional quality that baby pink on fair skin literally cannot achieve. It’s not that the trend doesn’t work for darker skin. It’s that the industry has been lazy about showing the right shades.
FAQ
What are ballet-slipper lips?
Ballet-slipper lips are a 2026 beauty trend featuring cool-toned pink lips with a frosted or satin finish — inspired by the smooth, semi-reflective surface of pink ballet slippers. It’s a modern update on the Y2K frosty lip, driven by the mega-viral L’Oréal Ballerina Shoes lipstick and confirmed at NYFW FW26.
Is frosty lipstick back in style in 2026?
Very much yes. L’Oréal’s Ballerina Shoes lipstick racked up 2.5 million TikTok views and sold out multiple times. The trend was confirmed on the NYFW FW26 runway at the LoveShackFancy show, and beauty editors at Glamour, WhoWhatWear, Elle, and Marie Claire have all named it a top trend for 2026. WhoWhatWear’s senior beauty editor called it instantly when polled for 2026 predictions.
How do you wear frosty lipstick without looking dated?
The secret is what you pair it with. Match your frosty lip with dewy, luminous skin — tinted moisturizer instead of matte foundation, babydoll blush, soft shimmer on the eyes. Everything should feel glowy and cohesive. Don’t pair it with heavy contour or dark smokey eyes. And always use lip liner — it makes or breaks the look.
What is the viral frosty lipstick on TikTok?
L’Oréal Colour Riche Hydrating Satin Lipstick in shade 135 “Ballerina Shoes” — a creamy baby pink with frost finish. It costs about $9 at drugstores and has sold out multiple times since going viral. Other trending L’Oréal shades include Mauved (warm rose), Mica (cool mauve), and Sugar Plum (plum pink).
Does frosty lipstick work on dark skin?
Absolutely — but you need the right shade. Skip baby pink (it can look ashy) and go for berry, plum, or mauve frosts instead. L’Oréal Sugar Plum and MAC Plum Dandy are great starting points. The secret weapon is lip liner: line with a deeper mauve or berry shade, then layer frost on top. The result is dimensional, gorgeous, and completely flattering.
What’s the difference between ballet-slipper lips and pearl lips?
They’re in the same family — both feature frosted, luminous lip finishes and are part of the Y2K frost revival. Pearl lips lean more metallic and iridescent (think chrome-like shine), while ballet-slipper lips are softer and more satin (think smooth fabric, not mirror). Both are trending in 2026, and some products work for either look depending on how you apply them.
