"Devon Aoki Makeup" Is Perfect for Round Faces Like Mine, so I Asked an Expert How to Pull It Off

Growing up as a zillennial, I was lucky enough to experience the last of what the '90s had to offer with all the goodness of the 2000s. This meant that while I was too young to participate in the biggest trends my big cousins followed after seeing them worn at the VMAs by Destiny's Child or Britney Spears, I spent the bulk of my childhood taking mental notes for how I wanted to "adult." At the time, my plans for the future consisted of low-rise jeans, my own phone line, and a decked-out MySpace page (the majority of which disappeared by the time I hit middle school).

Until I can hop on a time machine and travel back to the time of butterfly clips and chunky highlights, I get to revisit the decade's biggest beauty moments through film. One of my favorite faces to see in them, albeit not as much as I'd like, belongs to model, retired actress, and Y2K icon Devon Aoki. Below, I'm taking a closer look at her iconic approach to beauty and how, unlike so many of the era's most recognizable looks, millennials and Gen Zers continue to cosign it.

The Devon Aoki Effect

Enter celebrity makeup artist and Wet n Wild brand ambassador Lilly Keys. Keys, who has worked with some of the decade's most influential names from Charli XCX and Jenna Ortega to Tate McRae and Sophie Thatcher, is particularly in awe of Aoki's impact on beauty. She discovered the model through her love for Kate Moss's makeup and what she refers to as the "whole undone supermodel energy." It was Aoki's unique face and the way her makeup was done in the 2000s that stood out to Keys as having the ideal balance of structure and softness.

"Her skin always looked fresh and real, brows were left feathered, and the cheeks were everything," begins Keys. "[Aoki] skipped heavy contour and sharp liner, instead letting that vertical flush of blush define her face." While Aoki has since taken a step back from full-time acting, she remains a force to be reckoned with in the fashion industry. In fact, she recently fronted ACNE Studios' spring/summer 2023 campaign and was featured in the Tommy Hilfiger fall 2023 campaign with her sibling, Steve Aoki, a DJ and record producer. At the moment, however, it's her impact on some of the beauty industry's nostalgic beauty trends currently taking over TikTok and Pinterest that inspires me the most.

Aoki's Signature "Lived-In Glamour" Look

Nostalgia-fueled makeup trends aren't anything new, but when they're tied to practical makeup tricks that help elevate particular face shapes, I can't help but screenshot them for reference later. As much as I love having full cheeks and low cheekbones, there have definitely been times when I've wanted to play down their appearance. Then, I see TikTok edits of Aoki haunting my FYP, and I'm reminded of just how much I loved seeing her on my screen growing up for the very same reason.

Keys too adores Aoki's effortlessly lived-in look, which the model became known for throughout the 2000s and beyond. "It wasn’t polished in the obvious way; it was romantic and a little rebellious," she explains. "That’s exactly why it still works today when everyone is chasing that skin-forward, nostalgic look that feels like it’s melted in rather than being painted on. Devon was way ahead of her time with that approach."

She also tells us that the reason Aoki's makeup has remained timeless is that it was never about transforming her natural features, but rather about embracing them. "It was intuitive, undone, and centered on one feature that anchored the whole face. For Devon, it was that blush, and that is exactly what makes it still so inspiring today," adds Keys. Not only did the model know how to wear a flushed face to perfection, but she knew a thing or two about pulling off a playful smoky eye and pouty lip.

Iconic Blush Placement

While I can't prove that vertical blush placement was made for faces like mine in mind, I can say with certainty that my makeup never looked half as good as it does when I take a few extra seconds to change where I rest the brush or Beautyblender on my face. Vertical blush has been called many things (the "boyfriend blush" trend championed the same placement), but Aoki's memorable makeup looks have proven just as influential in 2025 as they were in 2005. So, what gives?

"Devon’s blush placement, in particular, really stands out to me. It wasn’t the boyfriend blush that TikTok made famous with color across the nose and the apples [of the cheeks]," explains Keys. She tells us that Devon's blush was more vertical, starting at the apples and blending up throughout the cheekbone and toward the temple, which provided a lifted and elongated look without looking forced. "To re-create it, I'd use a cream blush like Wet n Wild MegaGlo Vitamin E Makeup Sticks, or a liquid blush like the Wet n Wild MegaGlow Lip Cheek Color, and work it upward in soft layers, blending until it feels like part of the skin," she shares.

According to Keys, vertical blush works so well on heart-shaped and round faces because it draws the eye upwards and helps balance the fullness of the cheeks without boxing anything in. "The trick is to keep it sheer and buildable, letting the blush do the work of structure instead of relying on heavy contour," she says. "If I want a playful effect, I'll sometimes add a whisper of color across the bridge of the nose to tie it in together."

Now that you've had a taste of what makes this model look as screenshot-worthy as it is, keep scrolling to learn what else you can do to replicate Aoki's many iconic makeup looks, with expert guidance from Keys, product recommendations, and tips for flawless product application.

Dewy Complexion

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Natural Flush

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Berry-Stained Lips

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Metallic Lids

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Fluffy Brows

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Dewy Finish

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