Beauty World Throwback: Old School Drama Is Back in 2025

If you’ve been around the beauty community long enough, you’ll know that the chaos of 2016 and 2017 was unmatched. Rivalries, shady reviews, surprise collabs, and enough scandals to fill a Netflix documentary. Well, this past week felt like déjà vu. From Jeffree Star and NikkieTutorials reigniting tension, to Haley Bieber’s skincare line resurfacing in the drama, and Jaclyn Hill dipping her toes back into Morphe territory—it’s giving vintage YouTube mess, and fans are eating it up.


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Jeffree Star vs. NikkieTutorials: The Louis Vuitton Showdown

The week kicked off with heated discussions around Louis Vuitton’s luxury-priced makeup collection. NikkieTutorials dropped her thoughts first, making it clear she wasn’t impressed. She argued the line was overpriced, underwhelming, and definitely not worth the splurge.

Jeffree, on the other hand, wasn’t buying her outrage. He clapped back, pointing out what he called a “contradiction”: while Nikkie was calling a $250 palette outrageous, she filmed the video wearing a $500 Louis Vuitton headband. His point? If you’re fine with overpaying for a branded headband, why lose your mind over an eyeshadow palette?

Some fans sided with Nikkie, praising her honesty. Others thought Jeffree had a fair point, accusing her of rage-baiting for views. Regardless, the clash set the tone for the week: messy, nostalgic, and wildly entertaining.


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Haley Bieber Back in the Spotlight

Remember when Haley Bieber’s skincare brand, Rhode, was dismissed by Jeffree a few years ago—literally tossed into the trash can on camera? Well, times have changed. Rhode is now a billion-dollar brand backed by E.L.F., sitting comfortably on Sephora shelves.

This time, Jeffree actually gave the products a chance. His verdict was mixed. The formulas impressed him, particularly the Barrier Restore Cream, which he praised as a hit. But the packaging? Not so much. He caught a facial spray leaking on live stream, and he wasn’t having it.

Fans were divided. Some applauded him for being honest regardless of past drama, while others accused him of nitpicking. Either way, Haley’s brand is clearly here to stay, whether Jeffree loves the packaging or not.


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Jaclyn Hill and Morphe: A Complicated Reunion

No throwback to beauty drama is complete without Jaclyn Hill. After years of silence following Morphe’s bankruptcy and her own rocky history with the brand, Jaclyn surprised everyone by reviewing Morphe’s new lip liners and lipsticks.

To many people’s shock, she actually loved them. She even admitted that the original Morphe lip liners remain her all-time favorites, making her review feel both nostalgic and genuine.

The surprise cameo came from Jeffree again, who popped into her comments suggesting they make a documentary together about the old-school beauty guru era. Fans immediately started imagining a tell-all documentary spilling secrets about Morphe, collabs, and the rollercoaster of the 2016 beauty boom.


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Tana Mongeau, Tarte, and a Hint of Michaela

Meanwhile, Tana Mongeau’s collab with Tarte also stirred whispers. She revealed that the launch was almost delayed because another brand was planning to drop a similar product at the same time. Though she didn’t name names, fans speculated it might be connected to influencer Michaela, who teased lip products around the same time.

For now, it looks like Tana’s launch is safe, but the overlap shows how competitive the beauty industry remains—and how influencers are still navigating rival launches like it’s 2016 all over again.


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Why It Feels Like Old Times

What made this week feel so nostalgic wasn’t just the people involved—it was the tone. The petty jabs, the questionable reviews, the brand allegiances, and even the fan wars in the comments all felt like rewinding the clock back to the golden era of beauty YouTube.

The big difference? Today’s beauty scene is smaller and more self-aware. Influencers know their reputations are fragile, and fans are quick to call out contradictions. Still, that doesn’t stop them from jumping into drama when the opportunity strikes.


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Final Thoughts

This week reminded fans why the beauty community was once the internet’s favorite soap opera. Whether you’re Team Nikkie, Team Jeffree, or just here for the entertainment, one thing is clear: beauty drama is far from dead. If anything, it’s evolving, and every once in a while, we get a week like this that takes us straight back to the era of cut creases, collabs, and controversy.

As one fan commented: “It’s 2025 but somehow we’re still in 2016—and I’m not mad about it.”