Whether you love her in Netflix’s Wednesday or you’re a horror movie fanatic, chances are you’re familiar with Jenna Ortega. The 22-year-old actor has skyrocketed to fame over the past few years, and her Gen-Z, Y2K hair and makeup style has become a signature part of her image. With prom and graduation season here, too, we know this look is going to be in demand for all ages.
To learn how professionals (and you) would recreate it, we interviewed Jae-Manuel Cardenas, Senior Stylist at Ollin NYC Salon; and makeup artist and esthetician Erica Marie Gatt. Cardenas counts Miley Cyrus and Gigi Hadid among his clients (and just did Ben Stiller for Jimmy Fallon), and Gatt has worked with the Kardashians and Vanessa Hudgens. They weighed in on what they would use, from blow dry spray to lip liner, if they were going to style Jenna Ortega. With these tools and tricks, you can try it out, too, either at home — or your own salon.
Bouncy, Texturized Hair in Four Steps
“Jenna Ortega’s Y2K hair look is right on trend with her bouncy, rock ‘n’ roll-inspired blowout and face-framing fringe,” Cardenas says. For that effect, he recommends:
1. Hair Prep: You’ll want to start out by working in Shu Uemura Tsuki Shape Blow Dry Spray on damp, towel-dried hair.
“I love to prep the hair with this spray,” Cardenas says. “It adds shape and definition but has a soft and natural feel.”
2. Style n’ Dry: Cardenas recommends using a large barrel brush like the Morrocanoil Round Brush to make hair drying a more effective and targeted process.
“Blow dry small sections of the hair upward, lifting at the root,” he tells us. “[Meanwhile], wrap the ends around the brush to create the signature bouncy Y2K look.”
Wrap the ends around the brush to create the signature bouncy Y2K look
3. Finish it Off: To finish the look, Cardenas’ go-to is Shu Uemura’s Wata Wave Texturing Spray.
“It’s one of my favorites! The micro-powders add tons of volume and buildable texture when activated with heat.”
4. Tousle It: If you want more of a bed head look, though, Cardenas also likes Oribe’s signature Dry Texture Spray.
“It’s an invisible dry hairspray that delivers on the “next-day” tousled look,” he explains. “Key for any ’90s inspired blowout.”
Modernized Smoky Y2K Makeup
“Jenna Ortega is bringing back ’90s grunge makeup with a 2025 twist,” Gatt explains. If you want to try one of Jenna Ortega’s most iconic Y2K looks, you can adjust your color palette to suit your complexion, but this will get you started:
1. Shape Those Lips: To start, Gatt would use Mac Lip Liner Pencil to outline Ortega’s lips. Go with the color Night Moth, to really get the look she’s going for.
“Jenna is showcasing a gorgeous muted lip shade and darker liner to accentuate her pout,” Gatt explains.
2. Quiet on Set: Next, Gatt would fill in her lips with Dior Forever Nude. Since it’s lighter than the liner, the contrast makes her lips pop.
3. Sultry Eyes: Since it’s all about the eyeshadow, Gatt recommends Anastasia Beverly Hills Sultry Palette.
“For the eyes it’s a more sultry look,” she explains. “So, smoky shadow with a darker, smudged black liner.”
So, smoky shadow with a darker, smudged black liner
4. Volume-Eyes: Look close and you’ll see Ortega’s lashes have a perfect flip. Dior’s Backstage Lash Curler is a pro tool that will make you throw away your cheap drugstore curler.
Squeeze from the base toward the tips, and from the inner corner outward, recommends Dior. “Curled black lashes showcase a grungy, but glamorous nod to the ’90s,” Gatt adds.
5. Get Dark: Both stylists are assuming you’ve got your own, so finish (after curling!) with your favorite dark black mascara.
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