“Butter, But Make It Beauty” — How Yellow Took Over Our Makeup Bags and Our Mood Boards

If serotonin came in a colour, it would be yellow. But not just any yellow — think buttercream frosting, banana mousse and golden hour on a tropical island. This yellow has a name, and it's butter yellow, the unlikely It-girl shade that’s sashaying from couture runways into our beauty kits like it owns the place. (Spoiler: it does.)

Once a darling of fashion’s elite, butter yellow has now made its golden descent into the beauty space, not as a passing accent, but as the defining shade of the season. A soft pastel with enough presence to make a statement yet subtle enough to feel luxuriously effortless.

From Runway to Radiance

Like all good trends, it started with a whisper — a Prada gummy in Sabrina Carpenter’s Manchild music video. Then came Hailey Bieber’s Lemontini Peptide Lip Tint, clipped onto bikinis and phones alike. Finally, Prada Beauty’s Banana Yellow Balm arrived and solidified butter yellow’s status as a beauty mainstay.

Fashion laid the groundwork, with Sarah Burton’s butter yellow moment for Givenchy and Timothée Chalamet’s now-iconic Oscars suit igniting a soft revolution. From Selfridges to Saint Laurent, mellow yellow was everywhere, it was only a matter of time before the beauty world followed.

Gloss, But Make It Golden

Lips are leading the charge. Rhode’s Lemontini Peptide Lip Tint is the season’s breakout star — a gleaming, citrus-tinted gloss designed to hydrate and shine with equal measure. Meanwhile, Prada’s Banana Yellow Balm, teased in candy-wrapper form, delivers an iridescent glow that adds warmth to both lips and cheeks.

Not to be left behind, Kylie Cosmetics entered the ring with a sunshine-soaked collection featuring a pineapple-tinged gloss and a mango-toned highlighter duo. A Kardashian-backed butter yellow moment? Consider it beauty canon.

Butterfingers and Banana Tips

For the commitment-phobic, start small — your nails. From Hermès’ Jaune Pollen 22 to Sephora’s punchy polishes, the butter mani is both playful and polished. Whether it’s full-coverage colour or delicate yellow tips, this is a high-impact, low-risk way to embrace the trend.

Yellow fingertips feel modern, a little nostalgic, and perfect for a soft summer statement. You don’t need a full set of matching accessories — the nails are the moment.

Bright Eyes, Softer Shade

When it comes to eyes, yellow is surprisingly wearable — and endlessly customisable. The look can be editorial, à la the Haider Ackermann x Tom Ford show where models wore bold butter lids, or more TikTok-friendly with neutral tones and a swipe of shimmer.

Soft washes of Dior’s Mono Couleur in Gold Star, or precise graphic lines drawn with Stila’s ArtiStix in Charleston, are taking over feeds and festival circuits alike. Whether you're painting on petals or just tapping pigment into your inner corners, yellow is a surefire way to add energy without overwhelming your face.

Glow, Don’t Glare

The golden glow is no longer just bronzer’s job. Highlighters in yellow-gold hues are adding new dimension to the complexion. Products like Fenty Beauty’s Trophy Wife, Pixi’s On-The-Glow Stick, and Dior’s Backstage Glow Palette are bringing butter yellow to the high points of the face — cheekbones, temples, even collarbones.

It’s not sparkle. It’s not strobe. It’s a sophisticated sheen that suggests sun-kissed skin and expensive moisturiser.

So, Why Yellow and Why Now?

Butter yellow feels like a rebellion against the neutrals that have dominated the beauty space for years. It’s joyful, optimistic, and luxuriously subtle. A statement without the shout.

This trend didn’t just trickle down, it surged. From haute couture to lip balm, butter yellow has proven it’s not just seasonal, it’s transformative. And in a post-Barbiecore world where dopamine dressing reigns supreme, this shade offers a softer, sleeker approach to joy.

Butter yellow is fresh. It’s flattering. And it’s absolutely everywhere.

Whether you’re glossing up with Rhode, swiping on Prada’s balm, or tipping into Kylie’s citrus-toned collection, butter yellow is no longer an accent. It’s the main event.

The future isn’t beige.

The future is butter.