Selena Gomez Says Fans Want Her to Look Like She Did in 2016, but ‘That’s Just Not Going to Happen’

Maja SenicThu, September 17, 2026 at 9:45 PM UTC

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Image Credit: Featureflash Photo Agency / Shutterstock.

Selena Gomez says she understands the fascination with photographs of her from 2016, but she has no interest in trying to look exactly as she did a decade ago.

In a new PEOPLE cover interview, the 34-year-old singer, actress and Rare Beauty founder said throwback images from that period still circulate frequently enough that she sometimes feels people want to “freeze me in time.”

“I think people always want me to look the way I did, and that's just not going to happen,” Gomez said. She added that she enjoys getting older and accepts that her appearance will continue changing with time.

Gomez has still had some fun revisiting the beauty style associated with that period. Earlier this year, she recreated her 2016 glam alongside makeup artist and beauty creator Desi Perkins, putting the darker smoky eyes and fuller makeup of that era next to the softer look she prefers now.

Gomez Remembers 2016 as a ‘Hectic’ Time

The photographs Gomez sees resurfacing from 2016 often feature dramatic smoky eyes, heavier liner, defined brows and the full-glam makeup that was popular at the time.

Her career was also moving quickly. Billboard noted that Gomez entered the year following the release of Revival, scored multiple top 10 singles from the album and became Instagram's most-followed person while still in her early 20s.

Gomez remembers the period as “hectic” and joked that some of the dramatic makeup was part of trying to look cool. Her beauty preferences have since shifted toward lighter products and a more natural finish.

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She told PEOPLE that a typical routine now might include foundation, brow gel, blush, mascara and lip oil, although she still enjoys wearing a full smoky eye when the occasion calls for it.

She Recreated Her 2016 Makeup With Desi Perkins

Gomez revisited the contrast directly in April when Perkins returned to YouTube for a video comparing 2016 and 2026 makeup on the Rare Beauty founder.

Perkins created two different looks on Gomez's face. The 2016 side featured smoky eyes, stronger brows, heavier coverage and a matte finish, while the 2026 side used a lighter, dewier approach with softer eye makeup.

Gomez indicated that the contemporary version was closer to what she wears now, although she said she liked both looks. The collaboration turned a decade of changing beauty trends into a side-by-side comparison rather than an attempt to recreate how Gomez herself looked at 24.

Rare Beauty had already leaned into the same nostalgia earlier in the year, using 2016-inspired imagery as the decade's beauty aesthetic began circulating again across social media.

Rare Beauty's Impact Fund Has Raised More Than $30 Million

Gomez's PEOPLE interview accompanied her selection as the magazine's inaugural Beauty Impact Award recipient, recognizing the mental-health advocacy connected to Rare Beauty.

Since launching the company in 2020, Gomez has tied 1% of Rare Beauty's annual sales to the Rare Impact Fund. PEOPLE reports that the initiative has raised more than $30 million for youth mental-health organizations around the world.

Gomez has also watched her 13-year-old sister Gracie develop a different relationship with makeup than she remembers having at the same age. She said Gracie enjoys experimenting with beauty but already understands that she does not need makeup, a confidence Gomez wishes she had possessed earlier.

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Source: “AOL Entertainment”