Contouring
My family didn't survive the Japanese occupation of Hong Kong just so their granddaughter could let a tiny sharp blade anywhere near her face, sorry. Thankfully, according to Influenster's beauty poll of 5,000 shoppers, the number one beauty trend among millennial women is face contouring.Confession: I have contoured before, so I have to do something extra millennial to take this to the next level. Like watch a YouTube tutorial."By the looks of it, Millennial women are not shy about experimenting, from face contouring to microblading, they've tried it all." — Influenster
Millennial pink
I have no idea what a color has to do with gender identity or mid-century Scandinavian furniture trends, but I personally find millennial pink to be a very flattering shade. Sadly, millennials are no longer allowed to simply "like" colors, because trend forecasting agencies would go out of business if they couldn't wring at least a day rate's worth of consulting fees out of a new "trend insight.""The much reposted and reblogged 'Millennial pink' is the poster child of this pink power wave. Which also seamlessly crosses over with one of Pantone's colours of the year, Rose Quartz. This rosey hue not only encompasses the growing gender neutral message but also builds on the hugely popular mid-century minimalist Scandi trend." — WGSN
Lauren, my 23-year-old colleague and official millennial consultant on this project (she was born in the 90s, which almost makes me feel a little sick), has another reason for the rise of millennial pink: "I guess because we've all been babied by society, so we just revert to the colors of our childhood," she says. "Or something."Read more: My 14-Year-Old Cousin Taught Me How to Be a Cool Teen
Avocados
Tim Gurner is the property developer better known for going on Australian TV and lambasting millennials for spending money on avocados and coffees instead of saving up to buy a house, invest in stocks, ruin the environment, cheat on their spouses, and all the other things baby boomers are known for."When I was trying to buy my first home, I wasn't buying smashed avocado for $19 and four coffees at $4 each." – Tim Gurner
Fidget spinners
At first, it looked like my quest to buy the millennial plaything du jour would end in failure. Lauren told me that corner stores and discount shops would sell them, but a visit to four different places ends in failure."It's all sold out," one middle-aged shopkeeper says. "I have one that's broken, if you want," he adds, producing it from behind the counter."Love them or hate them, so-called fidget spinners are hitting a critical mass in pop culture — the millennial's yo-yo." – Nerdist
So I've contoured, worn pink, eaten avocados, spun a fidget, and yet I still feel like I'm no nearer to understanding the millennial experience. Like a millennial entering a dead-end job with no career prospects, I wake up after my experiment feeling listless and unfulfilled.That's when I spot it: a unicorn toast pop-up.