On TikTok, makeup transition videos are cultural moments that stick, evolve and shape how Filipinos engage with the platform. Over time, these transitions have grown more cinematic and fully produced, with creators turning looks into visual storytelling. From nationalistic spectacles like “Piliin Mo ang Pilipinas” to themed fantasies such as “Asoka Nights” and “Arabian Nights,” Filipino creators have proven that makeup transitions can be both art and homage.
A new wave has taken over the For You Page, ditching heavy production and putting the spotlight back on Filipina beauty with the Bebot and Kikay challenges.
Rise of the Bebot Girl
“Bebot,” popularized by the Black Eyed Peas through Filipino-American pride apl.de.ap, is Filipino slang for someone chic, sexy and effortlessly confident. On TikTok, the Bebot challenge revives bold, glamorous early-2000s Filipina beauty.
The trend gained traction through creator Monique Libres, who emphasized “historically accurate” Bebot looks rather than modern reinterpretations. The formula is deliberate and nostalgic with ultra-skinny brows (yes, plucked and shaved), smokey neutral eyes inspired by the music video’s backup dancers of the era, matte skin, clumpy mascara, and bronzer swept generously across the forehead and nose. Blush stays light, while the under-eyes are packed with powder, creating that unmistakable white cast. The look is sealed with a brown lip liner and high-shine gloss — non-negotiable.
But Bebot goes beyond makeup. It’s rooted in memory and media. The moodboards often reference Assunta de Rossi’s sultry magazine covers, Joyce Jimenez, once dubbed the “Pantasya ng Bayan” for her iconic sexy roles, Rochelle Pangilinan of the SexBomb Girls and really more and more worthy of mentions that defined an era of confident, powerful femininity.
What stands out most is how these women owned their presence. Morena beauty thrived. Confidence was loud. Sensuality was celebrated. While anyone can join the trend regardless of skin tone, Bebot distinctly looks back at how Filipina women were styled, framed, and admired in the early 2000s.
And sometimes, the most authentic Bebot inspiration isn’t a celebrity at all. It’s your mom. Your auntie. That old family photo album, low-rise jeans, thin brows, glossy lips and all.
Kikay counterpart
On the other side of TikTok’s beauty spectrum is the Kikay trend, the cute counterpoint to Bebot’s sexy appeal.
Kikay is playful, colorful, and proudly extra. It’s hairpins stacked without rules, anik-anik everywhere you can imagine — on hair, wrists, and ears. It’s pink blush, pink eyeshadow, glossy pink lips, and an overall “more is more” philosophy. This trend draws from late ’90s and early 2000s pop femininity, when being kikay meant being experimental and expressive.
At the heart of Kikay culture is Jolina Magdangal, the undisputed Kikay blueprint. In the late ’90s and early 2000s, butterfly clips, mismatched barrettes, playful makeup, and statement accessories defined her fearless mix-and-match style, which dominated films, television and music videos. Jolina empowered an entire generation of young girls to embrace color, creativity, and individuality without apology. Long before TikTok trends and “anik-anik” aesthetics, Jolina’s mom even ran a merch store for her looks.
The Kikay resurgence on TikTok also leans into pop culture nostalgia. The soundtrack “Kikay” by Viva Hot Babes, a cheeky era-defining track, has found new life through transition videos, with creator Ashi, or @4shiluvsu, among the first to reintroduce the song to audiences.
More inspirations surface as the trend evolves: Iwa Moto, who even had her own GMA segment titled “Just for Kikay,” and Sandara Park, whose colorful crochet hats, big sunglasses, and playful styling captured carefree pop-girl energy before “Y2K” became a fashion label.
Bebot or Kikay
The trends Bebot and Kikay are visual love letters to Filipina icons who shaped how beauty was worn, owned and remembered. On TikTok, these transitions show us that we will always look back at the eras, the aesthetics and the identities that once defined Filipino pop culture.