Since she came on the scene 15 years ago, Hilary Duff has served as a walking Instafeed of top beauty trends. Throwback to her Lizzie McGuire era, and you'll recall the then-teen rocked teal eyeliner, extensions, and mad lip gloss — the onetime beauty essentials of ingenues everywhere. And now? The mother-of-one is right on target with a revolving door of rainbow-colored hair. (Duff says she gleans inspiration from Instagram, just like many of us.)
Despite her genius for landing on trend, all the time, Duff manages to dodge beauty victimhood by giving equal play to the classics, such as smoky eyes and dewy skin. But no matter how much she alternates between edgy and refined looks, the bright-eyed star always keeps it fresh.
This is the beauty evolution of Hilary Duff.
Hilary Duff's glamour shot from 1993 is everybody's glamour shot from 1993.
Photo: Via @HilaryDuff.
At the 2002 Nickelodeon Kids' Choice Awards, a 14-year-old Duff kept her look playfully provocative with spiky hair and Disney-approved makeup.
Photo: Gregg DeGuire/Getty Images.
Fast forward 10 years to the Agent Cody Banks premiere, where Duff donned her signature blond cut, but injected a shot of cool with a sharp, crisscross part.
Photo: Ron Galella/Getty Images.
Hallmarks of early-aughts celebutante style? Flat-ironed hair, glossy lips, and teal-lined eyes — a go-to look for Duff in 2003.
Photo: SGranitz/Getty Images.
At the 2003 MTV Video Music Awards, Duff debuted tousled layers and smoky eyes, giving her sweet image a dose of sex appeal.
Photo: Kevin Mazur/Getty Images.
As 2003 came to a close, the singer and actor got in touch with her darker side, showing off a deep side-part and chunky brown highlights.
Photo: Kevin Mazur/Getty Images.
At the Cheaper by the Dozen premiere in 2003, Duff embraced what would become a signature beauty look for her: no-makeup makeup and wavy strands pulled back into a half-up style.
Photo: SGranitz/Getty Images.
Fresh off her run as Lizzie McGuire, the Disney star maintained a youthful glow with eye-brightening white liner, rosy cheeks, and berry lips.
Photo: Kevin Winter/Getty Images.
Duff embraced an emphatically more sophisticated vibe in 2005. Her once-flouncy hair was gathered into a sleek ponytail, and her formerly pink-apple cheeks took on an apricot flush.
Photo: Kevin Winter/Getty Images.
In 2005, spiky lashes, bronzed skin, and a modern-day pompadour took Duff’s look beyond teen princess.
Photo: Jeffrey Mayer/Getty Images.
This short, midnight-hued wig gave TRL viewers (remember TRL?) a total OMG moment.
Photo: Evan Agostini/Getty Images.
Side-swept waves and a complexion bronzed to the hilt is quintessential Cali beauty. We’re particularly feeling that nude lip — which wasn’t glossed for once.
Photo: Peter Kramer/Getty Images.
This look took classic Duff-ian elements — rosy cheeks, falsies, and smoky eyes — and toned them down for a more natural vibe. Her hair was a bit darker, her lashes were more defined, and her lips transformed from a high-gloss shine to a satin finish.
Photo: Michael Loccisano/Getty Images.
Mod '60s influence never gets old. We love Hilary's matte-pink lips and that bump at the crown.
Photo: Jamie McCarthy/Getty Images.
In 2006, Hilary showed up at a New York Fashion Week event for Zac Posen looking more refined than ever.
Photo: Ray Tamarra/Getty Images.
Here, Hilary inched into darker territory with her mane, opting for a warmer hue with fiery, russet tones.
Photo: Jamie McCarthy/Getty Images.
In her first dramatic public dye job, a fringe-free Duff gave us a taste of the color-happy phase that was to come.
Photo: Alexander Tamargo/Getty Images.
This strong red statement lip signals an end to childish things. Duff's grown-up look, worn during fashion week in 2007, is one of our favorites.
Photo: Peter Kramer/Getty Images.
With the help of brond extensions, Duff was right on trend in 2007 with this ombre look.
Photo: Frazer Harrison/Getty Images.
This faux short cut may have been a one-off, but it forever cemented the star as Faye Dunaway’s lucky doppelgänger.
Photo: Mike Coppola/Getty Images.
The beachy waves, no-makeup makeup, and strong brows that Duff showed off in 2013 have us California dreaming.
Photo: Frederick M. Brown/Getty Images.
In a departure from soft makeup hues and rumpled waves, Duff’s bold orange lips took center stage here, alongside a piled-high topknot and extra-long lashes.
Photo: Steve Granitz/Getty Images.
We admit it: We were delightfully shocked to see a girl who sticks to her stylistic guns go for a neo-teal dye job. The look was so compelling, it spawned thousands of copycat styles.
Photo: Ben Gabbe/Getty Images.
We're not sure which we love more: the saturated color that Duff rocked the previous month, or the faded shade seen here.
Photo: Noel Vasquez/Getty Images.
The Younger actress kicked off 2016 with a slicked-back lob that has us reaching for the scissors.
Photo: Raymond Hall/Getty Images.
Still riding the gutsy hair-color train, Duff’s dusty-pink shade stood out at Zimmerman’s fall 2016 show. Her inspiration? Instagram, of course.
Photo: Paul Zimmerman/Getty Images.
Like this post? There's more. Get tons of beauty tips, tutorials, and news on the Refinery29 Beauty Facebook page. Like us on Facebook — we'll see you there!
Like what you see? How about some more R29 goodness, right here?
The Bachelorette Contestants Suddenly All Have Mad Facial Hair
Victoria Beckham's Cannes Skin-Care Routine Is Surprisingly Cheap