Yes, the Gen Z Platypus Pout Is the New Millennial Duck Lips

As a millennial of the Myspace era (and, arguably, the generation that invented selfies), I've gone through my fair share of lip contortions. Kissy faces, Olsen "pruning" and, of course, the seminal duck lips of yore. (Forget 2016—I'm taking us way back to 2006.) And, like everything the younger generation sets its nostalgic sights on, what's old is new again in the realm of photo posing, albeit with a few tweaks.

Myspace has given way to TikTok, teapot poses have turned into breast rests and making a heart with your hands has become a finger skill on par with the Vulcan salute. Now, even our once-beloved duck lips have gotten a Gen Z update. I'm calling it the Platypus Pout.

If millennials pursed and pointed our smackers in a way that resembled the bill of a duck, Gen Z-ers are adopting a pout position that looks more like the mouth of a platypus. It's all about emphasizing the upper lip.

Lily-Rose Depp was one of the first proliferators of the Platypus Pout, which sees the lower lip tucked slightly upward, causing the upper lip to appear more prominent and pushed out. Meanwhile, the sides of the mouth stay neutral or are turned down into something of a frown. If it weren't so often paired with that signature Gen Z stare, you might expect it to come with a full-on eye roll.

As of late, the pout can be seen in the TikTok videos of influencers like Ashtin Earle, or in the red carpet photos of Hollywood starlets like Ariana Greenblatt. It's certainly a moodier approach to pursing one's lips, but let's be honest, it's basically duck lips 2.0.

As for why it seems to be gaining momentum here and now? Overall sense of disillusionment, cynicism and malaise—stemming from, well, *gestures broadly*—aside, the frowny, pouty look can actually be linked back to one of the buzziest makeup artists in the biz right now: Nina Park.

Park has lately been painting the faces of some of the most glamorous A-list names, from Hailey Bieber to Emma Stone, Zoë Kravitz to newly crowned Oscar winner Jessie Buckley. As a matter of fact, she's also the longtime makeup artist of Miss Pouty Depp herself.

Her go-to move? Subtle overlining in a way that casts a blurred shadow above the lips, creating a sculpted look that seems to plump the upper one. Given that the pout is trending at the same time the "Nina Park look" is, I have a feeling they're connected. After all, having practiced this lip situation in a few snaps that will never see the light of the day, I can confirm that one of the key factors to making it look good is having the right makeup on. Otherwise (and maybe this is just me), you'll just look like a deflated blobfish.

Of course, we also can't ignore the elephant platypus in the room: The rise in popularity of lip fillers. According to a 2024 survey conducted by Morning Consult, 14 percent of Gen Z adults said that they have received cosmetic fillers at some point—the highest share among all the generational cohorts included in the poll. (FWIW, 11 percent of millennials confirmed getting a form of filler, while only 5 percent of baby boomers did.) The pout, no doubt, is designed to show off such enhancements.

Alas, whether it's inspired by our favorite makeup artist (or aesthetic procedure) of the moment, or simply a reaction to the general state of the world, the Platypus Pout is here and it's taking over Gen Z photos everywhere. But if you're a millennial like me who simply can't get the hang of it, let's agree not to use this as an excuse to bring back the duck lips. Along with Bumpits and concealer lips, some selfie staples are best left in the past.