What is 'Bebot' beauty trend and where did it come from?
If you haven’t heard apl.de.ap’s voice blasting on your FYP every five seconds, are you even on the app?
Just as we were getting used to the 2016 nostalgia, the algorithm decided to take us back to 2005. The "Bebot" trend is the latest transformation craze taking over the beauty community, and it’s effectively making everyone’s "before-and-afters" look like a masterpiece.
Where did 'bebot' come from?
The trend was inspired by the song Bebot, the eighth and final single from the Black Eyed Peas' 2006 album, Monkey Business.
The track sees apl.de.ap take center stage for a lyrical love letter to his Filipino roots. Performed entirely in Filipino, the song popularizes the term "bebot" (slang for a "pretty woman") while weaving in the deeper narrative of the Filipino immigrant experience.
The accompanying music video features the Black Eyed Peas heading to a Filipino-American party with apl.de.ap—perfectly capturing the "Bebot" spirit through culture, family, and peak 2000s glamour.
How the trend started
Two decades after the song was released, it found new life on TikTok, where beauty enthusiasts used the buzzword to celebrate their Filipina beauty and makeup transformations.
The trend appeared to have started by social media user Belle Pauleen, who used the song to show off her stunning glammed-up look.
"Bebot is just a Filipina baddie but in Tagalog," she captioned the video.
@bellepauleen my jam 🙂↕️ #foryou #fypシ #filo #makeuptutorial #abg ♬ Original Sound - Unknown
Since then, the trend evolved into quick makeup transformations, where personalities would switch from bare-faced or casual looks to full-glam in the blink of an eye.
A few celebrities have even jumped in on the viral moment to post their own "bebot" transformations or lip-syncing to the catchy track. These include Sue Ramirez and Gabbi Garcia.
@ateniyosue Bebot 💃🏻✨ #SueRamirez #Bebot ♬ son original - Black Eyed Peas Updates
@garcia.gabbi hopping on the Bebot trend with my pinaka kakaibang ootd 😅💚🗡️
♬ original sound - 𝖏𝖚𝖑𝖘
How to achieve the look
If you also want to join in on the fun but aren't quite sure how to nail the bebot transformation, makeup artist Carmel Villongco told PhilSTAR L!fe that the trend is "basically Pinay Morena at its hottest." Her tip? Bring out all your bronzer and contour away!
"Baddie smoky eyes but play it up with a pop of color for the eyeliner is how I like to do it. So baddie bebot meets fun is my aesthetic," she added.
For makeup influencer Monique, she accomplished her look with thin brows, a simple smoky eye, shimmery lip gloss, minimal blush, and bronzed skin.