No matter how you felt about 2022, one thing holds true: it was the year of anarchistic beauty.
Whether wonderfully simple or delightfully outrageous, there were few rules dictating the beauty handbook.
We returned to the disco with 70s’ inspired looks that could make any nostalgic diva shed a tear. We explored cultures and opened our minds to fresh perspectives on beauty, as non-Western world creatives shared their top tips and tricks. We also took a trip to the future, where skimping on products premised a new ode to self-love and eco-beauty.
No, not every beauty trend found its wings in 2022 (yes coffee and baking soda scrubs, we’re looking at you), but there was one thing that previous years lacked: space to experiment.
While packing your beauty suitcase for 2023, remember to take these five trends and tips with you:
1. Brushed and ‘sticky’ eyebrows
View this post on Instagram
If your eyebrows weren’t brushed and laminated with a ‘careful carefree’ aesthetic, did you even live in 2022?
This year, the focus was on fuller eyebrows. Luckily, it wasn’t in the obvious, borderline Nike swoosh style as we saw in the late 2010s.
The tip to carry with you:
Opt for brushed and gelled eyebrows for a youthful take on brow power. Don’t have eyebrow gel? Make your own by rubbing a spoolie against a fresh soap bar containing glycerin to create a gel-like coating.
2. Creamy blush charms
View this post on Instagram
After many escaped the clutches of contouring, some products traditionally associated with heavier looks stuck around to become cult favourites on their own.
Creamy blush or blush sticks had their moment in 2022, with some dubbing it the year —quite literally—to blush for.
Paying homage to the dewy, wholesome and doe makeup trends that were essential for cottagecore looks; sticks and creams reigned supreme over powders.
Perfect for multi-purposing makeup and adding more pigment, in my opinion, the blush movement was the cherry atop the cake for beauty trends this year.
The tip to carry with you:
Find a blush stick or cream that can be multi-purposed as a lip tint and eyeshadow to reduce spending on products and increase sustainable efforts.
3. Siren Eye makeup
@stxph.h 🚨SIREN EYES TUTORIAL🚨step by step breakdown on how to achieve the viral #sireneye trend! 🥵 hottest eye look evaaa #sireneyestrend #sireneyestutorial #makeuptutorials ♬ original sound – stephhui
Maybe it was Julia Fox’s humourously dramatic take on ‘smudgy eyes’, or maybe it was the Y2K revolution that brought the smokey eye back onto the beauty scene. Either way, somewhere between the two, the ‘Siren Eye’ grabbed hold of a generation, and they will stand on the hill in the conviction that the look isn’t just a darker cat eye, but its own movement.
The Siren Eye is fairly easy to achieve if you’ve got a steady hand, and works well even if you have hooded eyelids (tried, tested and confirmed). But that’s not all we’re taking to 2023 from this trend.
The tip to carry with you:
The look largely gave birth to the ‘dark feminine’ beauty trend, which sees a play on grunge-esque and more sensual makeup. You don’t have to go the full nine yards for this one either. By taking some steps (like drawing a ‘fox flick’ of eyeliner and lining your tight line in a dark shade) your eyes will automatically look more defined.
4. Skin cycling
@drwhitneybowe Skin cycling for beginners: how to get started. And how to layer with Bowe Glowe #skincycling #thatboweglow #dermatologist #skintok ♬ original sound – Dr. Whitney Bowe
Skin cycling became the beauty world’s favourite marathon as people looked to less products with more punch. Although its discourse began in 2021, the trend really kicked off in 2022 and skin enthusiasts have been thankful ever since.
Skin cycling is a four-day rotational cycle that focuses on a different element or combination of skincare rituals each night so that you aren’t stuck with layers upon layers of skincare products that might not always agree with each other. More on this here.
As Karen Bester, a medical trainer at Lamelle Research Laboratories shares:
“This removes the need to add lots of ingredients over each other, it lowers the risk for irritation when using products that contain high concentrations of ingredients and it gives us the ability to also combine ingredients used on the skin and look at stimulating the skin in different ways.”
The tip to carry with you:
The whole trend!
5. Hair plumping
View this post on Instagram
Sleek hair had its moment in the sun. However, we’re turning the volume up as layered, curly and bolder hairstyles return to demolish the Instagram model’s straight era.
The tip to carry with you:
Hyaluronic acid for your hair is the unsung hero of hair products. It can:
- Plump up your locks
- Allow collagen to grow
- Reduce frizziness
- Hydrate by drawing moisture to the skin
ALSO SEE:
Feature Image: Carlos David/Getty Images
