The beauty world moves quickly. There are so many products coming out week after week. And some companies are dedicated to more natural beauty like Glossier. Who produce high-quality products that are about enhancing your already beautiful face with a touch of colour. Then there are brands like Morphe, producing killer pallets with everything from nudes with over 20 shades in some cases, but also beautiful colour stories – like their new 39s.
Cheaper cosmetics, which are mostly referred to as drugstore are also making big waves. Makeup Revolution is the queen of dupes, at a fraction of the price. Their products are excellent quality too. ColorPop in the US, release themed sets almost every week, and their latest Disney range is gorgeous!
Then there are the steady (forever!) brands who consistently produce quality products, on trend, and pocket-friendly, like Avon.
So it’s nice to know that no matter what your preferred style is that there is something out there for you too. Beauty trends have millions of us rushing to YouTube to learn specific techniques. Contour makeup is the latest trend in beauty that still has people trying to work out where they should be putting their cheekbones for the ultimate ‘snatched’ look, but it is about what works for you and your daily routine.
Here are a few more beauty trends that are worth falling in love with.
Photo by freestocks.org on Unsplash
Contouring
Not everyone loves the idea of contouring, but millions of us have been doing a softer version of it for years. The only difference now is there is more of a science and art behind it. Where once you could dust your face lightly with bronzer, and use blush to give you some shape to your cheeks, now it’s all about the ‘3 shape’ and blending (always blend!).
A careful contour, even with the lightest touch of a product, can change your face shape. A well-blended line of a dark contour stick under your jaw will define it with ease. You can make it sharp or soft, it’s up to you!
It takes a little while to get the hang of it. Where to put your highlighter and deeper tones to create the shape you are looking for. But once you do, it’s a lot of fun.
Skincare
Where once upon a time you’d stare at a magazine wondering how the model’s skin looks so flawless, now we know it’s photoshopped (the house! As J-Star would say). Not only that, but we have access to fantastic skin care that we can use at home. And, brands are more aware now than ever that people want to know what is in the creams, ampoules and how they did on the RIPT test.
Almost all brands have their own line of skincare, so it depends on what your skin needs as to the routine you’ll use. But typically on a non makeup day –
- Cleanse
- Tone
- Serum
- Moisturiser
With facemasks, ampoules, capsules and even micro needling now being done in the home – you can get soft healthy skin on a budget. Not to mention the skincare supplements like Halo Beauty, or a pure Collagen compound accessible too.
You might have noticed that there are more ampoules and capsules for your skin now. But if you don’t know what an ampoule is, how would you know that it is going to work for you?
An ampoule is a supercharged dose of a select ingredient. Hyaluronic acid, vitamin C, Oxygen and Q10 are some of the popular ones. The ampoule means that the user doesn’t have to guess the amount to use, it’s already correctly measured for you. They typically leave out any filler ingredients too, it’s all about delivering the best bang for your buck.
To add an ampoule into your skincare routine, you should first think about the issue you want to tackle. Anti-ageing, dry skin, dull skin… whatever it is that you need. Following on from that you should know that you won’t use these daily, so the expense isn’t going to run you too much.
A few times a week, you will use an ampoule in-between cleansing and moisturising to maximise its impact.
Capsules are great too. Capsules are usually made from a biodegradable casing, and like the ampoule is correctly measured for the user. They also contain high potency ingredients. There isn’t too much difference in the usage either.
Cruelty-Free
It’s great having fun colours and brands to play with, but there is a significant shift in what people are comfortable with now. More people are asking brands directly via their social media – if they are cruelty-free. There is an excellent list of cruelty-free makeup brands if you are trying to be more conscious of what you use.
You might be surprised who is and isn’t on the list.
Getting Techy
If you are the type of person who loves gadgets, apps and convenience, then the tech trend is going to be one for you. One of the most futuristic looking devices is Dr Dennis Gross’s LED Light Therapy Mask. A range of different coloured lights is irradiated onto the skin.
Neutrogena has a cheaper option in their anti-acne LED mask too. These masks are designed to treat a range of conditions like wrinkles, scars, hyperpigmentation, spots and in some cases, slightly uneven skin tone.
La Roche-Posay has a fantastic gadget that can tell you your personal exposure to UV, pollen, pollution and moisture. It comes with an app that can give you all of the information too.
If you like it pocket-sized, then Neutrogena has the Skin 360 – which turns your iPhone camera into a magnifying lens and captures high definition images of your pores and fine lines – which sounds very confronting but could help you work out the best skincare routine for you going forward.
Eco-friendly
In the last few years, we have all become increasingly aware that the microbeads in some exfoliators ended up somewhere that damaged wildlife. That our use of excessive plastics is having an impact on our oceans. In fact, even the world of periods has seen a massive increase in people purchasing period pants, mooncups and reusable sanitary towels.
So, it stands to reason that the world of beauty would get on board with changing what they do and how they do it.
Solid shampoos are leading the charge on using less plastic bottles, and in fact, Lush has a ‘naked’ store. Based in Manchester, and they have no packaging at all. There is a push to use less water per product from brands like Unilever and L’Oreal too – which is all good news.
When it comes to beauty, you should enjoy what you do, and ‘playing’ with makeup is for everyone – if you want to do it. They key thing to remember is that not every trend will suit everyone – a great example is glass skin with gloss eyes – a nightmare if you have oily skin already. Think about what is important to you be it veganism, eco-friendly products, sustainability, or just getting high pigment at a low price and that is where you should put your cash.
