2023 was The Year Of The Makeup Trend. Trends happen all the time, but in 2023 specifically, it felt like every week there was a new one being “coined” or rediscovered and reimagined. Social media dominated the makeup trend conversation and our faces became food, whether it was “strawberry girl,” “latte makeup,” “blueberry milk,” or “lavender matcha tea latte with oat milk” (I made that last one up, but doesn’t it sound amazing?). Millennials continued to warn the younger generation against the makeup choices they’d already made, like when “concealer lips” nearly had a comeback. All in all, it felt like 2023 was the year beauty lovers were just trying to have fun with makeup. With 2024 right around the corner, we’re more excited than ever to see what’s coming in the makeup trend scene next — so we talked to some of the industry’s biggest names to find out which trends they think we’ll be trying and loving come the New Year.
Abstract shapes and colors
The most surprising makeup trend to emerge in 2023 was embracing the abstract. Whether it was graphic, structured eyeliner or blurry and glossy lips and cheeks, we’ve seen a lot of looks that play with shape, placement, and color that will only continue into the next year. “The trend in eyeliner is stylized with no rules,” says Terri Bryant, makeup artist and founder of Guide Beauty. “While bold shades will be everywhere, classic black is equally on trend, and striking yet artfully subtle. In contrast to bold, graphic lines, we’ll see a diffusion of pigments for skin, cheeks, and lips.”
“Splashes of color were seen on the runway in Fashion Week, and it showed it could be done in a way that isn’t intimidating and can be fun,” encourages L’Oréal Paris League of Experts celebrity makeup artist, Allan Avendaño. Whether it’s a brush stroke of color, like Danessa Myricks Beauty Colorfix, a wash of eyeshadow color in a shocking, duo-chrome chartreuse, like Kulfi Beauty Zari Eyes Eyeshadow in Chammak Challo, we’re just having fun with makeup now. And for those who aren’t too handy with a brush or a liner, eye stickers like Simihaze Beauty Eye Play allow you to use your face as the ultimate art canvas.
Blue is back, baby
Blue eyeshadow is as iconic as ever, showing no signs of going anywhere in 2024. “The cool thing about blue is that I’ve never seen it on anyone where it didn’t look really good on them,” says Half-Magic co-founder and makeup artist Donni Davy. “There are so many options within the blue world, from warmer electric blues to grungy navy blues to baby icy blues.” Davy suggests wading into the (blue) waters with a light and shimmery, semi-translucent shadow like Ami Cole Lid Joy in Los Angeles, before moving up to a bold eye paint like Half Magic CHROMEADDICTION Matte in Off The Deep End. “Eye paints are totally the lazy girl’s eyeshadow,” explains Davy. “If you don’t have a lot of time and you want your eyeshadow to pop, a matte eye paint will get you there fast without any fall-out.” Cobalt blue eyeliner, like Urban Decay 24/7 Glide-On Waterproof Eyeliner Pencil in Chaos is an amazing alternative to black or brown when you want to wear just a bit of color, too.
Frosty lips & lids
The early 2000s were icy, spicy, too pricey – and the makeup looks were frosty, too. Frosted pastel eyeshadows and icy lips are having a major comeback in 2024, but with a modern twist. “We’re in a total Y2K revival,” says Davy. “For some, it’s cringe; for others it’s heaven and so refreshing to break the cycle of the idea that frosty lips are outdated.” Gone are the powdery, patchy eyeshadows of the early aughts. We’ve moved into liquid-to-powder formulas like Glossier Skywash in Pool, VIOLETTE_FR Yeux Paint in Nuage de Lilas, and eyeshadow sticks like about-face Shadowstick in 2002. Pair them with a glittery, shimmery (but not gloopy) lip gloss, like Half Magic MAGIC Drip in Frosty B*tch or Magic Brownie or the ultimate ‘90 throwback lip, MAC Cosmetics Lipglass. You may not be able to sing like Christina Aguilera, but you certainly can look like you belong in the “Come On Over” video.
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Martini makeup
Who would have thought we would be taking inspiration from cocktails? If TikTok is anything to go by, olive-green makeup, and green, really, of all sorts, is going to have a major moment in 2024. Martini makeup, in particular, combines shades of green, gold, emerald, and olive in a shimmering eyeshadow look. When paired with a deep red blush or lip color, you’ll look as classic as the cocktail. Some of our favorite olive shades include Victoria Beckham Beauty Lid Lustre in Velvet, RMS Beauty Eyelights Cream Eyeshadow in Eclipse, and Merit Solo Shadow in Viper.
Sugar plum fairies, everywhere
@haileybieber @milkmakeup ♬ original sound – Hailey Bieber
Sugar plum makeup is the perfect mashup of “strawberry girl” (bronzed skin, pink flushed cheeks, glossy lips) and “cold girl” (flushed cheeks, a glossy highlight, and a bit of a frost-bitten lip tone). This glowy, ethereal look popped off with who else but Hailey Bieber in the late weeks of 2023, pairing a soft pink blush, such as Makeup By Mario Soft Pop Plumping Blush Veil, with a dewy, slightly pink toned highlight, such as Charlotte Tilbury Beauty Highlighter Wand in Pinkgasm. What lends itself to the “fairy” vibe, however, is a natural wispy lash to accent the eyes. Celebrity makeup artist Erika La’ Pearl explains that the wispy lash look is going to be the lash trend of 2023: “It’s a fine and feathery everyday look that makes your eyes pop while also looking natural. I think it will work perfectly for that ‘on the go’ girlie who loves a simple lash. It is easier to apply, has a more natural look, and saves time.” Try i-ENVY Individual Press & Go lashes.
Ombré glossy lips
Whether it’s a heavy, dark lip liner paired with a juicy gloss or a variation on the brown lip liner and red lip gloss “Cherry Cola” trend, lips have dominated the space for the past few years. Ombré lips can be dramatic and striking or subtle and flattering. Avendaño is a huge fan of ombré in all forms: “Use shades that flatter your skin tone — they don’t have to be super bold, they can be more subtle, like in nude or soft brown shades. It just makes your lips look fuller and kissable,” he shares. No matter what, a clear gloss like L’Oréal Paris Infallible Pro Gloss Plump in Mirror, Kosas Wet Lip Oil Gloss in Jellyfish, or Fenty Beauty Gloss Bomb Universal Lip Luminizer in Glass Slipper will go perfectly atop any lip liner shade.
Grunge is good
After years of perfectly groomed brows and matte foundations, we’re seeing a move back to full-lined, smudged eyeliner and a clean face, like Kate Moss and Naomi Campbell in the mid ‘90s. Avendaño loves dark gray or taupe eyeliner that’s smudged out along the eye and looks intentionally a bit unkempt. Try L’Oréal Paris Grip Mechanical Gel Eyeliner in Intense Black or Taupe Grey or Sephora Collection 12 Hour Contour Pencil Eyeliner in 51 Stone. “Creating this look is quite easy and takes the pressure off perfection,” he says. Davy also loves the look of a tight-lined eyeliner (liner on the upper water line) and chunky mascara on the bottom lashes to accentuate the eyes, not hide them. (We love ILIA Fullest Volumizing Mascara and Huda Beauty 1 Coat WOW! Extra Volumizing and Lifting Mascara.)
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Buffy The Vampire Slayer (heavy on the vamp)
“I’m obsessed with the vampy lip,” says La’ Pearl. “Using a liner to define the lip before the dark hue is simple and elegant.” Vampy makeup is the perfect hybrid of dark, glamorous, and smoky, and it dominated the fashion runways this season. If you hear “monochromatic makeup” and think of neutrals and beiges, the vampy makeup trend turns that concept on its head, using dark, rich reds and black eyeshadows instead. There’s something dramatic and eerie about combining a smoky black eyeshadow, like Addiction Tokyo eyeshadow in Bad Card, with a cranberry or plum matte lip, like MAC Locked Kiss Ink 24-Hour Lip Color in Vixen or Maybelline Super Stay Vinyl Ink Longwear Liquid Lipcolor in Royal.
Powered to perform
More than ever before, it seems like we’re looking for products that not only give a lot of bang for their buck but perform well and last a long time. “Gone are the days of the basic lip gloss, as consumers look for gloss with nourishing ingredients and high-tech formulas that aren’t sticky or messy,” explains KIKO Milano North America regional managing director, Shelagh Wong. There’s a reason why makeup brands like Morphe and Urban Decay have reformulated their bestselling setting sprays to add more skin-nourishing ingredients. The rise of “serum-infused” foundations and skin tints like Rose Inc Skin Enhance Luminous Skin Tint Serum Foundation and LYS Beauty Triple Fix Serum Foundation have dominated the market. Makeup that does a little bit of everything is vital now that we’re busier than ever. Wong also sees 2024 as the last call for the large-format makeup palette, moving towards smaller palettes or single-color shades to supplement what’s already in the existing kit — a debate that Refinery29 sparked earlier in 2023. If that’s the case, we may be rethinking what a beauty maximalist looks like in a minimalist era.
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