By: Caitlin Stiles
2021 brought us plenty of twists and turns, seemingly without end. None of us can believe that we reached the end of this year, but even with the pandemic, we’ve caught some pretty good looks. From Miami Swim Week to the opening of the Allure store, the beauty industry has been busy with peak runways and releases. And of course, many have hit the trending page. Today, we’re bringing you five of our favorite beauty trends to grace us this year.
1) Reverse Cat Eye
2020 was all about the fox eye, and 2021 took it one step further. Tik Tok brought about the insurgence of the reverse cat eye just like the 2020 wing, but it was actually put on the map by the beauty influencer and YouTuber PaintedBySpencer. It didn’t take long for this look to go viral, all because of how this fierce look emphasizes the lower lashline. It’s a godsend for us hooded-eyed beauties, because it bypasses the crease of the eye entirely and still manages to give an elongated, sexy look. Sign us up!
Recommended products: ColourPop Stone Cold Fox palette, Physician’s Formula Eye Booster Waterproof Ultra Fine Liquid Liner
2) Graphic Liner
With masks still very much on the scene, we’ve seen more and more intricate eye looks to make up for the fact we can’t dress up our faces so much. This is why we’ve seen more and more graphic liner looks. Very little, if any, eyeshadow can be found with these looks, and many times they skip the false lashes. This means that once you master the line work (which is intimidating, we’re not going to lie), this is an eye that can look like you went all out when you really didn’t. Check out what YouTuber and influencer An Knook created!
Recommended products: Melt Cosmetics Gel Liner
3) Dolphin Skin
Celebrity makeup artist Mary Phillips, who has worked on the likes of Kendall Jenner, Jennifer Lopez, Olivia Munn, and more, is credited with putting dolphin skin on the map. It’s similar to glass skin, but dialed way down. The skin is supposed to look dewy, plump, hydrated, and of course, glowing for the gods. Highlighting skin care and cream products, we can see this look sticking around past 2021. It’s the ultimate “wet” look, and the red carpet can never get enough of that.
Recommended products: Pacifica Disobey Time Face Mask, Pixi Beauty Glow Time Serum, ColourPop Lite Stix, ColourPop Blush Stix
4) Blush Contouring
We keep getting beauty visits from the previous decades in 2021! The 90’s in particular have been all over the place with sculpted brows and smokey eyes, but a pit stop from the 70’s and 80’s has us at all attention. It’s blush contouring, also known as blush draping. Blush is put in areas we generally save for contouring and bronzing, like the hollows of the cheeks and temples, even across the nose. The result is a softer but striking look that turns heads more than once. Think Cher and David Bowie.
Recommended products: Fenty Beauty Cheeks Out Freestyle Cream Blush
5) Lip Stain
Look, we’re sipping on hard seltzers and wearing masks. We cannot be bothered with a lip color that smears off. Barely there lip colors are preferable these days, especially since no one can see that banging red most of the time. Lip stains are huge on the scene for that reason, in nude or light colors that still bring color to the face. Think dusty roses, plums, and pinks!
Recommended products: ColourPop Just a Tint Lip Crayon
It’s always fascinating to see what has hit the scene and why, and how it trickles down to everyday consumers. What are your favorite trends from 2021? And what do you think is coming from 2022’s best beauty moments?