It’s given that beauty trends come and go, but right before we welcome the new year, we celebrate all the notable moments in hair, nails, makeup, and skincare that changed the beauty game for good
There is something about revisiting this year’s beauty culture that feels more exciting than ever before. Of course, the usual assortment of makeup techniques and skincare practices took over, however, it was the monumental beauty shift that defined this particular period. Minimal formats like glazed beauty and the clean girl aesthetic increasingly became mainstream, indicating that skin health is prioritized over perfection. Meanwhile, at the other end of the spectrum is a maximalist and experimental take on makeup—bad beauty reclaimed the category’s purpose of creativity and self-expression.
2022 sparked a movement to explore makeup and skincare without the obsession with perfection. To say the least, beauty is re-aligned to become more personal than ever. It’s a big transition from heavy face beats to looks that are true to your skin and true to what you want to express. And with the year slowly coming to a close, it is only right to look back at all the notable trends that changed the beauty game forever.
Glazed Beauty
The glazed beauty moment was hard to miss. Hailed as Hailey Bieber’s beauty signature, the delicious title refers to a healthy, glossy, and luminescent finish. It’s versatile enough to be integrated onto the skin, lips, and nails. Glazed donut skin, for one, is a skin-focused trend that denotes a plump and nourished complexion. A twist to a classic lip trend is the glazed donut lips, which are punctuated by a clear hydrating gloss. Elsewhere, glazed donut nails are characterized by their subtle multidimensional finish.
Bad beauty
It’s no secret that the renaissance of bad beauty has arrived. As mentioned, bad beauty is not bad, but it’s rebellious. In contrast to the mainstream beauty ideals, the category goes against the concept of beautifying or perfecting, and focuses on the sense of self-expression. It doesn’t conform to any standards or restrictions but rather creates an open space to play with shapes and colors. Unconventional, bold, striking—bad beauty is a reflection of a creative vision and an exploration of personal aesthetics.
Soft Goth glam
The last quarter of the year made an interesting case for soft goth glam. Popularized by Tim Burton’s Netflix dark comedy series Wednesday, the category made its mark as the perfect modern segue for patrons of the ‘90s subtle grunge. In a previously-released story, makeup artist Marlyn Ocampo described the look as a muted version of goth makeup. It can be incorporated into more looks than one, but like its preceding iterations, it also focuses on the collective energy it radiates to.
Vampire beauty
Modern interpretations of vampire beauty have given the aesthetic a new life outside the movies. In beautytok, threads such as #VampireSkin garnered 4.1 million views while #VampireLips collected 16.4 million views with fans creating a more wearable version of the look. One iteration is the vampire skin, a shimmer-infused base makeup technique that nods to Twilight’s beauty signature. Meanwhile, vampire lips introduced a bloody twist to the classic lipliner trend with the use of a creamy dark liner and bright red lipstick.
I’m Cold makeup
The frostbitten look is set to be the newest holiday beauty obsession. Zoe Kenealy, the artist behind the “I’m cold” makeup described the format as a look that evokes serotonin, feeling like you’re in a Hallmark movie. It’s also quite comparable to the natural flush your skin gets when met with colder weather—a winterized version of the sunburnt blush trend. Mostly, a soft matte skin sets as the perfect canvas with a sweep of blush and a swipe of velvet lipstick to complete the look.
‘90s lip liner
Many beauty trends of the past made their way back this year, and that includes the ‘90s contrasting lip liner look. Only this time, it has met its modern interpretation with a better makeup technique that seamlessly blends two contrasting colors. To create the lip look, outline the lips with a deep liner, and lightly blur and blend the same hue to the center of the lips. Dab a lighter lipstick shade from the center of your lips outwards to create a diffused effect. Clear gloss is optional, but a single coat can amp up the overall look.
Manicure edit
Aside from skincare and makeup, nail designs are one of the biggest beauty focuses of the year. An early entry for the category is chrome nails, a futuristic twist to a classic manicure that is popular among celebrities such as Zendaya, Hailey Bieber, and Dua Lipa. It features a gleaming, mirror-like finish and is accomplished by using a rubbing chrome powder or varnish. Another nail trend that dominated the beauty sphere is the glazed donut nails that are prefaced by a neutral-toned polish embellished with a high-gloss chrome.
Copper obsession
Call it a red revolution, but copper hair is everywhere—it’s nothing new. In fact, beautytok has foreshadowed the trend a year ago. But it wasn’t until we saw personalities like Kendall Jenner, Andrea Brillantes, and Barbie Imperial who traded their signature hair color for a cinnamon-inspired hue that made the rise of the trend official. It’s also easy to switch to the red side. Copper is surprisingly a universally flattering spectrum that works on every skin tone, hair texture, length, and style.
Butterfly Haircut
Matilda Djerf needs no introduction. Named one of the most recognizable faces on social media, the content creator made a name for herself as a business owner and fashion influencer. However, her hair signature is just as influential. A butterfly cut refers to a layered haircut that strikes a balance between shag and long layers. It creates the illusion of fuller, healthier hair without sacrificing length. It’s comparable to classic bombshell hair—only this time, the cut plays with volume and shape that renders an effortless cool-girl appeal.
Bleached brows
It appears that the beauty culture has sparked a movement to be as expressive and experimental with brows, too. Take bleached brows, for example. The controversial trend made a strong comeback with fans like Julia Fox, Barbie Ferreira, and Nicola Peltz-Beckham solidifying its impact. The barely-there brow look is admired for its transformative ability to give anyone an editorial appeal. Elsewhere, it also serves as a perfect canvas for a plethora of makeup looks.
