In recent years, we have been going through a rollercoaster of beauty trends that have emerged.

Influenced by the end of the pandemic and the world opening up, between 2021 and 2022 we have armed ourselves with smoky black liner, welcomed a bit of nostalgia, fallen into a second wave of Euphoria makeup obsession, immersed every inch of our faces in sparkling glitter and reintroduced ourselves to bold colour. 

As we enter 2023, the excitable nature of beauty post-pandemic has calmed down and takes on a more individualistic, expressive nature where trends dare us to try something new, explore a different aesthetic, step out of our comfort zones, strip back makeup to just skin or one subtle focal point or experiment with usual hybrid shades of colour.

Makeup: Bleached Brows & Spidery Lashes

Seen at: Givenchy, Prada

At the tail end of 2022, bleached brows had resurgence on the runways and the red carpet and this year the less-is-more approach to brows shows no signs of slowing down.  In fact, the alien-like makeup illusion technique of drawing attention to the eyes seems to be ramping up with the comeback of a futuristic combo that we didn’t know we needed to see again.  As seen at Givenchy, bleached or concealer-blocked brows were being paired with spidery lashes in exaggerated lengths that took us back to the Prada 2018 runways, where we first saw the winning combo.

Hair: Wednesday Pigtails

Seen at: Christian Dior

Blame it on the influences from Netflix’s latest binge-worthy series, Wednesday, from the Addams Family franchise but this year beauty is entering its modern goth era.  As seen on the runways of Christian Dior, goth takes a softer and hyper-feminine approach by way of torso-length pigtails either crafted with box braids or wavy textured hair.  Now, these are not your average pre-schooler type of pigtails but are more grown-up and cool, worn low with a middle parting and loosened for a more relaxed, effortless feel. 

Makeup: Neon Cherry Red

Seen at: Benetton, Helon Melon

While Pantone has declared the colour of the year to be Viva Magenta and pink still has our hearts, we are more excited to see where neon cherry red goes in 2023.  Seen on the runways of Helon Melon and Benetton, models sported bright neon washes of matte cherry red on lips and as graphic shapes on eyes in an unapologetic display of vibrancy.  From neon tangerines to soft red-undertoned corals, expect to see more of this colour popping up everywhere.

Hair: Oversized Braided Headbands

Seen at: Roberto Cavalli

Last year, hair accessories seemed to be a little “out of sight, out of mind” but if the Roberto Cavalli show is anything to go by, the headband may experience an elegant comeback in 2023.  Sparkling, bejewelled slogan hair clips and tiara-like bands take a backseat as oversized headbands in braided satin finishes take centre stage and give an elegant, slightly retro-vacation feel to otherwise simple hairstyles, such as sleek back low buns or ponytails.

Makeup: Faux Pierced

Seen at: K-Way, AC9

While the era of Euphoria rhinestones and facial embellishments opened the doors to sparkle and shine, it looks like sparkle is rising in 2023 and tapping into a more “badass, edgy era” with faux piercings and face jewellery that allow piercing commitment-phobes to borrow the aesthetic for a day.  Seen on the runways of the K-Way and AC9 shows, models were sent out with variations of faux piercings, from septum rings, lip rings and nose bridge cuffs to delicate stick-on metal ring hardware to add just the right amount of sparkle in the inner corners of the eyes.