runway beauty

The 5 Biggest Makeup Trends to Look Out for in 2023

2023 has just begun, bringing with it a fresh start for all things—including our makeup. With the proverbial palette cleaned, recharged takes on existing trends and entirely original approaches have room to shade, delineate, and contour the coming months, filling it with all of the color and sparkle that a new year demands. Blush will continue to provide buildable warmth, eyeliner is going the way of the statement-making seductress, and refractive details will allow you to channel the vibes of mermaids and robots alike. A common thread exists in a continued want of play—a means of combatting darker days with rampant (and striking) self-expression. Here, five beauty trends that will be taking over in 2023.

Statement Lips

Lips are set to be bolder than ever in the new year—so bold, in fact, that they may be ready to work alone. “This is a model-off-duty/off-the-runway type look that can look amazing from day to night,” says makeup artist Tobi Henney, who recommends centering the lip by keeping skin clean and lightly grooming brows and lashes. She also notes that a resurgence of lipliners that are deeper than lipstick hues are on the rise, which work better to keep the focus on your natural pout. “It can help achieve the perfect lip shade and enhance lips by giving the illusion of more fullness.”

Futuristic Metallics

Alloy-inspired shimmer can veer whimsical or robotic, depending on how you play it. Mermaidcore ruled the spring 2023 runways, and the collective conversation around AI—and an influx of new technology—is bound to elicit futuristic beauty. “Blame it on our obsession with AI, fairies, and everything extraterrestrial, but whatever the reason I’m so here for it,” makeup artist Jenna Kristina. She recommends starting with Pat McGrath’s on-point palettes, including those from the legend’s Star Wars makeup collaboration. “It’s our meta selves in the real world.”

More Blush

Blush has been experiencing a renaissance in recent years, with blendable cream options and more-is-more application methods making cheeks (and eyes and the bridges of noses) romantically rosy. “There was a moment when it was only about bronzer and highlighter, but blush is back and bolder than ever,” Kristina says. “Adding blush is like adding life back to the skin.” The trend already has legs, having served as the main factor in several of 2022’s most memorable TikTok beauty looks—think sunburn blush, cold girl, and crying girl makeup.

Face Embellishments

The Euphoria effect shows no signs of stopping. “We’ll continue to see more experimental looks incorporating gems, pearls, glitter, and other accents that’ll cover not only the eyes but other parts of the face and body,” makeup artist Jaleesa Jaikaran says. Invest in an arsenal of flat-backed rhinestones and the like in all shapes, sizes, and shades to be secured with clear lash glue—if you can find self-adhesive options, even better.

Longer and Sharper Cat-Eye Wings

Kittenish flicks and TikTok’s alluring and elongating siren eyes will gain in popularity (and ease) with the help of an upgraded guard of liners. “With so many brands developing high-technology eyeliners that do not budge and are smudge-proof, the graphic feline liner look will be one to wear for a fun night out,” says Henney, who recommends focusing on pulling the eye shape upward and outward. Dark femininity is sure to be a major 2023 trend.

VOGUE

The 6 Best Beauty Trends From Spring 2023 Fashion Month

METALLIC EYES

“Beautiful ravers” is how Hannah Murray, lead makeup artist for the Chloé show, described the silver strobes of paint sweeping the models’ eyelids in Paris. The brand was one of many that leaned into metallic eye details of all colors for Spring 2023: Batsheva went for blotchy blues, while Dries Van Noten played up chrome gold circling the eye.

FAUX FACIAL PIERCINGS

Suddenly, having more than one ear piercing is nothing to feel edgy about. The Spring 2023 runways were surprisingly in agreement about face piercings and modifications. At Rebecca Minkoff, models wore more common dermal, septum and bridge piercings, while drag-queen and special-effects makeup artist Alexis Stone left no facial skin untouched at Balenciaga, with spikes protruding from cheeks, studs lining eyebrows and even bulging forehead prosthetics.

’70S VOLUME AND CUTS

Hairstyles from the ’70s have once again infiltrated the runway. This season, however, the looks went beyond the Gen-Z revived shag and mullet trends of the last two years: We saw ultimate volume — from rounded natural hair at Susan Alexandra and harsh blunt bobs and bangs at Paul Costello, to sleek Cher-inspired length at Versace and feathered, brow-skimming bangs at Prabal Gurung.

WILD WINGS

There are few eye-makeup staples as storied as the winged cat-eye liner. For Spring 2023, that classic style was turned up to full volume, with thicker wings outstretching beyond the end tip of the brows, and some even reaching towards the hairline. Whether covered in glitter like at Halpern or smudged out for a smoke effect at Off-White, the fullness of the wing was the key.

BARELY-THERE BROWS

If there’s one daring beauty look that pops in and out of vogue with regularity — on the runways and off — it’s bleached eyebrows. And while the full-on bleach look was surely popular across the Spring 2023 shows, we also saw the rise of a less drastic lightened brow, just a shade or two lighter than the model’s natural hair color. Think: less shock value, more your-face-but-better, allowing the brows to blend in with glossy, fresh skin.

3-D MANICURES

What once seemed reserved for only the most tuned-in nail art enthusiasts is now proving to have a place on the hands of just about anyone who wants them. From molding gel bubbles to dangling chains, this season’s runways confirmed that 3-D nail adornments will only become more widespread — whether you’d like to ease in with entry-level designs or opt for the most extravagant.

FASHIONISTA

Mermaidcore Is Here To Glossify Your Beauty Routine

If you’re nearing the brink when it comes to all things “core,” then hold on for just a moment longer. Mermaidcore is here to glossify your beauty routine—and it’s a trend primed to stay put for the foreseeable future.

Blame it on Disney’s forthcoming remake of The Little Mermaid (or could it be our longstanding obsession with all things wild swimming?), but there were notable nods to the underwater world on the spring 2023 runways. Aquatic hair and makeup were everywhere.

Most obvious were the oceanic shades of blue (from cobalt to cerulean) and seaweed greens that were diffused in different ways around models’s eyes, as per Chet Lo, Off-White, and Etro—not so wearable, but beautifully ethereal. Meanwhile, at Jil Sander and Chloé, iridescent silver shimmers were swooshed over eyelids and, like scales, glistened in the light.

Wet-look hair was de rigueur, from Victoria Beckham’s grunge slicked look to Nensi Dojaka and Dries Van Noten’s damp salty strands, all of which were given an undone finish—an underwater existence is about much more than precise hair, after all.

Models walked the aptly named Blumarine catwalk with longer-than-long mermaid lengths, both braided and straight, which ebbed and flowed like jellyfish tentacles. Botticelli waves—yes, like those belonging to the famous Venus, resplendent in her shell—were also very much present.

And, of course, skin took on a glossy, lacquered look at many shows, too, with skin-care brands becoming even more of a focal point during the backstage prep pre-show. Hydrated and plump, extra dewy skin was oft paired with a sun-burnished bronze glow, like at JW Anderson, where models could well have been lying on the rocks all day à la Ariel.

VOGUE

Best Beauty Looks From New York Fashion Week Spring/Summer 2023

Without a doubt, fashion’s greatest accessory is a glamorous beauty look.

There’s no denying that when New York Fashion Week rolls around that statement couldn’t be more true. Between the Alice + Oliva, Christian Siriano and Tommy Hilfiger shows (among many, many others), the spring/summer 2023 collections have ushered in a new era of beauty trends.

We’re talking huge clear beads adorning braided hairstyles, which created the illusion of bubble crowns, neon-colored wigs that showcased individuality and bright eyeshadows in electrifying shades of red-orange, pink and indigo.

Plus, designers like Jason Wu proved that simplicity in the glam department doesn’t equal boring. In fact, his show featured models with effortless bobs and buns that made a powerful statement, especially when paired with the right outfits.

It’s safe to say that everything from the hair and makeup to the nails brought NYFW’s collections to life, making the beauty looks just as swoon-worthy as the pieces displayed on the runways.

TOM FORD