The top beauty trends of 2023
Consulting with Howe, she predicts five trends will dominate the scene this year...
The '90s are back
While they've remained in the trend cycles over the years, Howe says '90s and Y2K trends will continue to hold a strong trendy presence in 2023.
"Expect to see a ‘90s nudes renaissance of cool-toned makeup that works for all skin tones," Howe says.
"For eyes, think soft greys, charcoal, mauve and taupe, and for the lips, pair your favourite brown lip liner with frosted lipstick."
"In the hair space, we’ll be seeing a modern take on nostalgic styles like ‘The Rachel’ as well as shorter, more textured styles that give a ‘90s grunge edge."
Soft Goth will take over
Move over Wednesday Addams! Soft goth glam is making a comeback. And, according to Howe, it started long before the Addams reboot hit our screens.
"With its roots in ‘90s goth subculture, the soft goth trend will have you coveting smoked-out eyeshadow, smudged eyeliner and darker lip colours," she explains.
KVD Everlasting Lip Liner in 'Crucifix', $32 at The Iconic
Futuristic nails
"From chromes to metallics and 3D nail art, futuristic nails are set to take over your social feeds in 2023. This is the year to experiment with texture, dimension and bold colour in single shades of violet, green, blue and black."
Scalp care
We've told you before, but scalp care is the new skin care. Expect to see a lot more scalp-related products and content appear on your feeds in 2023.
"Notox" treatments
"The rise of high-tech beauty devices has seen consumers move away from cosmetic treatments like Botox in favour of non-invasive alternatives like LED light therapy, microcurrent and vibration therapy," Howe says.
As for applying trending beauty into your own routine, Howe shares more of her insights into the biggest beauty trends to appear this year.
In years past, we’ve seen glitter, graphic liner, and neon colours emerge as top trends. Do you think there will be a distinctive beauty look to come out of 2023?
This year is all about skin. After years of chasing a glass complexion and piling on the highlighter in an effort to achieve a dewy finish, 2023 will see a more natural-looking semi-matte finish come into play. Rather than adding unnecessary shine to your complexion, it’s more about mattifying where needed and letting your natural skin texture show through. We’ve already seen a move towards a matte finish with the latest beauty trend to takeover TikTok: Cloud Skin. Keep an eye out for upcoming new product launches this year that focus on mattifying over glossing.
What beauty trends are here to stay?
Nostalgic beauty like coquette makeup (a hyper feminine look embracing pastel eyes and soft pink cheeks), ‘90s and Y2K trends aren’t going anywhere. Last year was also a major year for brows, with OTT soap brows being replaced with a more defined, less feathery look. This year, brows will continue to be less about size and more about looking polished.
WATCH: The coquette aesthetic taking over TikTok. Article continues after video.
Speaking of trend longevity, are there beauty trends that are NOT worth investing in?
Taking a one size fits all approach to beauty is out. While TikTok is a utopia of beauty tips and tricks to try, 2023 is all about investing in trends that work for you. Try new techniques and products, but stick to the ones that work best for you, your skin and hair type.
How do you go about predicting beauty trends? What do you generally refer to? TikTok is a great resource for predicting the next big thing in beauty.
If you’re on #BeautyTok, it’s easy to see which trends will start to gain traction over others and which ones are quick to fall off of the radar.
Can you share your advice for consumers unsure of whether to invest in or avoid trends?
Don’t always feel pressured to buy into the hype. It can be so easy to get caught up in viral beauty trends, but one thing to consider is that some of them can be costly and involve high priced products and tools that potentially may not even work for you. My best advice is to do your research before you invest in something as there are usually more affordable alternatives or a trend that may be better suited to your specific lifestyle or beauty concerns