With a new year comes the excitement of new and fresh makeup trends. Who knows what 2020 will bring! Maybe you’ll come up with the next hottest look! But the makeup trends of this past year can’t be forgotten that easily. Some may continue to see popularity for years to come; others will likely fade into a distant memory in no time at all.
But one thing’s for certain: they each made their impact. So let’s take a moment of silence, and pay tribute to our list of the 5 best and most memorable makeup looks (in no particular order) from 2019.
1. Bold and beautiful colors
Back in the day, the only people you’d see wearing hot pink eye shadow, neon orange lipstick, or mile-long eyeliner would be a top model on the runway, or if they happened to be a futuristic character in a movie. But 2019 brought ‘bold’ to the forefront of trendiness. It’s now become completely normal to rock crazy, extreme colors that immediately make a statement.
When it comes to makeup, we’ve particularly loved seeing the creativity in showing off this rainbow of colors through different lip shades and eye looks. Such bold colors used to be reserved for the rebels of fashion – but times are changing! As Millennials and Gen Xers are paving the way towards a future of acceptance and tolerance, people are free to express themselves through makeup with far fewer limits or barriers.
2. Full, thick eyebrows
Did you know that this was also a trend back in the 1940s? Unfortunately, the love for full eyebrows started dying out by the 90s. Then came the dreaded early 2000s. Remember when it was ‘in’ to pluck your brows to within an inch of their lives? I’m pretty sure that time in our lives was just a dark and lawless wasteland. I don’t know about you, but my eyebrows are still suffering from the consequences of those actions long, long ago. Celebrities like Lily Collins – who’ve always sported the strong and striking eyebrows – were a dime a dozen. These days, though, natural is what’s in demand.
It’s been a liberating change to see not just the acceptance, but the encouragement of a less tamed, more natural brow. Though this trend didn’t just start this past year, 2019 definitely brought it into full swing. Of course, the perfectly sculpted brows are still undoubtedly works of art, and just as equally popular. But there’s something rather beautiful and freeing about not having to obsess so much over having to always look so perfect – and still be appreciated by the masses for the gorgeous, fierce goddess you (and them thicc brows) are.
3. Get that glow!
Highlighter has been a makeup trends for the past couple of years, but its popularity never waned throughout 2019. It’s a staple look that works for any time of day, month, season, you name it. The more organic you can make that fresh-faced glow look, the better! This is a perfect example of what is meant whenever you’ve heard someone say, “The key to good makeup is to look like you’re wearing nothing at all.” (Stupid sexy Flanders!)
But the real secret to what makes this look so beloved is not actually in the makeup itself. It’s in your skincare routine. If the perfect glow comes from looking as natural as possible with makeup, then the ideal scenario would be if you could achieve that without it. A solid skincare routine makes for the ultimate foundation to any makeup application afterwards.
If you aren’t 100% confident in what you’ve got set up already, no problem! All you need to do is figure out what type of skin you have, and then you can research into the different skincare products that could work best for you!
4. All that glitters is gold!
Don’t worry, I’m not about to break out into some Smashmouth. (Though I could, if you want me to.) If pencil-thin eyebrows are the thing we wish to forever bury in the early 2000s, then glitter is the makeup trend we’re geeking out over coming back! Of course, those of us who remember the olden days of the glitter fad are considerably better at its application now. In 2019, we understand the finesse that goes into creating the perfect look – even the care needed when adding glitter.
Whereas the last time glitter was really popular, the process of putting it on and wearing it was basically:
- Smash 70 pounds of glitter literally everywhere.
- Make sure to pat down an additional 20 pounds on your eyelids. The idea is to blind your opponents any time you blink.
- K, you’re good. Go outside.
It’s nice to see that glitter has made a comeback, now capable of being utilized in both glamorous and subtle ways. It’s not just meant for school dances or disco balls anymore, though by all means, it can if you want it to. More importantly, 2019 has helped incorporate glitter into wearable, everyday looks!
5. You do YOU, boo!
There’s been something of a shift in the last handful of years that 2019 seemed to embrace harder than any time before it, and that’s the idea of acceptance. Yes, the world still sucks in a lot of ways, and sure, lots of mean, cold-hearted people still exist to try and bring others down. But on the whole, the generations leading us all into the future are ones fighting for the importance of positive ideals, rather than ones meant to oppress and silence.
Just like every makeup trend that’s gained notoriety in 2019, so too has the trend of spreading love to your fellow person. More and more we’re seeing MUAs and trendsetters of all genders, races, sexualities, etc. going viral. What’s come hand-in-hand with this is the cultivation of self-love. Lots more people are walking out their front door each day with their makeup on fleek (whatever the look may be); head held high, and not giving a damn what anyone thinks about it. That’s pretty spectacular!
When we stop and think about it, that’s our favorite trend of all. Of everything that’s been on the rise in 2019, we want nothing more than for the idea of love – for others, the world around us, and ourselves – to continue to rise to the top of the popularity chain over the next decade, and every decade thereafter.
