An Elevated Guide to the Beauty-as-Food Trends of 2023

Nothing defined the biggest beauty trends of 2023 like the food-inspired names used to describe them. Whether we liked it or not, we could not aimlessly scroll without how-tos for latte makeup or glazed donut anything flooding our social media screens. Then came blueberry milk nails that sparked the beauty debate of the year: Why are we naming beauty trends after food? 

Food and beauty have long been intertwined with a history that we can trace back for centuries, with many cultures using food as key ingredients for their skincare, haircare, and makeup needs. Fast forward to the last couple of decades when brands capitalized on our love for the delectable and began naming their beauty products after our favorite desserts, fruits, and more. “It all started with nail polish or makeup brands naming their product shades such fun names —like Big Apple Red, Funny Bunny, or Ballet Slipper—and we were obsessed with that. So then it elevated to the point where we started to give our new manicure or makeup trend a fun name like glazed donut nails, blueberry milk nails, strawberry makeup, latte makeup. When we say these names, we immediately know what makeup style or nail design or color we’re talking about,” celebrity nail artist Zola Ganzorigt tells Vogue. 

The trends themselves aren’t entirely new either. Instead, they take already popular makeup and hair coloring techniques and rebrand them into clickbait for the TikTok era. “Each of these ‘trends’ actually originated in the ‘90s or early 2000s and are just being discovered for a new generation,” says celebrity makeup artist Daniel Martin. 

While there may be a bigger existential need that this “food as beauty” obsession is feeding, the most obvious answer might be that we’re just hungry for something fun and something that will make us feel good about beauty. “Everyone wants to feel delicious,” says celebrity makeup artist Kirin Bhatty. “I think food-based names that are so dreamy and yummy conjure good feelings when you’re doing makeup.”

Only time will tell if food-inspired beauty trends will continue to be huge into 2024. But as we say goodbye to this year, we must pay homage to the beauty looks that we could not stop talking about. Below are the eight beauty as food trends that flooded our feeds and defined 2023.  

Glazed Donut Nails

The nail that launched 1,000 how-to tutorials and countless variations (strawberry glazed, cherry glazed, caramel glazed, etc.), the glazed donut mani first debuted last year on Hailey Bieber at the 2022 Met Gala. Since then, it continued its dominance in 2023 and cemented itself in the pantheon of manicure greats. “It’s such an elevated chic nail design,” says Ganzorigt of her creation. 

As seen on Bieber’s TikTok video, Ganzorigt mixed a clear polish with the OPI Gel Color in Pale To The Reef before buffing in The OPI Chrome Effects in Tin Man Can to get that pearly chrome glazed finish—the perfect match to Bieber’s cream Saint Laurent gown. For those wanting to create this look at home, she says that many use highlighters or pearly eyeshadows instead of chrome powder to get that iridescent sheen. “I think that is a really easy and quite smart way to create it at home,” she says. 

Latte Makeup 

How does one achieve that tropical glow sans the expensive plane ticket? That’s where latte makeup comes in. Coined by content creator Rachel Rigler, the latte makeup look focuses on getting that bronzed finish for the ultimate beachy glam vibe that you can wear all year round.  

“Shades of browns are so flattering on a multitude of skin tones,” says Bhatty. “You can really make it your own depending on the tonality of the ‘latte’ you are drawn to.” 

You’ll want skin to be hydrated, focusing on a dewy finish before reaching for a combo of highlighters and bronzers to be placed at high points on your face. Keep it monochromatic with similar shades of terracottas, golden browns, and other neutrals for your eye makeup and lips (Bhatty’s personal pick is the Tower 28 OneLiner Lip Liner that you can also use as an eyeliner for your eyes and add some color to your cheeks). It’s customizable, so you can reach for any warm shades that you like best or opt for either a shimmery or matte finish.

Tomato Girl Beauty

The summer of 2023 was all about the tomato girl. While not meant to be a literal translation (though, if you wanted to wear tomato decals on a blouse or pants or dress in all red, by all means, you should), the tomato girl is all vibes. It represents the most romanticized version of your ideal European life, filled with leisurely strolls along the Amalfi coast and mid-day swims at the beach before catching up with friends over carbonara and Aperol spritzes. 

Naturally, this spurned into an entire tomato-themed aesthetic that encouraged many to reach for their brightest cherry red or pink-based lipsticks and lipglosses and rosy red-toned cheeks for a pop of color. It even inspired many of our favorite fragrance and home brands to fill our homes with tomato-inspired scents and candles, like the Loewe Tomato Leaves Room Spray or the Flamingo Estate Roma Heirloom Tomato Candle. 

Cinnamon Cookie Butter Hair 

Sported and coined by Hailey Bieber, the undisputed queen of food as beauty trends, cinnamon cookie butter was created with the help of celebrity colorist Matt Rez. “[It’s a] gorgeous color—a warm, rich light to medium brown,” says Sharon Dorram, celebrity colorist and owner of Sharon Dorram Color at Sally Hershberger in New York City. Ranging from a dark blonde hair color to a light brown base, Dorram says you can add amber or honey-warm undertones for added dimension. All you need is two to three shades lighter than your base to richen it up for this season…and beyond. 

Strawberry Girl Makeup 

The blush renaissance we’ve been experiencing for the past few years reached its peak in 2023 with Barbiecore fever and coquette aesthetics. But leave it to Bieber to grace us with another blush-centered makeup trend that gives us a softer, more natural-looking flush: strawberry girl makeup.

Like a true beauty influencer, the Rhode founder took to TikTok to break down exactly how she does it (and what exact makeup products she used). She preps her skin with the Rhode Beauty Glazing Milk and Peptide Glazing Fluid. She then strategically places cream bronzer from the Tom Ford Shade And Illuminate Cream Contour Duo on her cheeks and along her hairline before following up with concealer to contour her nose and the corners of her lips. 

The key to the rosy cheeks is the blending of two cream blushes. She uses a light pink shade with a darker one along the contours of her cheeks and dabs some product on her lips. To finish off the look, she mixes a peachy highlighter and bronzer for shadow and adds mascara for her eyes. 

Chocolate Brown Hair 

Expensive brunette rebranded with a tastier moniker and is every minimalist’s dream hair color. As Dorram describes it, chocolate brown is a simple rich brown gloss with no red undertones or tints needed for most people to get that deep shade. “[It’s] an easy color that never goes out of style,” she says. 

Vanilla French Mani

The classic French manicure gets a soft romantic update Another creation from Ganzorigt, the vanilla French nail has a diffused hazy effect that subtly blends the base and the tips. “[It’s] one of my favorites,” she says. 

The key to this look is to use shades with creamy whites, like the Peacci’s French Bloom, for the tips and soft sheer pinks and peaches to get that blended look between your base and tips. 

Blueberry Milk Nails

The trend that sparked the beauty debate of the year and brought food as beauty trends to the forefront, nothing struck a chord in the zeitgeist like blueberry milk nails. The pastel blue shade is soft, creamy, and the easiest trend to recreate at home yourself. Once you find the right shade, like the Chanel Le Vernis in Muse or the Olive June in BP, all you have to do is give your nails three strokes of color and you’re all set. Whether or not this stunning shade of light blue—or any other color or beauty trend for that matter—should be given a food-based name, well, that’s for you to decide. At this point, do whatever your heart desires.