It’s officially that time of year when beauty obsessives begin brimming with enthusiasm over the possibilities of what the next months may bring. Maybe it’s a transformative new chop or an extreme use of color inspired by Generation Z. Whatever it is that feels fresh, the hair and makeup of 2020 is bound to bolder and brighter than ever, as evidenced by the past year. From vivid makeup to head-swiveling hair statements, here are the trends that we expect to see even more of in the new year.
Euphoria Sparkle
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Over the summer, HBO’s Euphoria sparked a hyper-real makeup movement, with fans of the series re-creating the kaleidoscopic sparkle of the show’s Gen-Z magpies. Be it a dash of glitter on the eyes or constellation of Swarovski crystals across the face, makeup artist Doniella Davy has made the case for injecting iridescent sparkle into the everyday.
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Cool-Girl Crops
1990s supermodel fever has yet to waver. Lately, cool girls have been paying tribute to the decade with swoopy crops. Think: Linda Evangelista’s grown-out pixie or Calvin Klein muse Josie Borain’s sideswept bob, which was referenced by hair pro Guido Palau backstage at the Givenchy spring 2020 show. But no one has been more of a poster girl for the modern It-girl bob then Kaia Gerber, who recently gave hers a there’s-no-turning-back-now update.
Color-Blocking
There’s never been a better time to break the antiquated “eyes or lips” rule. In fact, in the age of Instagram, abiding by it could be akin to playing it entirely too safe. Need dreamy, two-tone color combination ideas? Let a color therapist be your guide.
Next-Level Braids
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With intricate designs and sculptural silhouettes, the natural hair movement has continued to catalyze a wave of beautiful braided styles. On the red carpet, stars like Yara Shahidi and Kerry Washington are sporting nimbly woven, editorial-leaning plaits, while on the runway, the work of braid specialists such as Latarrra and Nigella Miller has been in the spotlight. And then there’s Instagram, where individual braided looks of all shapes, sizes, and textures are being shared and celebrated to powerful effect. No doubt we’ll be seeing even more mesmerizing plaited styles in 2020.
Draped Blush
The ’80s are back. And there’s no better indicator than the return of “draped” blush, a heavy-handed shading technique pioneered by iconic makeup artist Way Bandy. It involves contouring with bright blush and eyeshadow along the eyes and cheeks to sculpted effect, and the look is being embraced both on the runway—see: the washes of muted peach at Sies Marjan spring 2020—and by rising beauty muses such as Hunter Schafer.
High Shine
Whether it’s a touch of sheen as seen at Gucci’s spring 2020 show, where models of all genders had mouths slicked in translucent gloss, or a deluge of it on a slicked-down hairstyle (see: Kaia Gerber’s high-gloss bob), a wet-shine finish has never felt cooler.
