It’s been over a year now since the beginning of the first lockdown, and we have had plenty of time since then to fantasise about that glorious ‘freedom day’. Well, the time is finally here, and now we have a new problem facing us: after months on end of tracksuits and makeup-free faces, how on earth do we figure out what beauty trends we should be taking inspo from?
Luckily for you, we have scoured the socials to find the most popular and up-and-coming trends for 2021 so that you will always be ahead of the curve.
The top 10 returning trends
It’s well known at this point that trends are constantly being pulled from decades past. From the Y2K resurgence to wanting to look like young Donna in Mamma Mia 2, a trend is never truly dead. To figure out exactly which ones are scheduled to experience a new life in 2021, we looked closely at the increase in searches to see which beauty trends are being talked about the most. Here are the top three:
Brown lip liner with gloss
As seen (infamously) on the lips of Love Island contestant Faye, the iconic 90s look of brown lip liner topped with a shiny gloss is well and truly back in style. With a 600% increase in searches since July 2020, mostly in summer months, don’t expect this trend to go away any time soon. If there was ever a time to live your Rachel Green Fantasy, it’s now.
Heavy black eyeliner
Again drawing from the 90s, albeit a very different side of it, the grungy and smoky black eyeliner look is going to make a huge impact this year. Also with a 600% increase in searches, mostly in June, get ready to don an impactful eye look this summer.
Thin eyebrows
Farewell, Cara Delevigne brows, there’s a new trend in town. With a 450% increase in searches, and coming straight from the early 00s, tiny brows are about to make a huge comeback (ironic, really). From Christina Aguilera to Rihanna, this trend has graced the faces of countless celebrities, and yours is next.
The official list of the top 10 returning trends
So what else is coming back this year? Here are the rest of the top 10 search increases to help you decide what to spend your well earned money on. After all, you’ve got a years’ worth of spending to catch up on.
| BEAUTY TREND | SEARCH INCREASE FROM JUL 20 - 21 |
| Brown Lip Liner with Gloss | 600% |
| Heavy Black Eyeliner | 600% |
| Thin Eyebrows | 450% |
| Powdered Skin | 420% |
| Body Glitter Stickers | 300% |
| Makeup Gems for Face | 300% |
| Matte Lipstick | 250% |
| Pastel Nails | 237% |
| Crimped Hair | 200% |
| Blue Eyeshadow | 150% |
The most posted about trends on social media
Trends are born on social media, and we are the first to know about them. By looking at data such as hashtags and searches on sites such as TikTok and Instagram, we are able to see exactly which trends are on the up. Here are just a few of the most popular internet beauty trends of the moment:
Matte lipstick
Matte lips have been around for a while now, and they don’t seem to be going away anytime soon, either. With a massive 1,600,000 hashtags, this trend is all over the place, so hang on to the matte lipsticks you already have: they will be a hot commodity in no time.
Glossy lips
There doesn’t have to be just one lip trend at a time, and this result shows that perfectly. With 1,100,000 hashtags, the glossy lip trend isn’t far from the top spot. So whether you fancy gloss or not, the trends are on your side this year.
Glitter eyeshadow
Good news for all you bold makeup lovers out there, glittery eyes are definitely in fashion at the moment. The only question you have to ask yourself is whether looking like a 70s diva is worth ending up with glitter everywhere imaginable. We think it is.
The official list of most posted about trends
For the other top trends, calculated using hashtags, peruse at this table to your heart’s content.
| BEAUTY TREND | NUMBER OF HASHTAGS |
| Matte Lipstick | 1,600,000 |
| Glossy Lips | 1,100,000 |
| Glitter Eyeshadow | 815,000 |
| Dewy Skin | 639,000 |
| Glass Skin | 575,000 |
| No Makeup Makeup | 535,000 |
| Black Lipstick | 524,000 |
| Blue Eyeshadow | 509,000 |
| Gua Sha | 362,000 |
| Natural Lips | 285,000 |
| Soap Brows | 194,000 |
| Graphic Eyeliner | 174,000 |
| Crimped Hair | 137,000 |
| Faux Freckles | 122,000 |
| Laminated Brows | 67,100 |
| Body Glitter | 66,900 |
| Bold Eyeshadow | 51,100 |
| Heatless Curls | 49,300 |
The most viewed trends on TikTok
The short-video app has taken up far more time that we would like to admit over the past year, but not in vain. The phenomenon of TikTok trends has sold out entire lines of products, turned indie musicians into chart toppers, and single handedly taught an entire generation how to do a very specific type of dancing. It is fair to say that what TikTok says, goes. What, then, does it say about the beauty trends we should follow?
Heatless curls
People throughout time (well, since the invention of electricity), have sacrificed the health of their hair in return for pin straight or beautifully curled locks. No longer. With the new trending methods of curling hair without heat, we can finally achieve the desired effect, and keep our hair healthy at the same time. With 590,800,000 views, expect to see plenty of luscious curls this year.
Claw clips
Another trend making its comeback from the 90s, there have been a total of 223,200,000 views on videos mentioning claw clips. An easy way to get that effortless ‘I woke up like this’ look, claw clips will be the hair trend of the summer.
Soap brows
A good brow product isn’t cheap, but TikTokers have found an ingenious way to put an item we all have laying around to good use: a bar of soap. With 178,900,000 views, this trend is only growing, so give it a go!
The official list of most viewed trends on TikTok
Here is the remainder of the most viewed trends on TikTok, for all your 2021 beauty inspiration…
| BEAUTY TREND | NUMBER OF VIEWS |
| Heatless Curls | 590,800,000 |
| Claw Clip | 223,200,000 |
| Soap Brows | 178,900,000 |
| Glass Skin | 141,400,000 |
| Graphic Eyeliner | 117,700,000 |
| Black Lipstick | 87,100,000 |
| No Makeup Makeup | 83,800,000 |
| Blue Eyeshadow | 62,900,000 |
| Faux Freckles | 61,400,000 |
| Glossy Lips | 59,200,000 |
| Too Faced Lip Injection | 46,300,000 |
| Matte Lipstick | 36,800,000 |
| Laminated Brows | 32,700,000 |
| Natural Lips | 28,300,000 |
| Dewy Skin | 24,900,000 |
| Glitter Eyeshadow | 20,400,000 |
| Slugging | 15,500,000 |
| Thin Eyebrows | 13,900,000 |
| Crimped Hair | 12,100,000 |
Upcoming beauty trends to look out for
So we’ve covered the current trends, but which ones should we look out for in the future?
Trends increasing in popularity
There are plenty of trends to be getting on with at the moment, but there are a whole lot more on the way. By looking at numbers of searches, we have figured out which trends are being posted about more and experiencing huge increases in appearances.
Slugging
To be very clear, this trend has nothing to do with those little garden pests, but rather includes coating your face in a petroleum jelly. Originating in South Korea, this is a great trend for dry skin - so great that mentions of it have increased by 319% in the past year.
Isle of Paradise Self Tanning Drops
Mentions of these Isle of Paradise Tanning Drops have increased by 312% since July 2020. If you want a gorgeously tanned face with no streaks, these are the drops to get. TikTok agrees.
The official list of the top TikTok beauty trends
While they experienced a slightly lower increase in mentions than the top three, these trends are also absolutely on the rise:
| TIKTOK BEAUTY TREND | SEARCH INCREASE FROM JUL 20 - 21 |
| Slugging | 319% |
| Isle of Paradise Self Tanning Drops | 312% |
| Fox Eyeliner | 90% |
| Colourful Lashes | 50% |
| Heatless Curls | 22% |
Trends which have ‘exploded’ recently
To finish with a bang, let’s have a look at which trends have ‘exploded’ recently and are being searched for the most. To really impress your friends by turning them onto something great before it becomes mainstream, consult this list.
Mullets
Yep. Believe it or not, mullets are on the rise. There are 330,000 searches for mullets on social media each month, and this number has grown 53% in the last year. Prepare your eyes for an influx of ‘business in the front, party in the back’ hair.
Pimple/spot patches
The first of many skincare-based exploding trends, these spot patches claim to directly fight pimples. The patches have seen a 222% increase in searches in the past year, and are guaranteed to be the next big skincare craze.
Topical skincare products
Skincare is a big deal in 2021. From serums to cleansers, the emphasis on taking care of your skin is huge, and the search increase for topical skincare products reflects this. With 33,100 searches each month, and a 130% growth in the past year, your skin will be better than ever in 2021.
The official list of ‘exploding’ beauty trends
There are three more exploding trends, so keep an eye out for these in 2021.
| BEAUTY TREND | NUMBER OF SEARCHES EACH MONTH | SEARCH GROWTH IN THE PAST YEAR |
| Mullets | 330,000 | 53% |
| Pimple/spot Patches | 33,100 | 222% |
| Topical Skincare Products | 33,100 | 130% |
| Retinol Serum | 22,200 | 43% |
| Scalp Scrub | 14,800 | 117% |
| Peptide Serum | 1,900 | 30% |
There is no shortage of new beauty trends in 2021, and we all deserve a bit of pampering after the year we’ve had, so if there’s any time to get stuck into upcoming trends, it’s now.
