Welcome to theYear in Beauty.
It was blueberry milk nails that signaled the end of beauty trends as we knew them.
In particular,Gen Z users of TikTok revolted, blaming capitalism for a lost sense of individuality.
Ingrid Fowler / Getty Images
Theres so much fatigue, saysKendall Becker, director of fashion and media relations atTrendalytics.
But back then, the speed with which trends appeared was far more manageable for consumers and brands alike.
Now, having a look that trends for a full year is almost unimaginable.
Part of the problem is that these looks, in a sense, arent even new.
Makeup artistDanessa Myrickssummarized it perfectly on anepisode of theGloss Angelespodcast: None of these trends are new.
Theyre all fundamental concepts in beauty.
But if you want to call [monochromatic makeup] latte…
If you want to say This is a concealer hack, thats great.
Whatever makes it more palatable for you and your audience.
To go further, this repackaging of basics isn’t even becoming ubiquitous the way trends used to.
Content is being produced at such an accelerated rate that weve lost any sense of a centralized cultural moment.
Think of the friend with whom you send the most videos back and forth.
Theoretically, you two would be served the same content.
Theres no longer one must-see viral beauty video of the week, but thousands.
Sometimes, though, there is backlash from digital-savvy consumers, as in the blueberry milk nails example.
Says Becker, companies are starting to recognize that keeping up with the internets whims is unsustainable.
You dont need to go viral to still have really great sales or community engagement, she notes.
Trying to hop on every trend is a very good way to lose your brands identity.
The suspicion gnaws at me (does it gnaw at you?)
Many media outlets,Allureincluded, are not helping the culture out there.
Those archives are becoming harder and harder to find.
But you know who I would argue this is not a problem for?
The individual, beauty-loving people who are just trying to play around with something that brings them joy.
More than ever, beauty should be a tool for judgment-free self-expression and happiness.
Maybe its true that this will be an era the world at large ultimately forgets.
That might be a good thing.
Buy yourself something pretty, even if its not going viral.
Use the products you already have to create a look that brings you joy.
Post about it or keep it for your own records.
With trends as a concept in their flop era, maybe individual creativity will finally be able to shine.
Read more beauty industry deep dives:
Now watch cosmetic chemist Javon Ford analyze different makeup formulas:
