With 2016 having been declared one of the worst years in recent history (at least according to every third meme on social media), it’s safe to say that we were all happy to ring in the New Year and welcome 2017 with open arms.
We entered this year with a pile of holiday gifts, a slew of hilarious Mariah Carey memes, the knowledge that Betty White is still happy and healthy, and dozens of new makeup tutorials demonstrating some of the most outrageous beauty industry trends we’ve seen in a long time.
No, we aren’t bringing back the dreaded ‘80s perm (yet), but it’s likely these trends will be making us all cringe just the same way as we browse through the photos a few decades from now. That certainly won’t stop us from trying them out, though!
We all know thick eyebrows are in, but those of us not blessed with such beauty are forced to pencil them in each day. This has many women looking into more permanent solutions. Since cosmetic tattoos rarely provide a natural look, microblading is the perfect alternative. A semi-permanent solution, microblading is a technique that uses a small blade to tattoo thin lines that mimic hairs. It can cost an average of $800 and lasts about two years. It’s pricey, but imagine waking up with perfect eyebrows each morning. Sounds like a bargain!
If you’re lucky enough to have been born with them, then 2017 is certainly your time to flaunt them. However, if you weren’t, then this is the year you’ll have options to get them. In 2017, freckles are so much in style that women are going out of their way to have them tattooed on. For a less permanent solution, you can try drawing them on and using a special sponge to help make your faux freckles appear more natural. Behind this look is the trend of natural looking skin, so go light on the foundation this year.
This trend started to appear toward the end of 2016 and seems to be a hit on the runway and among teenage girls. These stick-on decals are similar to those used on nails in the ‘90s, but now they’re being used to accent the eyes. This is most often done by putting a small decal in either corner of the eyes or along the lash line. While it’s certainly not a look anyone aside from Lady Gaga can pull off every day, it will certainly help you get noticed during a night out with the girls!
If an embellished eye look isn’t working for you, try a bold smokey eye. Ditch the grayscale and go with a bright pink or green pallet. Think of the makeup style of those in the Capitol in “The Hunger Games.” It can be done alone or with a few decals. Colored mascara and eyebrows are also in style this year, but unless you’re a runway model it might be best to save some of these techniques for special occasions like Halloween.
Some of the hottest mascara colors this year will be burgundy, blue, and gold. While it sounds outrageous, blue and gold are the colors to pair in 2017, so go with blue eyeshadow when wearing gold mascara and vice versa. For a more casual look, ombre your eyelashes! Yes, this is a thing. The trend is to use black mascara and brush the tips with your favorite colored mascara so the color changes gradually.
While bold matte lips were all the rage in 2016, this year gives a whole new definition to bold lips. Don’t ditch your matte lipsticks just yet, though. This look is achieved by putting on lipstick as you normally would, then dipping your finger in loose glitter and lightly dusting your lips with it. This allows you to make your look as simple or attention-grabbing as you’d like. Using different colors and glitter densities will give you hundreds of combinations to wear anytime, day or night. Like some other trends on this list demonstrate, it seems the beauty industry was heavily inspired by “The Hunger Games” this year; these statement lips are often paired best with a bare face à la Effie Trinket.
Contouring may be out, but highlighting is definitely still in. Instead of accenting your features with just any old highlighting stick, you now have the option to use colored highlighters. They are said to bring out the natural colors of the face. You can add some glitter to jazz this look up for a night out. It seems the early 2000s are back, and glitter goes with everything again. Colored highlighter goes great over your eyes and on the cheekbones. You can use it to create a bold eye look without having to throw money down for a new eyeshadow pallet.
Once again, glitter is involved in this trend. To spice up your natural look, accent your lower eyelids with a thick, colored liner. This will certainly make anyone’s eyes stand out when paired with little to no other makeup on the face. The lower lids can then be dusted with glitter for a more intense and outrageous look similar to that of glitter lips.
Like any makeup or beauty trend, it’s impossible to get the look right with excessive facial hair. Foundation, blush, and even highlighters stick to the hairs, making even the smallest strands stand out against your skin. This effect worsens if you need to use a concealer or thicker foundation. Instead of putting so much effort into avoiding natural or fluorescent lighting, get rid of that pesky facial hair with facial laser hair removal, the only permanent solution to excessive facial hair. Sessions are quick, easy, relatively painless, and the key to perfecting your flawless natural look.