Top 10 makeup trends for 2023, according to makeup artists

Say “80s makeup” and my mind goes straight to neon. 90s? Underlining on the lips – simple. early 2000s? Frosted shadows and Juicy Tubes – the end. Makeup trends have and will always have a huge impact on their respective eras, and 2023 is no exception. “This year is about isms; minimalism and minimalism. says Too Faced Elyse Reneau, makeup artist and executive director of creative beauty. “You either simplify and go for an effortlessly gorgeous aesthetic or tend to use vibrant colors, metallic shifting pigments and glitter in unexpected ways for instant dopamine.”

Extremes are shaping up in a variety of looks. On the one hand, there’s primer foundation technology, created by Mary Phillips and made possible by the introduction of dozens of lightweight, sheer coverage formulas. “We’re finally embracing skin and products that improve our skin and leave a skin-like look, rather than aiming for a fuller look,” says Sir John, celebrity makeup artist and CCO of CTZN Cosmetics. “The vibe is definitely more natural and fresh.”

On the other hand are strong lips and eyes – the bolder the better. With a hint of grunge, lip liner is all the range and glitter has a place on the stage. “We’re really seeing the makeup trends of the ’90s and early 2000s,” says makeup artist Tobi Henney. “There were a lot of brown-toned lips, white eyeliner made a comeback, soft blue tones were big, and the cat eye was back.”

For a more in-depth look at makeup trends for 2023, as well as some tips from the pros, scroll forward and be prepared to take screenshots.

Bold, blurred blush

“People have been wanting more and more blush, and I’m here for that,” says Sara Smith, national makeup director, Bobbi Brown Cosmetics. “It’s the perfect way to create natural warmth on the skin.” Textures will continue to be super creamy and blended (Bobbi Brown Pot Rouge is a favorite), with a newly added blurring formula that makes pores disappear. As Reneau says, “The filter may go out of style, but it looks like your skin has been filtered-and it’s going to work really well.” To create the look, she recommends Too Faced’s Cloud Crush Blush, “which has blurring technology that softens pores and texture.”

As for how to apply blush this year? Avoid applying the product to the center of the face and instead create a more defined look. “The blush will be positioned away from the high cheekbones and sculpted more over the apples of the cheeks, wrapping them underneath the cheekbones,” says Donni Davy, founder and head Euphoria makeup artist at Half Magic.

Soft Focus Skin

Everyone from Makeup by Mario to Kosas and Jason Wu Beauty has introduced light coverage, barely-there formulas in recent weeks – and it’s just right. “Clean, girly makeup was popular last year, but this year will be all about nude makeup,” predicts Jason Wu, clothing designer and founder of Jason Wu Beauty. “People are less interested in foundations that provide full coverage and instead swap them out for skin tones or not at all.” This adoption of lighters, serums and shades is closely tied to embracing imperfections. David says, “We’re going to see more real skin. There’s less acne scar shame and more of an unapologetic attitude toward acne-especially when it goes hand-in-hand with cool makeup.”

Pouting is popular

This is the age of the bold lip. “The bold lip is back and can stand on its own. Pair this trend with clean, fresh skin and groomed brows,” says Smith. In addition to rich red, brown, berry and mauve lipstick shades, it’s important to point out that lip liner is also going to be a big moment. On the one hand, lip liners that use a shade or two darker than the actual lipstick will come back into vogue. On the other hand, lip liner will replace lipstick altogether. wu recommends using his Stay In Line lip liner on the entire base. It can be worn on its own or, if you decide to put lipstick on top, it can give you a longer lasting color.

The Brow Experiment

Bleached eyebrows continue to dominate the runway as Julia Fox continues to rock the look, and according to David, it’s not going away anytime soon. “Bleached eyebrows are catching on and I think it’s giving people the confidence to experiment more with their own eyebrows. I think we’ll see more people experimenting with the shape of their eyebrows. People might even swing in the opposite direction and go for dark and thin eyebrows.”

Don’t leave unless you’re really sure you want to board the thin brow train – there’s no going back. “I think it’s important to ask yourself: do I want to keep my fine brows forever? Because when you start tweezing your brows, that’s what you’re going to decide,” warns Reneau. “Instead, I gravitate toward the trend of lifting and arching – we call it layering. It’s lifted (but not straight up!) , and it looks defined and natural.”

Subtle sparkle

“Whether it’s chrome, metallic or just plain shimmer, glitter is coming back in a big way this year,” confirms Smith. “What I love about this trend is that you can wear it in so many different ways.” Lightly brush shimmery eyeshadow on your lids (we’ve gathered the best glitter eyeshadows!) ), or up the ante with a straight-up metallic liquid (I love Half Magic Glitter Pill). Essentially, have fun and party.

Cat’s Eye Revival

“This year, the eye is your canvas for self-expression, and you don’t have to be an artist to be creative,” says Reneau. “Draw attention directly to the window of your soul with liquid eyeliners like Better Than Sex, which has a sharp tip that allows you to easily create winged eyeliners, faux lower lashes and feline inner corners of your eyes.” In short: the return of beginner-friendly eyeliners. Impossible graphic eyeliners are taking a back seat, replaced by kitten eyeliners and classic cat-eye wings. (Pro tip: “When applying eyeliner, always pull it up and out,” says Smith.)

Trash Glam

Chalk it up to Wednesdays-core or call it a makeup evolution, but this year the trend is trash rock. For some, this may look like a deep lip. “Edgier everyday looks, like a higher version of the Wednesday Addams look,” Davy says, noting that plum, burgundy lipstick and dark brown lip gloss will be popular for a while. “It’s a more fierce everyday look that’s less about being soft and pretty and more about embracing your edgier side.”

If you want to translate this trend into your eye makeup, take a page from celebrity makeup artist Dani Parkes’ playbook. “Put on black eyeliner and wash your face-it’s perfect for going out if you don’t want to wear too much makeup,” she says. “It will sharpen your eye color and make your lashes look better. It gives you that gorgeous ’90s look.”

Underpainting

With only a few weeks to go until 2023, the term underpainting, coined by makeup artist Mary Phillips, is already all the rage. “It’s easy to create this look by first applying concealer and contouring cream before foundation,” explains Parkes. “It defines your natural features and brings out your natural, glowing skin. The less makeup you wear, the better.” While the excitement surrounding this technology may be new, it has been in the makeup world for years. The technique is commonly used on stars such as Hailey Bieber, Kendall Jenner and Jennifer Lopez.

Artificial freckles

This is closely related to the beauty world’s preference for lightweight foundations. If you don’t have any freckles to shine, why not paint them on la Alix Earle? “It makes your nose look smaller and your makeup look more natural,” says Parks. “The best product to use for this is Freck. it’s a fake blemish serum that looks like the real thing when applied.” Simply poke a few dots and diffuse the product with your finger.

Dopamine Glamour

Just as dopamine clothing dominates in 2022, we will see dopamine makeup leading the way in 2023. “I use color whenever I work with clients and want to make them feel confident and raise their vibration.” This can come in the form of denim liner, crimson lipstick (Sir John likes CTZN Cosmetics’ Code Red line) or funky eyeshadow.