Beauty  

Our Top 7 Makeup Trends For 2021

By Oreoritse Tariemi

03 January 2022   |   3:57 pm

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Beauty, they say, is timeless and always finds a way to reinvent itself, which is why every year comes with its own memorable looks that very often take the world by storm, cutting across countries to become worldwide trends. And this year was no different.  2021 came with its unique makeup trends that shook the…

Lipstain. Photo Tembe Denton-Hurst

Beauty, they say, is timeless and always finds a way to reinvent itself, which is why every year comes with its own memorable looks that very often take the world by storm, cutting across countries to become worldwide trends. And this year was no different. 

2021 came with its unique makeup trends that shook the beauty world by storm, some memorable, others not. In our rundown of the year, these are our 2021 top makeup trends: 

•     Graphic Eyeliners

This year, eye makeup was at the forefront of beauty trends, taking social media by storm. We saw several beauty influencers create breathtaking looks giving us a much-desired break from regular eyeshadow, cateye, and cut crease looks. 

Graphic eyeliners allowed everyone to express their creativity by adding a cool, sophisticated yet dramatic effect to any makeup look. From soft feathered strokes to intricately detailed designs, graphic eyeliner looks added the much-needed creativity to eye makeup. 

Let’s not forget the burst of colours this trend brought into beauty, expanding the palette and letting you reinvent yourself. For some great graphic eyeliner looks, try emerald green eyeliners, subtle dots, open-ended liner, or go the extra mile with a graphic yellow pop. 

All you need to create these looks is a graphic eyeliner.

•     Colored Mascara

As we said, earlier eye makeup was the rave this year. If you have gotten tired of regular black mascara looks like us, then seeing coloured mascara find its way to the limelight must have been exciting. 

A fan favourite, coloured mascara also adds the much-desired creativity to eye makeup. In fact, regular black mascara tubes have been replaced with colourful alternatives from deep burgundy to bright blues and more. 

What’s even better, there are several ways to pull off coloured mascara looks, and the only trick is to know what colours suit your eyeshade. Our advice? For:

• Brown eyes: Opt for a cobalt blue mascara
• Hazel eyes: Green mascara
• Blue eyes: Deep violet
•     Y2K Beauty

Since beauty is evergreen, it’s no surprise to see old makeup trends find their way back to the top of the list. This year, the early 2000s was our throwback trend as Y2K makeup became even more popular. 

Thin brows, colourful eyeshadows, less contouring, and glossy lips were popping both on and off the screen. In fact, celebrities including Dua Lipa, Meghan Thee Stallion, and Lizzo joined in on this trend-spotting Y2K looks to award shows and in their posts. 

Creating a Y2K beauty aesthetic is easy once you understand the basics. For makeup, looks focus less on contouring and perfection and more on colour, cute details, and playful texture. 

•     Soft Glam (Dewy Makeup)

Dewy makeup looks have become very popular, especially with the pandemic. Soft, breathable makeup looks are flawless glam that focuses more on creating the perfect base.

This trend which features glowing skin, fluffy brows, and glossy lips are the perfect “I woke up like this” look to get all eyes in your direction without breaking a sweat. Dewy makeup looks are literally soft without sharp angles or effects, blending them into the skin to create a smooth base. The trick to creating the perfect soft glam look is to start with a luminous base.

•     Fluffy Brows

Another 2021 beauty trend, fluffy brows, was embraced by everyone from makeup beginners to experts. Eyebrow trends are a rocky road; 2014 IG brows, for example, it doesn’t take long for them to be cast aside, never to be seen again.

This year was about fluffy soap brushed-up brows with straighter tails. Fluffy eyebrows found their place both on and off the runaway, yet only time will tell if it’s a trend that will stay. 

•     Lip Stains 

Lipstain. Photo Tembe Denton-Hurst

Our list of the top makeup trends for 2021 would be incomplete without lip stains. Not lipsticks or lip glosses, lip stains. This makeup trend was popular for one reason only; it doesn’t budge, staying the way it was applied. 

The trick to creating this look was to simply paint and blot. Apply your lipstick, allow it to sit for a bit, and blot off with a tissue until all that’s left is a colour stain. It also added a natural effect to makeup looks, especially soft glams.

•     Monochrome Makeup

For makeup beginners, the monochrome makeup trend was a very easy one to pull off. This look involves wearing the same colour makeup products on two or more facial features, including eyes, lips, and cheeks. 

This trend allows you to spot your favourite colour shades, adding harmony and whimsy to your makeup look without it looking boring. 

Beauty trends in 2021 had us dropping many steps and replacing them with others. Some of these trends may reoccur in 2021, and others might go away with the new year; we’ll just have to see.