Top 10 Beauty Trends of 2018

It’s not easy to trace the origins of every trend on this list, but the source of this one is clear to those in the know. Rihanna released her makeup line, Fenty Beauty, in fall of 2017, and for months it’s been all anyone can talk about. The standout product for many was the Killawatt Freestyle Highlighter in the shade Trophy Wife. It’s a dazzling gold highlight that’s anything but subtle, but adds the metallic finish your look has been missing. Take a cue from Bad Girl RiRi and go gold this year, and show everyone the queen you know you are.

We get it; trying to master the matte lip trend isn’t easy, what with trying to figure out whether liquid’s the way to go or not. While this innovation is attractive for many, since easier to apply and more long wearing, the liquid format has its downsides. Liquid makes your lips really dry, and doesn’t look flattering once it does start to fade. 2018’s going to be all about going back to the classic bullet, which is a little more forgiving on your sensitive lips, and also is a more versatile product, providing a different look depending on how much you put on.

If you haven’t gotten the memo yet, Pantone’s color of the year for 2018 is ultra violet. No matter how skeptical people seem at the beginning of the year though, Pantone’s choice always ends up having great bearing on the world of design, fashion and beauty. Pantone said the color represents “experimentation and non-conformity, spurring individuals to imagine their unique mark on the world,” so here’s your chance to add it to your look as much or as little as you want. Expect to see the color reflected in eyeshadow palettes – people are always begging for a good purple palette! – and especially in lipsticks.

You’ve heard of K-Beauty, but what about J-Beauty? If you’ve had your finger on the pulse of skincare trends over the past few years, you know that Asian beauty products, especially those from South Korea, have been blowing up. This year though, expect to see more from their neighbor, Japan. Japanese beauty brands like Hada Labo, Shiseido and SK-II may already be familiar to Asian Beauty devotees, but we’re guessing that even more companies will be making themselves known in the coming months. If you want a place to start, sunscreen is a product that Japanese brands have mastered way better than their North American counterparts.

If there’s one significant trend that is carrying over from year to year, it’s highlighting. With so many new products on the market, this one is not going away anytime soon, so you may as well embrace it. Whether you want to go for an overall dewy look or a perfectly placed poppin’ highlight, the key is to make sure you’re glowing. Even a subtle, more natural application can work if you don’t want your look to scream “ask me what highlighter I’m wearing!”

This makeup item is no longer for preteens. You’ll have to pry our matte lipsticks from our cold dead hands, but that doesn’t mean we’re not willing to mix it up a little. One trend that surprised everyone in 2017 was...lip gloss. This was pretty shocking considering how strong the matte trend still was, but early adopters already embraced it in the second half of last year. In 2018, get ready to see more mainstream brand stocking classic lip gloss formulas that will make you feel like you’re 12 again.

If you want to look totally otherworldly this year, this is the trend for you. We already talked about how big gold will be this year, but the metallic craze doesn’t stop there. For both eyeshadows and lipsticks, opting for a metallic texture is a great way to stand out from the crowd in a big way – even if everyone seems to be following the trend. Lips are definitely a bit bolder, and therefore more suitable for an after-dark occasion, but metallic lids can be incorporated into your everyday routine with just a few key products.

In 2017, one thing seemed apparent in the beauty world- skin was in. Skincare became more prevalent than ever, even for those in younger age brackets. Now we all want to show our newfound glowing skin off, and this year it’s going to be all about letting your natural beauty show. Forget your high coverage foundation and instead try just using concealer to spot correct. Alternately, you can use a product like a tinted moisturizer or BB cream, which will give your skin a more even tone overall without covering everything up.

If one of your resolutions this year was to try to buy products without ingredients that could be harmful to you or the environment, it might be tricky to figure out where to start. Should you look for organic beauty products? Natural? Vegan? What about cruelty free? One place to start is by focusing on brands that claim to be “clean”, which also translates to “nontoxic”. This means that they formulate their products without a bunch of potentially dangerous ingredients like parabens, silicones and sulfates. Clean isn’t just a food trend anymore!

Before we unveil our top pick, here are a few honorable mentions.

Over the Top Lashes

Multi-Purpose Products

Rounded Cat Eye

Recently, companies and end users alike are becoming more aware of one of the biggest problems in the beauty industry: a lack of diversity. Most ad campaigns and product launches focus on lighter skinned women, and many brands don’t even create base products that fit all skin tones. Taking a page from brands like Fenty Beauty, we’re predicting 2018 will see greater representation of the full spectrum of beauty. From shade ranges in new products, to models used in advertising, or beauty vloggers amassing millions of followers, the future is looking colorful.