Lots of beauty trends popped off in 2023, but which ones reigned supreme? Our local beauty experts weigh in to share their favourite beauty moments of the year.
As 2023 comes to a close, we take a look back at some of the biggest beauty moments of the year. What came to mind? Well, bow mania was definitely at the top of the list. That, and the many, many rebrands that came up (read: blueberry nails that were literally just plain blue, cinnamon cookie butter hair that was just… brown—you get the gist). So, when it came to separating the fleeting fads from the true showstoppers, we ran into a little trouble.
And so, we consulted the pros. Ahead, we’ve rounded up some of the top voices in the industry to share their favourite beauty trends, cultural moments and celebrity beats to come out of 2023. From viral trends to celebrity beauty wins and more, read on to find out which moments made the list!
Doja Cat’s unforgettable red carpet slays (plural)
2023 was a huge year for Doja Cat. The singer and rapper has been cancelled at least four times in the last 12 months but still found time to serve face regardless. Whether she’s using falsies as fake facial hair for cosplay, shaving herself down to the skin from the brow to the nape or covering herself in 30,000 Swarovski crystals just for fun, she went hard for the culture.
“With incessant red carpets, awards shows and fashion week, celebrity spotting has greatly lost its appeal. But one celebrity I always keep my eye on is Doja Cat.
“In 2022, she made headlines for shaving her head and showing up with bold, experimental beauty looks, from spray painting a red anarchy symbol on her buzz cut at the Daily Front Row Fashion Media Awards to her icy blue face paint paying homage The Fifth Element’s Dancing Diva at Monot’s spring/summer 2023 show in Paris.
“This year, she outdid herself with an awe-inspiring, all-red beauty look at Schiaparelli’s Spring 2023 couture show—working with Pat McGrath’s team to apply 30,000 blood-red Swarovski crystals on her entire body. Not only did it fit perfectly with the spirit of couture—especially with Schiaparelli creative director Daniel Roseberry’s meticulous approach—but it also tied in perfectly with the visual concept for the pop star’s latest album, Scarlet.
“Intentional, creatively coherent and unforgettable, this beauty look set the bar for celebrities for the rest of the year.” — Zue Wei Leong, Freelance Beauty Writer
Bleached brows
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This brow style took over runways and trickled down into your Instagram feeds (and maybe even infiltrated your friend groups). It’s not exactly new to the scene, but 2023 is when the trend really popped off into the mainstream.
“If I had to pick, bleached brows would be my favourite trend of the year. We’ve been limboing between Nori sheet-type fleeky brows and feathery, big brows for a while now, so for girlies with sparse brows like me, I’ve always felt like my brows weren’t enough. But now that skinny, Doja Cat brows and bleached brows are hot, I can achieve that so much easier. I barely even use my brow products anymore.” — Vivien Loh, Makeup Artist and Content Creator
Mullets
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Mullets have been back for a while, but they got a new lease of life this year in the form of butterfly, wolf and jellyfish cuts. While it has gotten a few new names, its core signifiers have remained: Business in the front, party in the back!
“The return of the mullet. I love how people bring back the oldies and appreciate the retro.” — Bibian Leong, Hairstylist
Glazed doughnut skin
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Glass skin this, cream skin that—we’ve seen skincare trends go through many phases over the years, but one particular took centre stage this year. Glazed doughnut skin is bouncy, glossy and hydrated—and, it looks just as delectable as its namesake.
“My favourite beauty moment of the year was the glazed doughnut look that was championed by Hailey Bieber, amplified by the various renditions of the trend (like her strawberry glazed doughnut version and the collaboration with Krispy Kreme). Any opinion you have of her aside, you can’t deny that she successfully amplified something that’s been around for a while—dewy skin—and made it her own. Really turning the hydration step in your routine up a notch and focusing on skin barrier repair gets you one step closer to the iconic Hailey skin, and I’m all here for it!” — Tania Zainudin, Beauty PR Manager
The Rhode TikTok Train
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If there is one beauty brand that really made circles this year (at least, for all the right reasons), it would be Rhode Beauty. The skincare brand won the Reader’s Choice award for ‘Best Celebrity Brand’ in our 2023 BURO Beauty Empties—and for good reason. The Hailey Bieber-founded brand has amassed a million followers on Instagram and over eight million likes on TikTok, with countless rave reviews to its name.
“Looking back at the best beauty moments this year, two brands stand out the most to me—Rhode and Caudalie. I’ve been on the Rhode hype for a while and bought the products during their very first drop but only used them sparingly because of how limited their stock is. But after seeing more and more TikTok videos of people raving about how life-changing Rhode has been for them, I was convinced to use it routinely. Since then, my skin has visibly improved so much. Rhode’s whole idea is to make one of everything you need and do it well, and so far they’re on the right track, I’d say—plus, I love, love, love Hailey! Caudalie has always been a brand I’ve seen around (especially on TikTok), but not one I’ve tried until later this year, and now it carries some of my holy grails. These two brands saved my skin, and I’ll never shut up about it. Plus, they look so cute in photos.” — Athisha Khan, Beauty Content Creator and Entrepreneur
The return of the rainbow
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Colour play came back in a big way this year, pushing neutrals by the wayside to make way for bold eye looks, ornate graphic liners and unusual lip combos. While a frosty lid and a bright pink lip aren’t exactly new, 2023 saw people embrace the full spectrum of the rainbow in new daring ways.
“Colours, all the way. Makeup still has the ability to empower everyone to express themselves creatively, unapologetically, and boldly. Seeing pastel eyeshadows and bold mascaras, major blush, and bright lips make a comeback on editorial spreads and the runway has been so inspiring, and I love how many gorgeous products have come from the trend blowing up. My personal favourites are the Le Regard Hermès and Huda Beauty’s Pretty Grudge Eyeshadow palettes.” — Azhary Azhar, Beauty PR Manager
Coloured liner
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Coming hot on the tail of the rainbow renaissance, coloured liners were also huge this year (and so were coloured mascaras!). While they’ve been in and out of style over the years, 2023 saw shade ranges blossoming well beyond the realm of blues and slate greys.
“I loved coloured eyeliners this year. Specifically, I love blue, green, purple and brown eyeliners because they make my brown eyes pop. Plus, the trend also reminded me of when I started experimenting with eyeliner as a teen—a blue eyeliner and eyeshadow combo was my go-to!” — Nikita Menon, beauty content creator
Food-inspired makeup looks
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Cutesy food inspo dominated makeup moodboards this year—we had strawberry makeup (essentially, a flush of pink on the eyes, cheeks and lips), latte makeup (a wash of light brown on the eyes, cheeks and lips) and even espresso makeup (basically, a darker version of latte makeup). What can we say? There’s just something so fun about rebranding the concept of monochrome makeup!
“I loved the strawberry makeup look this year—it’s so freaking fresh and effortlessly glowy. The combination of a tinted foundation base layered with a bright, baby pink blush and glossy, pinkish lips just gives the cutest girl-next-door look! The latte or espresso make-up look was also a favourite of mine. It’s just sexy and elegant and just feels like me. You can never go wrong with shades of brown on the eyes and lips!” — Nikki Dhillon, beauty content creator
’90s lipliner combos
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First popularised in the ’90s and early ’00s by Latina and black communities, the combination of a brown overlined lip and sheer gloss has seen a huge comeback in recent years. Of course, the trendy lip combo has seen many interpretations, with some bringing bold combinations of contrasting colours into the mix to update the look for 2023.
“I feel so classy when I do a 90’s lip look. It’s so simple to recreate, but makes me feel so put together. I don’t have to have a full face of makeup on, either—just as long as I have my lips lined with a nude gloss over top.” — Nikita Menon, beauty content creator
These excerpts have been edited for length and clarity. Find more beauty reads here.
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