2017 has been a year of ups and downs, and the beauty world is no exception. We’ve seen some great trends from previous years continue to stick around in full force, we’ve seen the meteoric rise of new brands armed with a refreshingly inclusive beauty philosophy, and we’ve seen some really crazy brows.
Read on to see if your favourite and most memorable 2017 beauty trend is listed in our beauty wrap-up of 2017.
- 1. Going crazy with brows
- 2. Squiggly makeup
- 3. Holographic everything
- 4. Unicorns, mermaids, and galaxies
- 5. Fenty Beauty and beauty inclusivity
- 6. Liquid lipsticks and BB cushions
- 7. Neon cut crease
- 8. Millennial pink and rose gold everywhere
- 9. Glitterazzi
- 10. Peel-off charcoal face masks
- 11. Faux freckles
- 12. Bubble masks
- 13. Warm eyeshadows
- 14. Lower lid eyeshadow
- 15. Shoulder highlight
- 16. Nail bling brought to another level
1. Going crazy with brows
Brows used to be the facial feature that everyone politely tried to ignore, or pluck out of existence. Bushy brows have been back with a vengeance in previous years, and 2017 saw beauty junkies taking the chance to experiment with that new volume.
Instead of being wearable and fashion-forward as in previous years, 2017 brow trends left us wondering why anyone would willingly do this to themselves.
Squiggly brows
We don’t know where it started, but the squiggly brow trend that died as quickly as it started saw people literally glueing down their brow hairs and using a mix of concealer and eyeliner to create the illusion of crazy squiggles in the place of brows.
We… aren’t too sure how wearable this would be outside of a Halloween party.
Feather brows
Apparently started by Finnish makeup artist Stella Sironen, the feather brows involves parting your brows in the middle and gluing your brows down (with a glue stick, not Superglue!) so that it resembles a feather.
While it does look a little crazy compared to a regular brow, we think this is by far the most wearable of the brow trends on our list, hands down.
McDonald’s arches
https://www.instagram.com/p/BkTpkWMgGkB/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link
We can’t believe this bizarre look was actually started by beauty mogul Huda Kattan, the brain behind coveted American cosmetics brand Huda Beauty.
She filmed and posted the video as a parody of all the other crazy brow trends around, but that didn’t stop fans from copying the look and posting their own hilarious takes on Instagram.
(To be very honest, they remind us unpleasantly of cockroaches rather than McDonald’s.)
Nike brows
https://www.instagram.com/p/ByK9T4Xnn07/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link
Why stop at McDonald’s? Why not include this fan favourite sports brand? Better yet, why not combine that with squiggly brows to really pin down your fashion-forwardness?
Brow crowns
https://www.instagram.com/p/BcBdByEBBfl/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link
Want to feel like a queen, but a tiara doesn’t shout it enough for you? Hop on to this look created by Instagrammer Sofie Petersen.
How would anyone doubt your royal lineage if you’re sporting crowns on your brows, right?
Check out the video below to see the Daily Vanity squad trying some of the most outrageous brow trends that we saw in 2017, with the help of the wonderful Benebabes from Benefit Cosmetics.
2. Squiggly makeup
When people started trying out the squiggly brows, it wasn’t enough for them to stop there. No, someone had to come up with squiggly eyeliner and squiggly lips to really complete the look and cement the dizzying illusion.
3. Holographic everything
https://www.instagram.com/p/B16ufo9hbQf/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link
In and of itself, holographic makeup isn’t a new thing but 2017 has seen it soaring to greater heights.
Holographic, shimmery colours are now no longer confined to nail polishes, but can now be found in eyeshadows, highlighters, lipsticks, lip top coats, and everything in between.
4. Unicorns, mermaids, and galaxies
https://www.instagram.com/p/Bf-wtysFORQ/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link
With the popularity of holographic makeup comes the inevitable association with all the fancy, colourful entities associated with them.
https://www.instagram.com/p/BZWBD4cBinK/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link
Makeup inspired by unicorns, mermaids, and galaxies made the order of the year for 2017.
5. Fenty Beauty and beauty inclusivity
2017 saw Fenty Beauty, founded and fronted by pop superstar Rihanna, burst onto the scenes in August this year, and was one of the most coveted makeup brands of the season.
Its Pro Filt’r Soft Matte Longwear Foundation was probably the most hyped and talked about makeup worldwide at one point, and half of its shades (or more) was completely sold out for a month or two.
https://www.instagram.com/p/B58q5DqhcOH/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link
Possibly the most attention-grabbing point about the Fenty Beauty foundation is that it comes in 40 shades, which seemed unheard of for most mainstream makeup brands.
Before Fenty came along, many brands had already offered a huge range of foundation shades, but Fenty Beauty was the first to bother making beauty inclusivity one of its selling points – they aimed to afford women of colour as good a range of choices in makeup, instead of excluding them with a limited shade range as many other beauty brands do.
https://www.instagram.com/p/B48lH6EB27n/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link
The rapid rise of Fenty Beauty and the overwhelming popularity of its foundation ensured greater awareness and conversation about makeup inclusivity, which has already begun influencing the marketing decisions of other brands.
Now this is a trend we could get behind!
6. Liquid lipsticks and BB cushions
https://www.instagram.com/p/B4OmCPJpXmo/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link
Yes, we know liquid lipsticks and BB cushions are very, very far from being a new trend this year. However, they’re on this list because this is the year when they’ve started to really cement their position in the mainstream.
https://www.instagram.com/p/BmADEpEggba/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link
Liquid lipsticks and BB cushions used to be almost like a novelty beauty product that only a few brands carried.
Now, almost every brand on the market, high-end and drugstore alike, have their own signature range of liquid lipsticks. They also carry, more often than not, BB cushions as well.
7. Neon cut crease
https://www.instagram.com/p/Bzip9UwC3hg/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link
While this trend is probably not the most wearable on a regular basis, we have to admit that it does look pretty cool. There’s a undeniable cool factor in having an eyeshadow look that looks like a marriage of Tron Legacy and Star Wars.
The look is created with white eyeliner being drawn where cut creases usually are, and then overlayed with a smattering of bright, neon-coloured eyeshadow. The end result? A glowing effect that almost looks fluorescent.
8. Millennial pink and rose gold everywhere
https://www.instagram.com/p/BVld6ZZFPgU/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link
https://www.instagram.com/p/Bf0Xaw4jxT2/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link
The millennial pink and rose gold trend started a while back, probably when Pantone announced it as one of the Colors of the Year in 2016. We’re now at the end of 2017, but the trend has shown no signs of stopping.
https://www.instagram.com/p/B8Mka5ZF6kn/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link
While millennial pink seems to have dominated the packaging department, there have been so many rose gold makeup products that we’ve written three articles on them in the last quarter of 2017 alone: on lipsticks, highlighters, and everything else.
9. Glitterazzi
https://www.instagram.com/p/B1ZnvqVAZ0K/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link
https://www.instagram.com/p/BwZW_ALBdNr/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link
If you haven’t already noticed, rainbows and bling make up the general theme of 2017, so how could the beauty world miss out on glitter?
Glitter hair roots don’t look like the most comfortable trend to wear on your hair, but it’s not everyday that you get to experience how it feels to have holographic dandruff.
The more fascinating forms that glitter has been used in makeup in 2017, however, are products that actually seem to contain magic.
https://www.instagram.com/p/BkbE5jVFE7n/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link
The Ciate London Glitter Flip Lipsticks sound very gimmicky at first, but the beauty of the end result has shocked YouTubers and beauty junkies worldwide. The lipstick applies matte, but after it is allowed to set for a few minutes, you press your lips together and voila! Your lips are now made of glitter magic.
According to many beauty YouTubers, the glitter flecks are also non-chunky, which means you’re not going to feel like you have sand on your lips.
Source: Desi Perkins YouTube
In a similar vein, Fenty Beauty has also released a glitter-changing eyeliner in its Galaxy Holiday collection. The slightly shimmery liquid formula dries to a matte texture, but once dry, you can rub on the line and release some sparkle into your eye look.
10. Peel-off charcoal face masks
Source: Miriamka YouTube
This year, charcoal face masks have really taken off in popularity. The black face mask, once considered weird looking, works exactly like a nose pore pack: it claims to leech on to dirt and impurities deep within your pores and extract them out when you peel the mask off.
Sure, the mask could work just as well being white, but nothing gives us as much satisfaction as seeing all the gunk from our pores clearly visible on a black mask after we’ve peeled it off.
11. Faux freckles
Source: Chantal Jeffries YouTube
Freckles used to be something like pimples – you don’t actually want to have them on your face, and those who do often find themselves trying their best to conceal them at any opportunity.
The tides have turned, and faux freckles have become a thing in makeup, where a light brown pigment is dotted around the nosebridge and cheek areas to create the illusion of freckles.
Since freckles are often associated with children, especially those who spend more time in the sun, faux freckles apparently impart a more youthful, healthy look.
This trend has been somewhat controversial and has been heavily criticised, however, since many children often find themselves victims of bullying because of their freckles.
12. Bubble masks
https://www.instagram.com/p/B5vncVEBZsK/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link
Of all the weird face masks to hit us in 2017, bubble face masks are arguably the most well-received. They’re fun to do, they’re fun to look at, and there have been many positive reviews about how clean it makes your skin feels.
s:um37 Bright Award Bubble De-Mask Pack; Source: LA’s Little Castle YouTube
It started off as a novelty item, but the concept has now spread to many major skincare brands on the market, even high-end ones such as s:um37!
13. Warm eyeshadows
If there was any eyeshadow theme that went big in 2017, it has to be warm colours, hands down.
Tarte Tartelette Toasted Eyeshadow Palette; Source: Scoopnest
A few years ago, putting on red eyeshadow would’ve earned you a few looks of surprise on the streets. Now, every major brand on the market has some kind of warm-toned palette, and we’re not mad at it since this fits right in with our Asian skin tones.
14. Lower lid eyeshadow
Look back on to any photos of makeup during the 2000s, and you would notice that lower lid eyeshadow wasn’t a thing back then. Now, it’s something most people can’t live without.
https://www.instagram.com/p/BqYGo9tjyX2/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link
The lower lid eyeshadow has become so popular for two reasons: it helps to tie your entire eye look together with some symmetry, and it also offers you the opportunity of really making your eye look pop if you choose to use a contrasting colour.
https://www.instagram.com/p/BzBhBdxi_3j/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link
There are even those that have gone as far as putting on glitter, sequins, and sparkles for their lower lids – and while they’re certainly not a day-to-day look, we were surprised that they actually don’t look too crazy either!
15. Shoulder highlight
Source: Make Up And Beauty
Highlighting for the face is not new, but 2017 saw more and more beauty junkies around the world get into the concept of also highlighting other parts of your body.
In much the same way as highlight works on your face, a well-placed highlight your collarbones and the tip of your shoulders could give you that glowing goddess look that is so coveted in the beauty world.
This isn’t just a random thing that sprouted up on the Internet, by the way. Gilbert Soliz, global makeup artist for Marc Jacobs Beauty, also told us the same thing when we had the chance to chat with him earlier this year.
16. Nail bling brought to another level
How crazy can one go with nails, you ask? 2017 has risen to the challenge and brought you all these crazy nail looks. While they’re certainly fascinating to look at, we can’t imagine day to day life with these manicures.
Pierced nails
https://www.instagram.com/p/BSOus5-jjXE/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link
Something about this nail trend makes us cringe, even though it’s definitely painless to drill a hole in to your nails.
Huge gemstones
https://www.instagram.com/p/Bcc1og5hRHM/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link
Rhinestones have always been a staple in nail art, especially here in Asia. 2017 demanded an upsize in many things, and that included these gemstones.
When done in a tasteful way, there is a beauty to these oversized nail decoration – although we can’t help considering the inconvenience of dealing with such chunky things attached to our nails.
Aquarium nails
https://www.instagram.com/p/B2uScuiJm5a/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link
We have to give this one props for creativity and hard work. Making an aquarium nail looks incredibly difficult, but the result is a fascinating and unique nail art that we’ve never quite seen before.
Unicorn nails
We’ve already mentioned the 2017 obsession with unicorns. With a mixture of acrylic, nail top coats, and the patience to deal with the fragility of a stiletto nail shape, unicorn nails managed to have its time in the limelight this year.
Fidget spinner nails
Source: Natasha Lee YouTube
Nail art meets the one toy that defined 2017, and the fidget spinner nail was born. We’re not sure why anyone needed this, but at least now you don’t even have to bring out your regular fidget spinner with you anymore.
