When it comes to hair, makeup and skincare, everyone has their go to routine and products, but which trends did we all fall in love with the most throughout 2023.
As the year draws to a close, Cult Beauty reveals the beauty trends that dominated our social feeds and skincare routines in 2023
From revolutionary skincare routines inspired that transformed the way we pamper our skin to awe inspiring make-up techniques that have redefined beauty stands, these trends reflect the influence of social media in shaping the beauty industry that’s mainly being fueled by TikTok and Instagram.
The top 20 overall beauty trends for 2023:
Rank | Trend | Category | Instagram Hashtags | TikTok Hashtags | Monthly Google Searches | Totals |
1 | Skinimalism | Full Face | 42,283 | 52,300,000,000 | 135,000 | 52,300,177,283 |
2 | Heatless curls | Hair | 101,226 | 6,900,000,000 | 138,000 | 6,900,239,226 |
3 | Korean Skincare | Skincare | 2,525,887 | 5,300,000,000 | 120,000 | 5,302,645,887 |
4 | Short Hair Styles (Lobs, butterfly bobs) | Hair | 842,837 | 3,700,000,000 | 166,000 | 3,701,008,837 |
5 | Glass skin | Skincare | 888,836 | 3,300,000,000 | 26,400 | 3,300,915,236 |
6 | Siren Eyes | Eyes | 35,664 | 1,600,000,000 | 52,000 | 1,600,087,664 |
7 | Barbie makeup | Full Face | 206,586 | 1,200,000,000 | 61,000 | 1,200,267,586 |
8 | Long lashes | Eyes | 2,092,830 | 1,100,000,000 | 1,820,000 | 1,103,912,830 |
9 | Pink makeup | Full Face | 1,113,173 | 663,000,000 | 1,390,000 | 665,503,173 |
10 | Faux Freckles | Cheeks | 152,925 | 625,700,000 | 201,000 | 626,053,925 |
11 | Mermaidcore | Full Face | 51,960 | 597,000,000 | 16,000 | 597,067,960 |
12 | Strawberry Makeup | Full Face | 25,198 | 493,000,000 | 26,000 | 493,051,198 |
13 | Graphic Liner | Eyes | 827,124 | 482,100,000 | 187,000 | 483,114,124 |
14 | Graphic Eyeliner | Eyes | 324,127 | 482,000,000 | 187,000 | 482,511,127 |
15 | Soap browns | Brows | 246,509 | 477,200,000 | 28,100 | 477,474,609 |
16 | Latte Makeup | Full Face | 41,779 | 456,200,000 | 39,000 | 456,280,779 |
17 | Dewy Skin | Skincare | 801,878 | 436,500,000 | 1,510,000 | 438,811,878 |
18 | Sleek Back Buns | hair | 3 | 406,100,000 | 10,000 | 406110003 |
19 | Jelly nails | Nails | 280,916 | 399,600,000 | 2,400 | 399,883,316 |
20 | Glazed Donut Nails | Nails | 58,117 | 361,600,000 | 2,900 | 361,661,017 |
Top makeup trends:
Skinimalism
Skinimalism reigns as the number one beauty trend in 2023. It’s sure that 2023 embraced laid-back, lazy looks with the rise of Skinimalism, accumulating over 52 billion TikTok tags. This trend encouraged a minimalistic approach to makeup, proving that less can indeed be more. Whether it was less foundation for a natural look or the use of hybrid formulas, the end result was a maximum impact.
Siren Eyes
Transforming the classic wing eyeliner into a smoky masterpiece, Siren Eyes brought drama to the forefront. Dark and flicked outward at the corners, this cat-eye silhouette trend emerged in the summer of 2022 and continued to flourish throughout 2023.
Barbiecore
2023 was well and truly a Barbie world. It wasn’t just the release of the Greta Gerwig-directed film that hit record-breaking numbers, its cosmetic trend skyrocketed too – hitting over 1 billion hashtags across Instagram and TikTok. The colour pink was everywhere and Barbiecore make up was, well, everywhere too. Think flushed cheeks, rosy lips, blush lid and everything in between.
Top skincare trends:
Korean Skincare
With an astonishing 5.3 billion TikTok hashtags, Korean skincare emerged as the reigning champion of 2023. This trend not only dominated our complexions but also flooded our social media feeds. Fusing traditional ingredients with cutting-edge techniques, the 10-step routine garnered global attention for delivering radiant and enduring results.
Glass Skin
Boasting over 4.1 billion social tags, the Glass Skin trend focused on reducing the appearance of pores and uneven textures while revealing a dew-drenched finish. The impact of this trend is undeniable, as beauty enthusiasts worldwide embraced the quest for flawless, luminous skin.
Dewy Skin
With an average of 1.5 million monthly searches, dewy skin secured its place among the top three skincare trends of the year. Dating back to ancient Egyptian beauty rituals, this trend is all about achieving a fresh-faced, glowing complexion. Modern solutions, including cleansers, exfoliators, and serums, have made it easier than ever to embrace the timeless allure of dewy skin.
Top haircare trends:
Heatless Curls
Despite various hair trends making waves in the latter half of the year, Heatless Curls emerged as the reigning champion, claiming the title of the most popular hair trend of 2023. This viral trend not only offers a show-stopping style but also prioritises hair health. With an effortless and efficient overnight technique, achieving bouncy curls without heat has become a favourite among beauty enthusiasts. Cult Beauty predicts the continued prominence of this trend well into 2024.
Short hair
A lot of us had the urge to get the big chop this year. With an average of 160 thousand monthly searches on Google, short hair styles were all the rave. Tapping into the overarching ‘lazy girl’ aesthetics, these lengths were easy to maintain and could be styled in a plethora of ways… We’re talking everything from the butterfly bob and 90s lob to the pixie cut and more.
Sleek back buns
While some may say sleek back buns are the result of balletcore, others may thank Hailey Bieber, – either way this easy updo allowed us to feel and look put together in one quick swoop. With endless TikTok tutorials revealing tips and tricks on how to make it stick, this slick style managed to gain more hashtags than the snatched and gloss bun put together. Many of us will definitely be sporting it into 2024 and beyond.
