The last year of beauty has been a Wild West of self-expression through makeup, nails, and hair. New micro trends surfaced every other week through social media juggernaut TikTok, often started by celebrities like Hailey Bieber and trickling down through influencers in video how-tos and remixed interpretations. So many of these micro trends were named after foods that they could’ve been confused with seasonal bake shop menus: light blue became “blueberry milk,” and warm-toned brown hair dye was dubbed “cinnamon cookie butter.”
But whatever you think about the endless cycle of beauty trends, they pushed prominently onto our cultural landscape in 2023. Let’s look back at some of last year’s most viral beauty moments.
Spring and Summer
Yellow Lemonade Nails
Yellow was so 2022. Last spring’s big moment in nails shunned the yellows of the past in favor of a tropical, fresh shade reminiscent—and named—after an ice-cold glass of lemonade.
Blueberry Milk Nails
A trend that even some influencers bemoaned took the cutesy names too far, light blueberry milk nails were the creamy, powdered look that took
over summer.
Tomato Girl Aesthetic
Featuring linen dresses and styles borrowed from the Mediterranean, the “tomato girl” aesthetic swept through last summer and was embodied by a lack of makeup and a love of all things vintage and gold.
Fall and Winter
Pumpkin Spice Makeup
Pumpkin spice is already everywhere, so it’s only natural it ended up inspiring our facial trends, too. Think dark, fall-friendly monochromatic looks that use bronze highlights as a spicy pumpkin homage.
The Latte Look
You’d be forgiven for thinking the latte look and pumpkin spice makeup are . . . similar. And they are! Monochromatic looks were all the rage this fall and were often inspired by the favorite coffee drinks of whomever wore them.
Cinnamon Cookie Butter Hair
Deep brown with a ginger glow, this look was actually inspired by its namesake. First seen on Hailey Bieber, this dark-brown gingery hue dominated dye jobs as the weather turned.