It’s official: striking, statement make-up has penetrated the zeitgeist, encouraging boundless creativity with mood-boosting benefits. It’s not only for the TikTok generation, either; the trend feels ageless and genderless, unbound by conventional beauty standards.
The make-up movement is in part escapist, thanks to celebratory post-lockdown freedom and pop culture influences like Euphoria, but it’s not all in line with our collective thirst for ‘dopamine dressing’ – that of styling yourself happy with colour. Take Julia Fox’s unapologetically bold graphic black eyes: maximalist make-up is about personal beauty discovery and embracing the power of cosmetics in whatever way you feel.
If there’s one word to describe our approach to cosmetics this year, it would be ‘freedom’
“If there’s one word to describe our approach to cosmetics this year, it would be ‘freedom’,” says Hannah Stern, Boots beauty trainer. “Make-up is back in a big way, and I’ve noticed a huge shift in how we apply cosmetics in the past few months. Gone are the days of set rules and routines, we’re treating our faces like a blank canvas and choosing make-up that best suits our style and mood for that day.” And it’s not only make-up in its traditional sense enabling us, but easy-to-use embellishments like stencils, stickers, and gems.
Even considering how this make-up mood has been slowly brewing over the last couple of years, it’s merely a reinvention of what we associate with bold beauty. “This iteration of flamboyance is not necessarily ‘new’,” global celebrity make-up artist Michael Anthony tells Bazaar. “Ask any showgirl or look back at Kevyn Aucoin’s prolific work on Cher and the supermodels [in the Nineties]. However, the creativity and precision that artists are bringing forward these days is like nothing I’ve ever seen.” Indeed – Anthony’s contributions included – you only need to look at social media platforms, music videos, films and TV shows to access rich inspiration for creative modern make-up looks. If this is the norm now, “can you imagine what beauty trends will be like in 30 years?” he ponders.