The beauty trends that dominated 2023

At the beginning of the year, we lined up the top experts to give us some foresight on what to expect from the 2023 beauty trends. They gave us a heads up on what to watch out for across makeup, hair, nails and skincare for the year, and do you know what? They were pretty much bang on.

These are the 2023 beauty trends that (as our experts predicted) took off over the past 12 months…

HAIR

Side-partings made a remarkable comeback after they were ridiculed for being “cheugy” last year. Everyone (from Kim Kardashian, to Zendaya, Megan Fox and Laura Harrier, to name a few) is firmly back on board with modern spins that feel wearable. Nicole Petty, hair expert at Milk + Blush told us that, as with many other Y2K trends from the early 2000s, “the side-parting's renaissance will be in full swing next year" – and she wasn't wrong. Likewise, top hairstylist and Babyliss ambassador, Syd Hayes told us: “I see a deep side parting as power hair."

From the look's of things the style is staying put heading into 2024. Style it with “sleek straight glass-like hair and super shine,” says Syd, or "big curls and attitude. My key tools for these would have to be the BaByliss 9000 Cordless Straightener for the sleek straight look and a BaByliss Tight Curls Wand for the big curls look.” There's so many ways you can wear it, whether it's tossed, mussy and slightly grungy, or glam and voluminous, or slick and sleek.

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As with the year before, we still wanted the oomph, body and texture that a layered cut can give. “With the popularity of the bouncy blowout in the past year, face framing is set to be bigger still in 2023,” Laura Elliot, Head of Education at haircare professionals Salon Promotions told us at the start of this year. “Feathered looks, curtain bangs and long layering are all face framing cuts that are on the grow. Bounce and texture will be prominent next year, with a desire amongst clients for naturally healthy-looking locks.”

It makes senses then that the Curve Cut was one of GLAMOUR's most-read hair trends this year. The style features some gentle chin, cheek and collarbone-framing action and lots of softer, curved “U” shaped layers.

Likewise, animal-inspired chops continued to leading the way. For 2022 the wolf cut came out on top as the biggest beauty trends of all with almost 2 billion engagements across Google and social media, but for 2023, the butterfly cut took over. “The butterfly haircut, whic h combines long and short layers, has seen a colossal popularity increase,” the experts at Beauty Pie said in their 2023 trend report. And true to their predictions, the cut has gained even more momentum over the course of the year. Plus it was joined by other animal chops like the Fox Cut and the Cub Cut.

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In stark contrast, another Y2K hair reference has been pulling in popularity. Poker straight, strands with liquid shine offer a more glamorous alternative to the heavily layered hair trend. “There will be a real return to more polished styles," hair legend, Sam McKnight told us at the start of the year. "Think less messy and more groomed. It can be either in your blowout or with slicker silhouettes," he added. And he was 100% correct. Slicked-back buns have become the ‘It’ girl uniform this year, with Sofia Richie's wedding bun going viral on TikTok and glossy blow outs remaining popular.

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You know we love a bob haircut in these parts, but 2023 has seen the style explode (just as the experts predicted). And their top pick, the box bob, has been bang on. The style moves away from gentler, soft-blunt shapes, to make more of a statement. It's more of a classic rendition, with clean straight, blunt lines that can look slightly more squared and thick when styled straight, but equally, it offers versatility as it also works beautifully with soft waves, or a loose air-dried texture. “It is an iteration of the classic bob style that works wonderfully for fine hair, as it can add texture and fullness to hair that can otherwise look flat by reducing the weight of the hair,” Nicole told us. "The box bob is a face lift for your hair," agreed Annie Redman at Larry King.

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Another noughties throwback, with the return in popularity of Gossip Girl and the preppy-girl trend taking off on TikTok, hair accessories were pegged to make a major comeback. “I think we will be seeing lots of accessories, think chunky headbands and claw-clip hairstyles,” says celebrity hair stylist, Alicia Dotson. In fact “preppy hair accessories” saw a 4,200% uplift in Google searches heading into the year. “As seen on fashionistas like Gigi Hadid, and Keke Palmer, the secret to the preppy look a la Blair Waldorf is accessories. Hair bows tying up softly curled ponytails, ribbon headbands paired with long, sleek hair hanging down, and pearl-encrusted hair clips placed perfectly yet effortlessly on the side are just a few of the perfect ways to easily prep up a day-to-day look,” says Brenda Lee Intignano, trend expert at Cliphair.

And this year, the hair bow was the undisputed accessory of the red carpet. The appendage ruled at the Met Gala where everyone from Billie Eilish to Sydney Sweeney wore them. Sarah Jessica Parker decorated her hair with a floor length bow at Fashion Week in October and Christian Siriano's show saw model's hair criss-crossed with ribbon to create a corset effect at the back.

Likewise, embellished bobby pins and intricate alice bands have all featured heavily this year. “If your hair is a bit greasy or if you need to switch up a look from day to night, pull it back and add an accessory," says Syd. "It is so easy and looks seriously chic.”

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2022 saw Kendall Jenner, SZA and Zendaya all sport copper, but Google search data indicated the trend would be sticking for 2023. And, current AW hair trends back this up. Top hair colourists all agreed the colour is going strong. This year, we saw Tessa Thompson, Em Rata and Nicola Coughlan flirt with the shade.

“The secret to why the copper hair trend is so popular is due to its versatility, as copper isn’t a ‘one size fits all’ colour. In fact, there are multiple tone options that compliment almost every skin tone, so there’s an option out there for everyone,” Brenda told us.

Laura predicted: "for 2023, we will begin to see bronze and brighter tones weaved into deeper brunette colouring. After a year of '90s nostalgia, I can see some striking 2010 ombre styling on the horizon,” she added. As for finding your perfect match, “there is a huge range of auburn shades to choose from. Consult your colourist for advice on which will work best for your base colour and skin tone for the most natural look,” Laura said.

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MAKEUP

We predicted coquette makeup would take off for 2023. “Coquette Makeup is all about embracing hyperfeminity,” says Beauty Pie, who point to Lana Del Rey eyeliner, soft pink blushed cheeks and delicate pastels. Taking its cue from the 18th and 19th century women, the trend hails from society women who reclaimed the word “coquet” meaning wanton, or promiscuous in French and defied etiquette by engaging in covert or overt flirtation to attract more potential suitors. Think: Daphne Bridgerton eyeing up the Duke from behind her fan.

It's a look that's been referenced throughout the years, blending sultriness with innocence. This means fluttery lashes, elongated liner and fresh, flushed cheeks. Celeb fans include Hailey Bieber and Madison Beer.

Even before Wednesday Addams hit our screens last year and gave us serious goth-glam inspo, the grunge makeup aesthetic was making a return (see: rockstar boyfriend). Over the past year, ‘Avril Lavigne makeup’ searches have increased by 39% and are continuing to grow, according to Beauty Pie. And undeniably, the aesthetic has exploded over the course of the year. We're coveting smudgy, heavy liners, faux freckles and deeper lip colours.

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It's not a new concept, especially given how stratospheric the clean-girl makeup trend went during 2022, but healthy, minimal makeup looks were pegged to continue on into 2023… and we've definitely seen stripped-back beauty continue to trend. “Spanning skin-nourishing glossy formulas and youthful sun-kissed pigments, consumers will strive for complexion products exuding health and vitality," predicted Lisa Payne, head of beauty at forecasting firm, Stylus. "Skincare-forward make-up and natural, low-maintenance aesthetics will drive a wave of new launches, taking inspiration from catwalk looks alongside wellness-first beauty,” she says. It follows that we've seen minimal makeup brands like Merit and skin-prep focused brands like Hailey Bieber's Rhode Beauty launch into the UK this year.

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NAILS

“We've seen chrome accents take hold in 2022 and we've been eased in with glazed donut nails, but 2023 will see us going a step further, with full chrome manicures, in a rainbow of colours,” Tinu Bello, senior brand ambassador for Mylee, told us. “I predict strong, single colours such as green, pink, black and blues,” she adds. And, she was spot on.

“Nail art will be all about texture and dimension for 2023. Think diamond-encrusted accents, patterns that replicate your favourite clothes, stickers, nail jewels and gemstones. Anything goes, just have fun with it,” Tinu told us. And we don't know about you, but 3D nails have been steadily infiltrating our Insta feed and FYP.

"Previously we have seen longer nail shapes adopt this style, but for 2023, the trend will skew towards a shorter nail length, with a square and oval finish. This trend will work with any single nail shade, but try a strong contrast such as black against silver and gold embellishments for the wow factor. Mylee have an incredible range of nail art, foils and stickers that I love experimenting with," Tinu told us.

“Airbrush nails will still trend in 2023, thanks to celebs like Megan Thee Stallion championing the look. It’s a super versatile take on nail art and allows you to get creative with colours and patterns that appeal to your own aesthetic. Airbrush nails can be muted or full of rainbow colour, and the hazy finish gives an airy, dreamy feel to the manicure," Tinu told us. Now, #airbrushnails has over 211 million views on TikTok.

"The good news is you don't need to go to a salon with an airbrush machine to re-create the look. The key is to swirl the colours into each other to create a blended finish. To do this you can use a dotting tool to place blobs of colour and swirl them together,” Tinu said.

SKINCARE

We're still very much in our gentle era when it comes to our skin barrier after (potentially) overdoing it with actives (like retinol and exfoliating acids) in recent years. The focus for 2023 will be on “barrier repair and hydration, Dr Ifeoma Ejikeme, founder of the Adonia Medical Clinic, told us. So, it's no surprise that hyaluronic acid was the most-searched for ingredient this year on Google. "In a post-pandemic world, the interest in health is driving skincare choices from an inside-out perspective. The skin barrier and ingredients like ceramides and probiotics are centre stage," Lisa agreed.

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Peptide-powered lip treatments have seen popularity increase by over 400%, according to Beauty Pie's report, and that number has grown even bigger with the launch of Rhode – and it's viral Peptide Lip Treatment – into the UK in May.

“Peptide lip treatments are a restorative method to create naturally plump and soft lips, whilst also minimising the appearance of fine lines,” says Beauty Pie. Meanwhile, Black Swan Data also determined that collagen and peptides would be big in 2023.

For more from GLAMOUR's Beauty Editor, Elle Turner, follow her on Instagram @elleturneruk