Every January we like to set aside some time to clean out our beauty closets, take a step back from our routines and say adios to last year’s trends — while welcoming a fresh batch of new obsessions. So what’s in store for 2014? You’ll have to read on to find out, but one thing’s for sure: it’s shaping up to be a beautiful year.
While we have no plans to banish the feline flick from our makeup arsenal, we’re diversifying our options this year after 2013’s cat eye overload. For spring, we’re particularly loving what we’ve dubbed “engine grease” liner: thick, black, smudgy and with a slight sheen. It’s a little bit Parisian, a little bit rock and roll, and a whole lot easier than making sure your liquid lines are symmetrical.
Our collective appetite for DIY nail art is waning, according to new data that shows nail polish sales are down for the first time in two years. Meanwhile, "lipstick" now has more Google searches than "nail polish" — which hasn't been the case since 2009. With starlets like Rooney Mara and Lupita Nyong'o embracing out-of-the-box shades, it's no wonder we're newly infatuated with the statement lip.
2013 marked the year of the chop, and the trend isn’t slowing down anytime soon. With the likes of Jennifer Lawrence and Jennifer Hudson both sporting pixie cuts, and fellow famous Jennifer Aniston rocking a chin-length bob (inspired by none other than new BFF/makeup artist Gucci Westman’s own chop), it seems like everyone is cutting their hair. Seeing as spring’s runways were teeming with models in cropped wigs — witness the looks at Marc Jacobs and Chanel, for starters — we predict the scissor-happy mood will stick around through summer, at least.
Everyone from Beyoncé and Miley to Chanel’s Spring 2014 runway models is going lighter these days, and we expect the trend to trickle down to the masses in the months ahead. And while we still love how pastel pinks and purples look in theory, their tendency to last about five seconds before fading into a gray mess makes them not worth the effort anymore.
The days of heading to the salon with a page torn out of Us Weekly are dwindling, thanks to the unlimited inspiration board that now exists online. According to a new study, one third of women in the U.S. are Pinterest users — and all those fishtail braid tutorials aren't pinning themselves.
The FDA's new sunscreen labeling system kicked in this past year, making broad spectrum protection easier to identify while cracking down on misleading claims about water resistance. Now the agency is taking a look at antibacterial triclosan in personal care products ranging from hand soap to toothpaste. And after a 2013 study found lead and other metals in lipsticks from a wide range of brands, we're hoping that healthier color cosmetics are on the horizon, too.
The fragrance world is newly obsessed with oud, a complex smelling resin produced by certain trees when they become infected with a fungus (yes, really). Oud has been used in incense and perfumes for hundreds of years, but a handful of new launches has made it the unofficial scent of right now. See: Valentino Valentina Oud, Dolce & Gabbana Velvet Desert Oud, Versace Pour Femme Oud Oriental and Tom Ford Private Blend Tobacco Oud.
Sorry, Beyoncé and Jay-Z. The diet du jour is paleo, also known as the caveman diet, which is all about embracing animal protein and eating like our ancient ancestors did. Think fish, grassfed beef and veggies — but no dairy or domesticated grains like wheat. Not only was paleo the most googled diet of 2013, celebrities like Jessica Biel and Megan Fox swear by the eating plan. We even saw the Today show do a segment on it last week. Time to stock up on jerky.
We’re shelving our cocktail rings and rhinestone bib necklaces in favor of a hotter accessory: strong, beautiful arches. Our number one muse? Cara Delevingne, who spent 2013 basically taking over the world with her signature feature. And while Pat McGrath’s gilded brows at Dior’s Spring/Summer 2014 runway show might not translate to a Monday morning at the office, the message behind them is clear: bold brows are golden.
