Skin minimalism marries eye maximalism, this year. We're still fond of wearing a natural base in 2024, though no one is quite ready to let go of editorial eyes. American drama series Euphoria-inspired glam ruled for years, which normalised elaborate line art and face jewels, but this time around, it's evolved into a careless smudge of colour across the eyelids and haphazard liner drawn with a blunt pencil. If you've always wanted to play with glitter, this is also the year to let your inner child experiment.
A Dubai-based professional make-up artist walks us through seven beauty trends of 2024, meaning you'll be privy to where the industry is headed in the next 12 months. Our exclusive cheat sheet is supplemented with products experts love, so you can shop as you read up on current looks.
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1. Sheer, skin-like foundation for a natural base
Aiming for a natural, non-cakey base isn't something new to beauty enthusiasts. It's a trend we'll be carrying over from 2023 into the new year, says Gaelle Hanna (@gaellemua), a Dubai-based Lebanese makeup artist. "Foundations are becoming more serum-like, since people are trying to look natural and sunkissed now," she said, adding that these serum foundations are usually infused with moisturising agents and vitamins. "It's like wearing a moisturiser as make-up, so you're not ruining your skin but helping it," explained Hanna. Our expert picks Mac and Dior's sheer foundations as solid options for the vanity. Mac Studio Radiance has been long popular for delivering a skin-but-better finish that lasts for eight hours. The ultra-lightweight formula contains vitamin E, and sandalwood and orange peel oils for instant hydration. Meanwhile, Dior's Super Potent serum foundation combines plant extracts, glycerin, hyaluronic acid and soy protein for an anti-ageing coverage with SPF 25. For more shade variety, we've also added Ilia's famous True Skin product.
2. Coloured lashes to become the norm
According to Hanna, a new trend is upon us in 2024, and it's where we'll fearlessly coat our eyelashes in blues, greens and purples. "We're going to start seeing coloured mascara in shades blue, turquoise, burgundy and brown, and choosing the right colour all depends on the colour of your eyes. Go for the complementary shade on the colour wheel to create contrast, so if you have brown eyes, turquoise or blue mascara will bring out the orange there. Green eyes will suit reddish, burgundy tones," explained Hanna. Our expert highlights By Mina Al Sheikhly, a homegrown UAE-based mascara brand, as a good place to look. You'll find excellent options in Benefit, which has a bright cobalt blue in its range that's promised to last for 36 hours on the lashes. 3INA's vegan colour mascara line is great for nourishing the lashes with vegetal keratin. Those who want to start with a subtle brown will love this viral J-beauty volumising mascara by E Make.
3. Shimmer on the eyes
Right before 2023 came to an end, a sea of beauty content creators posted their Christmas and New Year's make-up looks. All featured one common denominator: stardust eyelids. Coming on strong from the frosty, pale blue eyeshadow trend, this sub-trend focuses on chrome, glittery lids, so don't hesitate to add a pop of metallic layer. "It's not heavy glitter but soft shimmer with smaller glitter particles," said Hanna. These finer eyeshadow shimmers can be found in Urban Decay's Moondust palette, of which the shade Space Cowboy is the most flattering, adds Hanna. In the same vein, look for space-themed palettes from well-known brands, such as ColourPop's The Mandalorian eyeshadow pans and Chinese beauty brand Flower Knows' Moonlight Mermaid palette.
4. Frosted lips revival from the '90s
Metallic eyes are not alone - they're bringing along iridescent, frosty lips for the ride. These didn't quite take off last year as many of us were hoping, but the '90s look just might in 2024, as our make-up expert predicts. You can always pick up a shimmery lipstick or DIY the lip combo yourself with a highlighter. "The Fenty Beauty Diamond Bomb All Over Diamond Veil highlighter can be used on any lip colour, and you can only see the shimmer in the light, otherwise, it's almost not there," said Hanna. We can dab on glittery eyeshadows for the same effect. The more straightforward option is to invest in a shimmer lip gloss, like the Anastasia Beverly Hills product in Amber Sparkle, or a lipstick in your favourite shade that has a pearl finish, like Revlon's Lustrous line.
5. Emphasis on blush and faux freckles
Blush has quickly risen to a staple status in make-up routines. A pinch of colour on the cheeks instantly reverses a dull complexion, and we can't get enough of trying out different blush placements and shades, either. Hanna says our looks this year will continue to emphasise blush, especially in conjunction with the viral strawberry make-up trend. She explained: "There's going to be a lot of blush on the cheeks and the bridge of the nose with fake freckles for that sunkissed look." On a foundation base, you'll want to use a cream blush instead of a powder formula to get a longer payoff. You can always pick Charlotte Tilbury's popular Pillow Talk cream blush or Dior's iconic pink pan. As for faux freckles, "use any brown brow pencil that's neutral to draw them". Hanna recommends Benefit's brow pencil, while Lime Crime has a dedicated freckle pen you can opt for.
6. Setting the face with pink powder
More people are realising the importance of colour correcting. If you often end up with ashy areas on the skin after concealing and using foundation, then you might want to leave translucent setting powders behind. Hanna tells us that Huda Beauty's viral pink-tinged Cherry Blossom powder is being widely used to brighten the eyes. White powders 'bake' our make-up and blot oily areas, but they do take away dimension from the face. Pink is an excellent multitasking colour - it neutralises dark circles and adds a rosy finish that creates a seamless gradient with your blush. There are currently few pink powders on the market - you have a close alternative to the Huda Beauty product in Ben Nye's Pretty Pink translucent powder and Givenchy's famous four-shade loose powder in Voile Rose.
7. Dreamy half lashes to get cat eyes
Full falsies are quickly becoming obsolete, as wispy half lashes continue to dominate into 2024. "My clients always ask for half lashes - the full set isn't that trendy anymore," said Hanna. It's about adding volume to the outer corners of your lash line, giving you an understated, lifted appearance. These lashes are so subtle that they can be worn every day. Beauty enthusiasts will usually clip a regular set of falsies into two to glue on the ends, but you can also find faux half lashes readily available or build your own custom extensions with individual lashes.
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