Maximalist beauty is the latest big thing
Beauty is pushing back against years of restrained ‘clean girl’ aesthetic, and instead celebrating bold colours and self-expression
It’s October, the Big Four global fashion weeks are done and dusted, and one thing is clear: maximalism is well and truly back.
From Milan to London to Paris, the runways were full of bold colours, embellished details, and jewel tones — and not just in terms of the clothing. Beauty, too, is pushing back against years of restrained “clean girl” (the look where you appear to not wear makeup) and “quiet luxury” trends that emphasised neutral, pared-down looks.
In contrast to the “no makeup makeup” looks that have dominated beauty trends for much of the decade, maximalist beauty is defined by bright, high-pigment colour and high-impact elements, and is rooted in the idea of beauty as self-expression.
With its emphasis on bold colours flattering to darker skin tones and its rejection of the overwhelming whiteness of the “clean girl” aesthetic, it’s also something of a reclamation. The “no makeup” look faced criticism for its inaccessibility to those whose skin needs more coverage owing to issues such as acne scarring or hyperpigmentation, which are more likely to affect people with darker skin tones.
“It feels like makeup is entering a new, more playful era, which I’m really down for. It’s fun to see people feeling a bit braver with their makeup again,” says Lauren Reynolds, the makeup artist behind Chopova Lowena’s otherworldly London Fashion Week (LFW) show. Models were sent down the runway with full, fluttering oversized feather eyelashes, swampy green lips, and faces covered entirely in shimmering silver glitter. “I think makeup should always be something that’s fun and part of your identity,” Reynolds says.
Also at LFW, Mugler’s models sported made-to-measure feather eyelashes that extended out like dramatic winged eyeliner. Simone Rocha capped off her trademark romantic and feminine looks with intricate beaded flowers as eyebrows, and the fresh faces at Elie Saab were toughened up with tiny, lilac-pink buds designed to look like piercings.
Bright red lips made a powerful comeback in a range of styles: vibrant and matte at Lanvin, dual-toned and berry-hued at Dries Van Noten, classic and polished at Dolce & Gabbana, and glittery at Elisabetta Franchi. Victoria Beckham used her runway show to launch her beauty brand’s new red lipstick. Meanwhile, lips were left bare in favour of bold splashes of cobalt blue, jade green, and violet across the eyes at Givenchy.
In another blow for beige, lilac is emerging as beauty’s new nude, and is a great jump-off point for anyone looking to switch up their neutral makeup. Prada’s new cream-to-powder blush is available in “Wisteria” and “Violet”, can be swiped across cheeks or eyes, and comes in an on-trend pale purple case. This summer I switched out my usual black and brown liner for Kosas’s gel eyeliner in ‘Mesmerize’, a soft matte lilac shade that is blendable and particularly flattering on brown eyes.
Salma Rahwan, a London-based creative and presenter, is a long-time champion of beauty maximalism, regularly sharing her bold and playful looks on Instagram. “I love it because I think beauty is one of the more intimate forms of creativity, being inspired by so many things and alchemising that inspiration on to a canvas as close to you as your face,” she says.
She credits the trend’s comeback partly to a rejection of the harmful perfectionist climate created by beauty filters and AI, as well as a desire to have fun in an increasingly bleak world. “These types of looks — glitter, gems, even henna — used to be related to very specific events, but now they’re becoming increasingly commonplace for day-to-day wear as part of people’s aesthetic or outfits as an extension of their creativity.”
Rahwan and Reynolds both recommend Glisten Cosmetics for its wide range of mascaras, eyeliners and lipliners in every colour from bright lime green to pastel pink at an affordable price, while I have been experimenting with Revolution Beauty’s equally budget-friendly Forever Flawless Cherry Rebel Red Eyeshadow Palette for the winter months. I might even kick it up a gear with About Face’s ultra-pigmented Holographic Eye Paints.
Both women also stress the importance of having fun and not letting the perfectly-done faces you see on social media deter you from experimenting. “A lot of looks that I’ve created have been a result of me playing around before I took my makeup off at night and discovering something that looks cool,” says Rahwan. Lastly, invest in a good cleanser, because, as Rahwan puts it, “the maximalist beauty needs to come off at some point.”
