From latte makeup to strawberry makeup to blueberry milk nails — in 2023, grocery aisle mainstays became intrinsic to the naming of beauty trends, which are now arising almost entirely on TikTok.
Latte makeup — the most prominent in its category and also the most-searched makeup trend on Google this year — was coined in June by TikTok creator @rachelrigler to describe her all-over warm-brown application. Bronzed cheeks, eyelids and lips comprised the look’s core components, and by the time fall rolled around in September, latte makeup’s dark-brown counterpart, mocha makeup, emerged accordingly.
“Strawberry makeup,” propelled largely by an August TikTok tutorial by Hailey Bieber, brought the blush craze to new heights by making the case for each facial feature deserving its own rosy tint, while “cold girl makeup” similarly leaned into heavily blushed cheeks, but alongside a matte base and frosty highlight pairing.
To the initial dismay of some Millennials, “concealer lips” once again went mainstream — but with a slight rebrand. Rather than referring to the 2000s-era phenomenon of swiping a concealer applicator across one’s lips as an alternative to nude lipstick or gloss (yes, this was a thing) the 2023 version entails lightly blotting concealer onto the center of the lips after color application to soften the look, creating an ombre-like effect.
November took an eerier turn, surfacing an “uncanny valley makeup” trend wherein TikTok users took to the platform to attempt unsettling makeup transformations that would make them look human-like, but not quite human. Some techniques featured drawn-on smiles, gaping mouths, and robot-like, plastic-looking skin.
Minimalist Chinese makeup style, “Douyin makeup,” also had a moment, emphasizing a glowing complexion and rose lips and cheeks, while interest in pink concealer climbed thanks to its believed ability to better neutralize dark under-eyes.
The top makeup trends by Google search volume in 2023.
2. Strawberry makeup
3. Uncanny valley makeup
4. Concealer lips
5. Mocha makeup
6. Lip gloss nails
7. Douyin makeup
8. Dark lip liner
9. Pink concealer
10. Cold girl makeup
Source: WWD