From celebrity malepolish to facial bling, scalpcare and the ‘Mixie’, Louise McSharry on the beauty trends coming in 2022

Peri nice colour

In other words, a blueish purple that I’ve just realised I am wearing on my nails this very moment. Me, a slave to trends? Never. This is especially good news for people with brown eyes, as purple really makes them pop, but it’s really a colour that works on everyone. If a full purple shadow look feels like too much for you, give a nod to this trend via a flick of colourful eyeliner like Glisten Cosmetics’ Wet Liner in Grape (€8 via beautybay.com) or if your skin is dark, a purple blush.

Wellness fragrances

Fragrance has taken a back seat over the last couple of years as we spent more time at home, and in some cases (mine) took the foot off the pedal a bit when it came to personal hygiene (look it’s been a tough time, forgive me). Now, fragrance is back, and one area growing in spades are those which attempt to blend beauty and health. ‘Wellness fragrances’ make many claims, from alerting the brain to calming it down and providing mental clarity. Do I sound sceptical? Do I think this is just a new way to sell us stuff? Well, yes on both counts. If you want to make your own mind up however, and I recommend that you do, try The Nue Co Functional Fragrance (€22.60 via cultbeauty.com) which is designed to “help you reset in times of stress”.

Facial bling

I can’t think of many television programmes that have had the influence on beauty trends that Euphoria has had since it first aired in 2019. Makeup designer Doniella Davy is responsible for the looks worn by the cast of beautiful teens, which often include teeny tiny diamantes stuck artfully around the eye. This year, expect to see what’s been all over the faces of Gen Z hit the mainstream. Some people are taking facial sparkle to the extreme, via innovative piercings and tooth gems, but I prefer to simply stick them on my face using lash glue. A nail art kit (€7.98 via amazon.co.uk) is a great purchase if you plan to get involved in this trend, as they generally come with gems of varying sizes and a picker tool which massively helps in applying them. The main thing to remember with this is that it’s meant to be fun, so don’t get stressed about perfect placement.

Shaggy haircuts

As we step out of our pandemic chrysalis (that’s happening, right? Has to be!) many of us are looking to change things up. Where better to do it than a hair salon? We’ve already seen an influx of layered haircuts, from shags to mullets and even ‘the wolf cut’ which is basically just a shag with a 21-century name. Expect to see more of these this year, and even more dramatic cuts like the ‘mixie’, a mullet crossed with a pixie (truly, the people naming these styles must have a lot in common with the crew naming new dog breeds).

The beauty of these cuts is that they’re very much intended to work with the hair’s natural texture, so little effort is needed. A texture spray is a layered person’s best friend though. I recommend Morroccanoil Dry Texture Spray (€21.45 via beautyfeatures.ie), which will add volume and hold while maintaining the undone look.

Skincare

It feels strange to call skincare a trend, but there is no doubt that people are investing in their skin like never before. Whether it’s hours spent looking at yourself on Zoom or skincare simply allowing you to maintain some semblance of routine in a world gone mad, we’re spending like crazy. While the ‘skinimalism’ trend focuses on reducing the number of products in a regime, it doesn’t say anything about how much you’re spending on your products, so multi-purpose products which combine active ingredients are super-hot right now. At-home treatments are also on the rise, from products that mimic a chemical peel, to LED masks and micro-needling kits like Spotlight Oral Care’s Smile Rejuvenation system (€150 via spotlightoralcare.com). That said, professional treatments will continue to boom as there’s no let-up when it comes to Botox and the like.

Skincare for your scalp

We’ve bought into skincare for the body, and as you’ve just read, skincare for the face is booming, but have you considered skincare for the scalp? Well, that’s just what beauty brands want you to do this year. Apparently niacinamide, hyaluronic acid, salicylic acid and the gang can be employed to great effectiveness on the scalp, increasing the skin’s health and preventing build-up via typical hair products. What difference does this make if you can’t see it? Well, you can expect fewer flakes and itchy patches, if that’s something you struggle with. Also, according to hair experts like Kevin Murphy, a healthy scalp will result in healthier and more beautiful hair. Personally, I’m not sure everyone needs to be taking care of their scalp as they do their faces, but the growth in this area must be a great relief to people who have scalp issues. If you want to dip your toe in, why not try Ameliorate Transforming Scalp Serum (€22.60 via cultbeauty.com) which promises to smooth and soothe the scalp.

Malepolish

Men have been increasingly dipping their toes into the world of makeup and grooming over the last number of decades, and this year will see further increases in that. Celebs are in on the action too, Backstreet Boy AJ McLean has his own nail polish range, as does Machine Gun Kelly. Irish men are getting onboard too, Tropical Popical owner Andrea Horan says she’s loving the number of them popping into the salon. Why shouldn’t they get involved in the joy of beautiful nails? Lots of men are sticking to black, but others are enjoying bright colours and nail art.

Personally, I think there are few greater statements of confident masculinity than a beautifully painted manicure on a man. Of course, it doesn’t have to stop at nails, as evidenced by Harry Styles’ unisex beauty range Pleasing which includes products from nail polish to an illuminating serum (€32 via pleasing.com).

NFTs

Look, I’ve spent a lot of time trying to understand NFTs, and at this point I get them, but I still don’t get them. NFTs, or Non-Fungible Tokens, are essentially unique digital assets which can be purchased and owned, but exist only in digital form. These guys are impacting every industry right now, and beauty is no exception. Brands like NARS, Givenchy and Clinique have gotten involved by releasing pieces of digital art or one-off tokens as NFTs. Givenchy’s release was linked to Pride, and the money raised went to a French charity which supports the LGBTQI+ community. The brand released 1,952 editions of the digital art piece priced at £100, which sold out in two seconds. This, I can understand, it totally makes sense as a vehicle to raise money for charity, but I clearly don’t have the technological insight to completely understand the value of NFTs in the beauty industry beyond that. The people who do have the insight say these are going to be huge.

Growing your own

More and more, fans of long nails are stepping away from false nails, and instead working on growing their own thanks to products like Gel X and Orly’s Builder in a Bottle. These products essentially provide a gel overlay which acts as a strengthening barrier for the natural nail. These products are applied like a thick layer of polish and cured with a lamp, just like a gel manicure, and are removed via a soak-off, just like a gel manicure. The result is a strengthened nail which is unlikely to break (I’ve had zero issues and I am appallingly tough on my nails) but much softer and gentler on the nail. I have never been able to grow my nails thanks to their weak, paper like qualities, but Builder in a Bottle has changed them entirely. This year expect to see more and more nail fans swapping over. While the only way to access Builder in a Bottle is in a professional salon, I highly recommend you get involved.

Blush as contour

I’ve spent years of my life grinning maniacally into the mirror as I apply blusher to the apples of my cheeks, but apparently that’s now all wrong. The new trend involves using blusher as a contouring tool, in addition to giving your face a healthy flush. The main factor in getting involved with this trend is height — blush should be applied to the top of the cheekbones and temples, where you might previously have applied highlighter. This creates a lifted effect, and let me tell you, the TikTok huns can’t get enough of it. Of course, nothing is ever new, and this technique was first made popular by Cher’s makeup artist in the 70s. Way Bandy called it ‘Colour Glow’, which I prefer to ‘draping’ or ‘blush contouring’ as we now know it. Whatever term you prefer, the look is fresh and pretty, especially when a blusher with a bit of glow is employed. I like Sculpted By Aimee’s Liquid Lights in Pink Lite Blush (€14 via sculptedbyaimee.com).