6 beauty and skincare trends for 2021: Covid-19 gave us face masks, ‘maskne’ and WFH – now we need LED devices, at-home treatments and striking eye make-up to rock on Zoom

Jan 22 , 2021

What beauty trends will define the coming year? Photo: Net-a-Porter

Like everything else in our lives, 2020 was a defining year when it came to beauty, with Covid-19 being the deciding – and, well, only – factor driving most of our beauty routines. Naturally, the art of self-care spiked in popularity as many turned to creative ways to indulge themselves (and stay sane) indoors instead of heading to spas. Full face make-up took a back seat as everyone sought to combat the dreaded maskne.

In some countries, lockdowns meant no trips to hair salons either, so quarantine haircuts also made headlines in 2020, with searches for “how to cut your hair” at an all-time high, with perhaps the most polarising throwback hairdo, mullets, getting searched the same amount as buzz cuts.

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There has never been a time when the practice of mindful breathing was taken so seriously, too – according to Google Trends, meditation was one of the most popular search terms worldwide for 2020.

As many of us enter 2021 with bated breath with the arrival of Covid-19 vaccines, beauty trends that may prevail this year comprise a fascinating medley of skin-focused initiatives and do-it-yourself endeavours.

Skin is in

When was it not, anyway? If 2020 was the year of DIY beauty, 2021 will be the year of slow beauty. The “skinimalism” trend has burgeoned in the midst of the pandemic – Pinterest reported its steady rise mid-last year as many eschewed thickly made-up, foundation-laden skin for minimal to zero make-up, glow-getting skincare essentials and savvy ways to let the skin shine (read: dewy, not sebum-induced) over video calls.

Let’s face it: we’re not exactly in the doldrums over the declining popularity of make-up. Do we really need matt foundation and liquid lipsticks when most, if not all, of it will be hidden by a face mask? Natural skin texture is reigning supreme, and will continue to do so in 2021, and we’re liking the results. Got acne? NBD, let your skin do its thing instead of caking it in concealer and foundation. A new set of freckles scattered across your nose bridge? Flaunt it – but don’t forget to layer on your SPF.

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Age-defying remedie s

On that note, expect a slew of skincare launches that could very well be real-life fountains of youth. Up-and-coming ingredients that brands are spotlighting boast multifunctional benefits that are potent for your skin – and some are even more sustainable for the planet.

A few that we already spotted late last year include retinol alternative bakuchiol, phytoestrogens (a go-to for those with naturally low levels of oestrogen), copper peptides (proven to be effective in wound healing), glycyrrhiza glabra root extract (better known as licorice) and more.

The underlying theme is that prevention is better than cure, and with health being of utmost priority now more than ever, achieving optimum skin health goes beyond multi-masking and catching enough beauty zzzs. As far as wellness trends go, that topic of conversation is well worth a deep dive for another day. But if we’re skimming the surface of skin health, the skin’s microbiome is worth zeroing in on.

Keep the good bacteria coming

Prebiotic and probiotic-based skincare secured a major chunk of the skin health pie in 2020, and it isn’t slowing down. Fermented actives have made an appearance in the ingredient list of Jennifer Lopez’s all-new beauty brand, Drunk Elephant’s latest fermented sake facial mist, Fresh’s three-in-one no-rinse cleanser and treatment, and Melvita’s Intensive Contouring Serum (that’s packed with raspberry postbiotics and microbiotic argan oil).

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Stay home, stay safe

A healthy skin microbiome also means happy skin – something we could all use in these maskne-ridden, stress-inducing times. But what can you possibly do to help your skin condition if it really could use a facial, and the worrying spike in Covid-19 cases in your community isn’t allowing your go-to spa to stay open?

CellReturn Hair Alpha Ray Premium uses red LED wavelength and near-infrared rays to combat hair loss. Photo: Buro MY

… Start investing in at-home beauty tools, of course. Beauty gadgets have mushroomed this past year, seeing a demand akin to that of UV protectors during the summer months. Accessibility is key here; you can now indulge in a complete LED facial while lazing on your couch, tone your facial contours on the daily, and even try out hair loss and scalp care treatments with the help of fancy devices.

As much as we might crave pampering body massages and spa retreats, our beauty needs might truly be met from the comfort of our homes. On that note, DIY beauty has flourished tremendously as we have all attempted to be masters of grooming our own hair, nails, brows and the like. The result? We’re all far more educated and well-informed than we were a few years ago.

Scalp care is the new skincare

Speaking of self-care and skincare, they may very well go hand in hand with scalp care. Your hair is more than just your ends, and brands are hopping on the bandwagon with a plethora of products that can take care of combination hair (yes, that’s a thing: an oily scalp and dry ends). From exfoliating shampoos and serums to toners and treatments, your scalp health is as assured as your skin health.

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On the make-up front, our peepers will naturally be the pièce de résistance of all our looks. Eye make-up could easily outpace foundations and lipsticks in our make-up kits as consumers find a myriad of ways to dress their eyes up to let them stand out while wearing face masks. We hope coloured mascara continues its run and humidity-proof eyeliners come in more than a handful of boring shades. Lash serums have also been a favoured go-to now that many people are taking a hiatus from lash extensions and lifts.

With everyone donning face masks, we’re ditching lipsticks and focusing on striking eye make-up. Photo: Buro MY

Fun fact: Pinterest Trends reported that “defiant brows” are the hottest brow trend since the pencil-thin ones of the noughties, and we aren’t surprised. What could better accompany your smouldering eyes than a set of bangin’ brows? Popular looks include ombré powder brows, goth brows and even bleached brows.

Make it permanent

On the opposite extreme to minimal to zero make-up lies permanent make-up: brow embroidery (from microfilling to “ombre misting”), lip blush and semi-permanent eyeliner are a few that have caught on. Not unlike the 90s eyeliner and eyebrow tattoos (but sans the ghastly green tinge that they eventually faded out to), permanent make-up techniques have been refined for more au naturel results. Waterline tattoos are even a thing right now, although we’re not sure how we feel about them. Is it the perfect time-saving alternative for the lazy among us, or is it too close to our eyeballs for comfort?

This article originally appeared on Buro Malaysia.

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Beauty

Expect more anti-ageing ingredients such as retinol alternative bakuchiol, prebiotic and probiotic-based skincare like the fermented sake face mist by J Lo’s Drunk Elephant, plus ‘skinimalism’ and permanent make-up