Now that we’re well into a new decade, we thought we’d take a little trip down memory lane and revisit the makeup trends that took over dressing tables across the nation from 2010 to 2019.
Interestingly, these are all trends that haven’t yet paled into insignificance, but have just adapted slightly to become part of everyday makeup. Watch this space to see if they’re still relevant come 2030…!
BROW DOWN
Brows were everything in the last decade. They went from being a take it or leave it feature, to a focal point for makeup, thanks in part to Miss Cara Delevigne and her peers. The return of brows to the agenda, required an update to make up kits and wow, did the beauty industry step up?
From new products to create, carve and set power brows and an influx or treatments including threading, waxing, lamination and microblading becoming commonplace – this was the decade of ‘brows on fleek’.
INSTAGLAM
A huge explosion in the popularity of Instagram meant that the dawn of online make up artists was upon us. The ‘glow up’ was real and online tutorials from bedroom bloggers made celebrities out of social media users.
Favouring heavier looks, ‘Instagram’ makeup became a style of its own. Less wearable for the everyday and not for the faint-hearted, Instagram makeup borrowed age old tips from theatre and drag to bring contouring, strobing and baking to the mainstream. 
CONTOURED FOR THE GODS
Contouring deserves its own special mention in this round up. Whilst it’s been around for decades, contouring in the 2010s became a staple part of the everyday makeup routine – sometimes with mixed results! Once again the industry capitalised on the boom, creating cream and powder palettes specifically for the chiselled look – and making a mint – at the same time.
POUT OF THIS WORLD
Big lips were big business over the past decade. What started with a classic makeup trick of overlining the lips in a slightly darker shade before filling them in, became the norm and bigger most certainly became viewed as better.
From the controversial Kylie Jenner lip challenge to the introduction of lip fillers to high streets nationwide, this trend was unmissable, despite being slightly more extreme than many other trends of the day.
I WOKE UP LIKE THIS
The ‘no makeup makeup’ look became a staple. Dewy, fresh faced skin and clever highlighting kickstarted a look designed to encourage beauty fanatics to embrace the ‘natural’ look, with a little help from the makeup brush.
The trend for ‘barely there’ cosmetics even introduced a penchant for creating freckles. Whilst drawing on a beauty spot is a trick that goes way back, in the 2010s, artificial freckles were heralded as a mark of beauty, with brown liner sales going up significantly to help create a sun-kissed youthful look.
