Skinny jeans and jeggings. Uggs and Toms, snoods and the Alexander McQueen skull print scarf: love them or hate them, over the past decade or so these items have revolutionised the fashion industry and become wardrobe staples for many. Along with GHDs, big sunglasses, and even bigger handbags, they will be the starting point of future discussions about the mascots of ‘Noughties’ style, but what about beauty? How will we define the 21st Century look in years to come?
If we look to the women who are currently featuring on the covers of magazines, predominantly actresses and models, it’s virtually impossible to identify a unifying trend in their make-up that could be said to epitomise our era. Instead, their style is largely referential. Emma Stone generally wears a ‘50s style bright lip and a dark eyeliner with a kitten flick; Lana Del Ray is known for her pale lips and heavy lashes, reminiscent of the ‘60s; Elizabeth Olsen channels the ’70s with her natural daytime make-up in the ‘bruised fruit’ colours that hark back to BIBA cosmetics, and her evening make-up is similarly reflective of the time, capturing the essence of the ‘beatnik chic’ Yves Saint Laurent red lip. The bright and clashing colours born in the ‘80s have periodically infiltrated the make-up bags of Ke$ha, Nicky Minaj, Rihanna, Jessie J and, perhaps most commonly, Katy Perry. Finally, although the ‘90s offered up many styles, we can still find advocates of the grunge look in Taylor Momsen and Agyness Deyn. And then we have Kim Kardashian and Adele, who are amongst those who favour make up which emphasises almost all of their features: think heavy contouring, highlighter, lip-liner and false lashes – all key components of the ‘heavy [or fake] natural’ style, pioneered by pretty much the entire cast of Baywatch.
Did I really just indirectly assert that Pamela Anderson is to thank for the beauty style of some of our most polished celebrities? Absolutely. The make up she wore at the peak of her fame was designed to enhance her femininity (as were her clothes, but that’s a different story…), and it is this very idea of ‘enhancement’ that has carried over into the 21st Century. Put simply, we are more savvy these days. Thanks to the internet, we are just a few clicks away from watching someone create the perfect smoky eye on YouTube, or reading consumer reviews of the latest lipstick palette. We can learn to use bronzer to draw out our cheekbones, and green concealer to hide redness. Due to the now-encyclopaedic knowledge that’s readily available, we can choose our own make-up style, rather than simply copying the ‘look’ of the day handed down to us from fashion houses. We are not trying to be mods, hippies, disco divas or new romantics – we are trying to be ourselves, but better.
Don’t get me wrong, we still reference the iconic looks of previous decades, but for the majority of us, make up is now a tool which enables us to make the most of our individual beauty, and we pick and choose our style in line with what we feel suits us best. For example, we may admire and copy Audrey Hepburn’s eyeliner, but never dream of attempting to recreate her eyebrows. Even the products marketed now by the cosmetics industry are geared towards our quest for improvement. Foundation is no longer just a Max Factor ‘Pan-Stik’ – new water, silicone or mineral based formulas are designed to free our skin from oil, create a dewy glow, or minimise our pores. SPF has cemented itself a necessary ingredient in almost everything, not just to protect our health, but to stave off wrinkles. BB creams, a kind of ‘all in one’ product for your face including primer, concealer, foundation and SPF, are becoming more and more popular in the UK and USA, indicating a desire for a type of makeup that is far more akin to a skincare product than a fashion item. Beauty has broken away from being merely trend orientated and become far more personal and practical. Perhaps, then, when we look back on the early 21st
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