Modern Makeup Tips How To Update Your Look And Avoid 2016 Trends
Are you worried that your makeup routine might be stuck in the past? Do you find yourself wondering, "How do I stop my makeup from looking 2016-ish?" You're not alone! Makeup trends evolve rapidly, and what was once considered cutting-edge can quickly become dated. The beauty landscape is ever-changing, with new techniques, products, and styles emerging constantly. It's easy to fall into a comfortable routine, but if you want to keep your look fresh and modern, it's essential to adapt and update your techniques.
This comprehensive guide will walk you through the key areas where makeup trends have shifted since 2016, providing practical tips and advice to help you achieve a contemporary look. We'll explore everything from foundation and contouring to eyeshadow and lip color, ensuring you have the knowledge and tools to create a makeup style that's current and flattering.
Understanding the Makeup Evolution
To truly understand how to modernize your makeup, it's crucial to first recognize the significant shifts in beauty trends that have occurred since 2016. The makeup styles of the mid-2010s were characterized by a few distinct features:
- Heavy Foundation and Contouring: The "Instagram makeup" look was in full swing, emphasizing full-coverage foundation, sharply sculpted cheekbones, and heavily highlighted features. This often resulted in a very structured and sometimes artificial appearance.
- Bold Brows: Overly defined and meticulously filled-in eyebrows were a hallmark of the era. The "Instagram brow," with its sharp angles and gradient effect, was a dominant trend.
- Matte Everything: Matte finishes were favored for foundation, eyeshadow, and lipstick. A completely matte face was seen as the epitome of polished makeup.
- Dramatic Eyeshadow: Bold eyeshadow looks, often featuring smoky eyes with dark, intense colors and precise cut creases, were popular choices for both everyday and special occasions.
- Nude Lips: Nude lipsticks, often paired with dark lip liner, completed the look. The emphasis was on creating a contrast between the bold eye makeup and the understated lips.
While these techniques were undoubtedly popular and created some stunning looks, makeup trends have since moved towards a more natural, effortless aesthetic. Today, the focus is on enhancing natural beauty rather than completely transforming it.
Key Areas to Update Your Makeup Routine
Now that we've identified the makeup trends of the past, let's dive into the specific areas where you can make changes to achieve a more modern look. We'll break down each aspect of your makeup routine, providing detailed tips and techniques.
1. Foundation: Embrace a Lighter Touch
The shift in foundation trends is one of the most significant changes in the makeup world. In 2016, full-coverage foundations were the go-to for achieving a flawless, airbrushed complexion. However, the modern approach favors a more natural finish. Instead of masking your skin, the goal is to enhance its natural radiance and texture.
- Switch to Lighter Formulas: Opt for tinted moisturizers, BB creams, or lightweight foundations. These formulas provide sheer to medium coverage, allowing your skin to breathe and look more like skin.
- Spot Concealing: Instead of applying foundation all over your face, use concealer only where needed to cover blemishes, dark spots, or redness. This technique keeps your complexion looking fresh and natural.
- Embrace Dewy Finishes: Matte foundations can look flat and one-dimensional. Choose a foundation with a dewy or satin finish for a healthy, radiant glow. If you have oily skin, you can still achieve a dewy look by using a mattifying primer in your T-zone and focusing the dewy finish on the rest of your face.
- Use a Damp Sponge: Applying your foundation with a damp makeup sponge, like a Beautyblender, helps to sheer out the product and create a seamless, natural finish. The dampness prevents the sponge from absorbing too much product, ensuring even application.
By adopting these techniques, you can achieve a fresh, natural-looking complexion that's far from the heavy, matte base of the mid-2010s. Remember, the goal is to enhance your skin, not hide it.
2. Contouring and Highlighting: Soften the Sculpt
Contouring and highlighting were essential components of the 2016 makeup look, often used to create dramatic angles and sculpted features. While contouring and highlighting can still be used to enhance your features, the techniques have evolved to be much softer and more subtle.
- Choose the Right Products: Swap your heavily pigmented contour powders for cream or liquid contours in a shade that's only one or two shades darker than your natural skin tone. These formulas blend more seamlessly into the skin, creating a more natural shadow.
- Focus on Natural Shadows: Instead of drawing harsh lines, focus on enhancing your natural bone structure. Apply contour to the hollows of your cheeks, along your temples, and under your jawline, blending thoroughly to avoid harsh lines.
- Use a Light Hand: The key to modern contouring is subtlety. Apply your contour products with a light hand, building up the intensity gradually. It's always easier to add more product than to remove it.
- Highlight Strategically: Instead of using a heavy, glittery highlighter all over your face, focus on applying a subtle shimmer to the high points of your face, such as your cheekbones, brow bone, and the bridge of your nose. Cream or liquid highlighters can provide a more natural, lit-from-within glow.
- Blend, Blend, Blend: The most important step in contouring and highlighting is blending. Use a damp makeup sponge or a soft brush to blend your contour and highlight seamlessly into your foundation, creating a natural, sculpted look.
By softening your contour and highlight, you can achieve a more natural, sculpted look that enhances your features without looking overly dramatic.
3. Eyebrows: Embrace Natural Fullness
Eyebrow trends have undergone a significant transformation since 2016. The overly defined, "Instagram brow" has given way to a more natural, fluffy brow look. The goal is to enhance your natural brow shape and fullness, rather than creating a completely new shape.
- Less is More: Avoid using heavy brow pencils or pomades to create sharp, defined lines. Instead, use a light hand and focus on filling in sparse areas with hair-like strokes.
- Use Brow Gels: Brow gels are your best friend for achieving a modern brow look. Tinted brow gels add color and definition while keeping your brows in place, while clear brow gels provide hold and lift without adding color.
- Embrace Brow Hair: Instead of plucking or waxing your brows into a thin, overly shaped line, embrace your natural brow hair. Use a spoolie brush to brush your brows upwards and outwards, creating a fuller, more textured look.
- Avoid Harsh Angles: The sharp, angular brow of the mid-2010s is no longer in style. Soften the angles of your brows by using a lighter hand when filling them in and avoiding harsh lines.
- Consider Brow Lamination: If you have sparse or unruly brows, consider brow lamination. This treatment helps to lift and shape your brows, creating a fuller, more defined look that lasts for several weeks.
By embracing your natural brows and using a lighter touch when filling them in, you can achieve a modern, flattering brow look that enhances your overall makeup.
4. Eyeshadow: Blend, Blend, Blend
Eyeshadow trends have shifted away from the heavily contoured, dramatic looks of 2016 towards softer, more blended styles. The focus is on creating a seamless, diffused effect rather than sharp lines and cut creases.
- Neutral Eyeshadow Palettes: Invest in a neutral eyeshadow palette with a range of matte and shimmer shades. These palettes are versatile and can be used to create a variety of looks, from natural everyday styles to more glamorous evening looks.
- Soft, Blended Creases: Instead of using dark, harsh colors in your crease, opt for softer, warmer tones. Use a fluffy blending brush to blend the eyeshadow seamlessly into your crease, creating a diffused effect.
- Embrace Shimmer: Shimmer eyeshadows have made a comeback in recent years. Apply a shimmer shade to your lid for a touch of sparkle and dimension. Just be sure to blend it well with your other shadows to avoid harsh lines.
- Skip the Cut Crease: The precise cut crease, a popular technique in 2016, is no longer as trendy. Instead, focus on creating a soft, blended crease that enhances your eye shape without looking overly dramatic.
- Consider a Wash of Color: For a quick and easy eyeshadow look, try applying a single wash of color to your lids. This technique is perfect for everyday wear and can be achieved with a single shimmer or matte shade.
By focusing on blending and using softer colors, you can create eyeshadow looks that are modern, flattering, and easy to wear.
5. Lips: Embrace Natural Color and Texture
Lip trends have also evolved since 2016, moving away from the matte nude lips with dark liner towards more natural colors and textures. The goal is to enhance your natural lip color and shape, rather than completely changing them.
- Nude Lipsticks with a Twist: While nude lipsticks are still popular, the shades have shifted towards warmer, more natural tones. Look for nude lipsticks with peachy or rosy undertones that complement your skin tone.
- Gloss is Back: Lip gloss has made a major comeback in recent years. Apply a clear or tinted lip gloss over your lipstick for a juicy, plumped-up effect. Gloss can also be worn on its own for a natural, dewy look.
- Embrace Natural Lip Color: Lip tints and lip stains are perfect for achieving a natural lip color. These products stain your lips with a subtle wash of color that lasts for hours.
- Skip the Dark Liner: The dark lip liner trend of the mid-2010s is no longer in style. If you use lip liner, choose a shade that matches your lipstick or is slightly lighter. Blend the liner into your lipstick to avoid harsh lines.
- Try a Lip Oil: Lip oils are a great way to add shine and hydration to your lips. These products are often infused with nourishing ingredients that help to keep your lips soft and smooth.
By embracing natural colors and textures, you can achieve a modern lip look that's both flattering and comfortable to wear.
Conclusion: Staying Current in the Beauty World
Updating your makeup routine doesn't mean abandoning your personal style or completely overhauling your look. It's about making small adjustments and incorporating new techniques to keep your makeup looking fresh and modern. By understanding the evolution of makeup trends and focusing on enhancing your natural features, you can create a makeup style that's both current and flattering.
Remember, the most important aspect of makeup is to have fun and express yourself. Experiment with different techniques and products to find what works best for you. Don't be afraid to try new things and step outside of your comfort zone. With a little practice and experimentation, you can easily update your makeup routine and achieve a modern, radiant look that you love. Embrace the beauty evolution and enjoy the process of discovering your best makeup style!