This year has been busy in beauty land. The best beauty moments of 2022 have, of course, served up plenty of Y2K trends in the form of bleached brows, skinny brows and spiky buns. But the return of in-person awards ceremonies and fashion weeks have rekindled a desired to experiment, push boundaries and set our pulses racing with hair and makeup looks we can't wait to emulate at home.
Over the past 12 months, celebrities have blessed us with the type of next-level transformations that Instagram eats up, while beauty brands have been breaking new ground with innovative technology and a laser focus on diversity, inclusivity and sustainability. And lest we forget the power of Beauty Tok, our favourite content producers have inspired us to pair artful swirls of glitter eyeliner with little more than a low-key highlighter on the cheekbones, while skin cycling made even retinol bearable.
But most of all, there's been a feeling of renewed optimism as a new post-pandemic mood swept in. Dubbed ‘dopamine beauty’ it's a movement that encouraged us to inject joy back into our beauty routines. It's also been the underlying narrative of almost every single hair, makeup and skincare moment this year.
As we prepare to bid 2022 a fond farewell, these are the biggest and best beauty moments of the year.
1. “Glazed donut” entered our vocabulary
Hailey Bieber called it: “glazed donut skin", achieved by flooding skin with moisture and layering on multiple gleaming skincare products, was her prediction for the biggest beauty trend of 2022. It was also a genius marketing ploy – six months later, in June, Hailey dropped her debut beauty brand, Rhode Skin, in the US. By then everyone was so obsessed with achieving glazed donut skin, the peptide glazing fluid struggles to stay in stock even now. As if that wasn't enough, Hailey's “glazed donut nails” racked up more than 30M views on TikTok, first in icing white, then a more statement chocolate hue. Who knew Krispy Kreme would inspire a new beauty vernacular?
2. Chanel launched No.1
No1 de Chanel is a new line of products that launched in 2022 and marks the brand’s first foray into sustainable beauty. Its star ingredient is the red camellia japonica, which is cultivated in an open field in the south-west of France, according to environmentally friendly agricultural practices, without the use of pesticides, herbicides and chemical fertilisers. Rich in a powerful antioxidant known as protocatechuic acid, it may also slow down the onset of cellular senescence – a natural process in which ageing skin cells lie dormant, causing dryness, dullness and slackness in the skin. Precisely why the Chanel No1 de Chanel Revitalizing Serum-in-Mist won the Editors' Choice Best Skin Product in the Beauty Power List 2022.
3. Kate Moss became the new Gwynnie
The original 90s party girl, Kate Moss, launched Cosmoss, her beauty and wellness brand that's like Goop with a touch of witchiness thrown in for good measure. It currently features the Sacred Mist fragrance charged with grounding essential oils, two mood-boosting teas and a lineup of vegan skincare products: a cleanser, moisturiser and the Golden CBD & Pro Collagen Oil (perfect for using alongside a jade roller FYI) featuring cannabidiol, rosemary and Mythical Tears of Chois (a tree resin known for its detoxing powers).
4. Zoë Kravitz channeled Audrey Hepburn at the Oscars
This year's Oscars may have been overshadowed by Will Smith slapping Chris Rock on stage, but it was Zoë Kravitz who stole the show on the red carpet. Channeling a modern-day Audrey Hepburn in a dusty pink Saint Laurent gown, her slick up-do, side swept baby bangs and subtle feline flick were both elegant and memorable.
5. Rare Beauty by Selena Gomez landed at Space NK
Rare Beauty garnered rave reviews in the US so we couldn't wait for the collection of foundations, lipsticks, Positive Light Liquid Luminizer (Space NK's No.1 selling highlighter), the cult melt-in-your skin Soft Pinch Liquid Blush and no fewer than 48 shades of Liquid Touch Brightening Concealer to launch here and make every skin tone sing. Thanks to Space NK, that wish came true. If that wasn't good enough, one percent of all sales go to the Rare Impact Fund, which aims to increase access to mental health resources in underserved communities.
6. Tatcha Skincare finally arrived in the UK
Beloved by Doja Cat and Selena Gomez, Tatcha finally launched in the UK with its anti-inflammatory, barrier-boosting skincare line inspired by the ancient beauty rituals of Japan's geishas. At the heart of each product is a blend of core ingredients, including Okinawa Red Algae, double-fermented Akita Rice and Uji Green Tea – also known as the Hadasei-3. With two new launches joining the line up of bestsellers – including The Camellia Cleansing Oil, The Rice Polish and Violet-C Brightening Serum – in January, this jewel of a brand is set to go from strength to strength.
7. Sephora UK opened its (virtual) doors
In November the news that all beauty aficionados had been wanting was confirmed: Sephora, the world's biggest beauty community, was taking over Feelunique.com with over 1,400 brands, including Rose Inc, Fenty Beauty, Makeup By Mario, Gwen Stefani's makeup brand Gxve and its brilliantly affordable own brand Sephora Collection. GLAMOUR celebrated by breaking the news first with an exclusive scoop. Better still, the brand has confirmed plans to open a flagship store in London in spring 2023.
8. Kendall Jenner made bleached brows cool
Kendall is no stranger to making a statement at the Met Gala but this year it was the absence of her dark brunette eyebrows that had beauty editors enthralled. Suddenly Y2K bleached brows were everywhere with “bleached eyebrows,” “bleached brows,” and hashtag #bleachedbrows amassing a combined 515 million views on TikTok.
9. Marilyn Monroe's eye makeup got us talking
Netflix's Blonde may have divided opinion, but it shone a spotlight on Marilyn's beauty regime – in particular, one great eyeshadow trick, which went viral under the hashtag #marilynmonroemakeup as soon as the biopic aired. It turns out that Marilyn's famous sleepy bedroom eyes are the result of pairing eyeshadow with white eyeliner to elongate the lower lashline and draw the eyes down. Who knew?
10. Sabrina and Idris Elba shake up the wellness industry
After the success of their podcast Coupledom, everyone's favourite power couple Sabrina and Idris Elba launched into the wellness space with lifestyle brand S'able Labs (Elbas spelt backwards). The couple's aim? To revamp the wellness industry, which has been predominantly white and cisgendered, starting with a genderless skincare line made with natural ingredients from East Africa. “At S’able Labs, we believe that when you feel good, you look good,” the husband-and-wife duo wrote on their S’able Labs Instagram. “That’s why we’re launching our genderless skincare collection, designed with the many benefits of self-care in mind.” The S'Able Labs Qasil Cleanser is a favourite on the GLAMOUR beauty desk.
11. Patent nails
Ever since talented London-based manicurist Julia Diogo served up ultra shiny, lacquered liquorice nails, we've been obsessed with patent nails. The deeper winter shades add an edginess to the ubiquitous wine mani.
12. Boyfriend, jawbone – any kind of bob!
We just can't get enough of mid-length hair with the bob reigning supreme this year. The boyfriend bob – a square outlined, shorter iteration of a bob – just kept trending whether worn sleek and smooth or mussed up with added texture.
13. Wednesday Addams makeup
It's a late entry but since the Netflix series Wednesday spent its first week in the number one spot on the streaming platform, it seems Wednesday Addams has become the unlikely inspiration for our Christmas party makeup.
TikTok's beauty creators have jumped on Wednesday Addams' makeup, especially her signature black winged eyeliner, contoured cheeks and deep plump lips. Given goth makeup rulsed the SS23 catwalks, it's a case of getting ahead of the curve.
This article was originally published on Glamour UK.
