Much like choosing the best-dressed people of the year, narrowing down the best beauty trends of 2025 can be tricky. In an age of virality and ever shorter attention spans, it feels like we are inundated with new crazes and fads on the daily.
Plus, biggest doesn’t always translate to best – many of the most searched-for products and routines this year (think morning shed, beef tallow skincare, and GLP-1 everything) made noise because they were controversial, and that’s just not a fun list, or the energy we want to close out the year with.
Instead, we focused on three factors, selecting the trends that have staying power, universal appeal, and are something we’d be happy to try.
The bob and bixie takeover
Short hair dominated 2025, but two cuts in particular were seen on almost every celebrity and cool girl we love: the classic bob and the bixie. The bob is universally beloved and works on pretty much everyone, which is why it continues to trend every year. “You can tailor it endlessly; soft edges with movement or something a little more sculptural,” says celebrity hairstylist and co-founder of RŌZ, Mara Roszak. “It’s ’90s, it’s ‘French Girl’, both of which have been big trends in beauty this year.”
The bixie (somewhere between a bob and a pixie cut) is another ’90s cut enjoying a resurgence. “It’s short enough to feel fresh and liberating, but not so cropped that it’s a drastic change for most clients,” celebrity hairstylist and groomer Charley McEwen previously told Vogue. “It brings together the structure of a pixie with the softness and layering of a bob, which makes it really wearable.”
In 2026, Roszak predicts we’ll see more “lived in” versions of the bob. “Less sharp, architectural lines and more roundness, natural bends, and cuts that grow out incredibly well,” she says. “We’re moving toward hair that feels more personal and expressive, rather than overly polished.”
A blush renaissance
This was the year of ultra-flushed and rosy cheeks. On the surface, blush can add dimension and energy to your entire look without putting too much effort. But experts believed that this year, we used blush as a marker of our identity.
“Blush itself has always been far more than decorative,” celebrity make-up artist Lisa Eldridge, founder of her eponymous make-up line, tells Vogue. “Today, it’s about self-expression, a way to convey mood, drama and personality, and lean into the joy-sparking moments of make-up application.”
- Type: cream stick
- Finish: hydrating
- Size: 5.3g
Why we love it: We cannot stop raving about Rhode’s blush launch, and with good reason – they guarantee dreamy, dewy skin. In every shade, the brand’s pocket blush is pigmented, plumping and flattering thanks to smoothing peptides in the formula that get you a seamless blend. Also in the mix is glass-skin giving tamanu oil, which conditions the cheeks and gets you Hailey’s signature glazed doughnut look. A must-try blusher for mature skin, with a gorgeous finish and ingredients we could all benefit from.
Associate beauty writer Ranyechi Udemezue wears the pocket blush in Toasted Teddy.
£24 at Rhode
Plastic surgery transparency
It felt like facelifts were everywhere in 2025. But what stood out the most is how much more comfortable people are in admitting when they have had work done. A controversial pick, sure. But whatever your stance on plastic surgery, there’s no denying that this type of transparency is refreshing.
Dr Yannis Alexandrides, founder of 111SKIN, says that advancements in facelift techniques that give natural-looking results and a “refreshed appearance” are why more people are opting for the procedure. That, paired with non-surgical aesthetic treatments, can give people incredible results.
“Many of the results we see in the media are actually a combination of procedures and non-surgical treatments that I would classify as full facial rejuvenation,” says Alexandrides. “These results generate more interest in facelifts, along with other procedures.”
The rise (and rise) of protein
If you spent a lot of this year worrying that you weren’t getting enough protein, you were definitely not alone. Everyone was obsessed with this nutrient. “Influencers and wellness advocates have shed light on how protein impacts hormone health, energy levels and recovery, sparking curiosity among a broader audience,” dietician Lauren Manaker told Vogue. “It is a very buzzy macro.”
Buzzy it may be, but protein is also vital for our bodies to stay healthy. So interest in an important nutrient is never a bad thing. Just don’t be too quick to fall into trendy hacks, and focus on whole foods first in order to get your fix.
Japanese walking
Japanese walking is made for those who consider walking 10,000 steps a day a bit much. First studied in 2004, this version of interval walking training (basically, you alternate between three minutes of fast-paced walking and three minutes of slower recovery pace, for a total time of 30 minutes) comes with loads of benefits.
Heather Viola, assistant professor of general internal medicine at Mount Sinai, told Vogue that it can improve cardiovascular health, lower blood pressure, increase mobility and metabolism, improve insulin sensitivity, strengthen leg muscles and core, improve balance and coordination and support bone density. And it can also boost your energy levels and improve sleep. Who could ask for more?
The lip stain renaissance
Lip stains dominated the market this year. The numbers don’t lie: according to Spate’s 2025 Year In Review & Brands That Won Beauty report, lip stains ranked top in search, and saw a 1,171 per cent year-on-year growth.
“People are fascinated with a full and pouty lip,” says Vincent Oquendo, celebrity makeup artist and host of Backseat Beauties. “You can achieve this with a lip stain easily. It stays on all day, and you don’t have to worry about touching it up.”
“It’s an innovative way to achieve colour,” agrees Daniel Martin, celebrity make-up artist and Tatcha’s global director of artistry. “It’s a fun consumer product that challenges the wearer to see what they can achieve by thoughtful and precise application.”
Toasted make-up
The urge to keep that bronzed summer glow into the colder months is always strong, and thanks to toasted make-up, it’s totally possible. This year saw everyone reaching for their bronzer for that soft added warmth (and a mani to match, for a monochromatic look).
“It pays homage to the beautiful browns we loved seeing on the ’90s supermodels,” says Oquendo. “With these toasted colours, you can leave a lot of negative space in your make-up for your natural facial colours to shine through, which is very attractive to the make-up lover.”
“It’s warm, tonal and sexy,” adds Martin. “What’s interesting about the trend is that every generation has had its muse for this warm, coppery-bronzey vibe: the ’80s had Brooke Shields, the ’90s was Cindy Crawford, the 2000s was Beyonce from her ‘Crazy in Love’ era. The 2020s toasted muse is Hailey Bieber.”
Plaid nails
Chalk it up to the current zeitgeist for dark academia, or how preppy vibes have come back into fashion, but plaid nails are a recent trend with strong staying power. “Plaid nails more than fit the vibe, inspired by heritage prints and textured knits we’ll be wrapping ourselves up in for the foreseeable,” wrote Vogue’s news editor Anna Cafolla of the trend. “It’s sleek but striking, a combo of criss-crossed stripes in various lengths and widths.”
