Makeup in 2025 has been anything but predictable. This year’s trends swing from soft and minimal to loud, vibrant and boldly expressive. Bright pops of color, edgy shapes and playful textures have all made their mark — think smoky, colored or shimmering lids and lashes; diffused, candy-toned lips; warm, tint-like blush stains; and graphic liner looks, from fully lined eyes to reverse wings. With so many quick, easy accents and naturally inspired cosmetics in the mix, there’s endless room to experiment and make each look your own.
Blurred, diffused makeup effects, layering, natural glam minimalism and twists on 90’s-inspired glam makeup trends, these hot beauty looks aren’t going anywhere, so now’s the time to give them a try before the year ends and to keep on rocking them into 2026.
Makeup Trends 2025: The Looks & Products You’ll Want to Try
“Cloud skin” minimalism
This approach to skin care and makeup is all about the “less is more” mentality, and it’s focused on minimalism. Less makeup is used every day in a beauty routine, giving skin a natural “second skin” radiance and dewy, hydrated or “glassy” look and glam finish.
“‘Glassy cloud second skin appears as hydrated, light-reflective skin with soft edges and sheer coverage so you can still see real texture and freckles, and it’s trending because people want makeup that behaves like skin care, with fewer products that do more and photograph beautifully under phone cameras,” says Dr. Shamsa Kanwal, MD, board-certified dermatologist and both founder of and medical doctor at Aesthetic Evolution Skin And Laser Treatment.
It works perfectly when incorporated into an everyday makeup routine in tandem with skincare and beauty products for healthy, clear skin that exudes natural glam and the skinimalism trend.
Anyone can try it, and there’s no drawback. However, this makeup look is most beneficial if you have normal-to-dry or combination skin. It can also be good for people who are acne-prone or have oily skin, Kanwal suggests, along with using oil-free, non-comedogenic gel creams and very thin layers. The right set of skincare products and natural cosmetics to use together is key.
“I would recommend building the look and using a gentle cleanse, hydrating serum, lightweight moisturizer and broad-spectrum SPF 30+ first, then adding sheer tint and a little balmy highlight only on high points so it looks dewy and not greasy,” Kanwal says.
Try the “fluffy eyes” makeup trend paired with cloud skin as they’re both minimalistic glam style for a simple, fresh look. Use a lifting, soft-focus mascara that fans lashes without clumps with a bare or lightly washed lid instead of heavy liner. Satin skin finish and soft contouring tie in nicely, giving skin a subtle glow that’s not too dewy or matte. Use soft blending powders to avoid harsh lines.
Using “blonzer” all over the face
“Blonzer” is the trending blush-bronzer hybrid giving cheeks a one-step, sun-kissed flush, and it is a quick and easy makeup hack for simplifying a beauty routine and cutting back on cosmetics while achieving instant glamour in an everyday chic style, featuring bold, beautiful rosy cheeks.
There are various shades and formulas to choose from based on preference and skin type, with some blush-bronzer hybrids being multi-purposeful for use all over the face, such as on lips, lids and cheeks for a glossy stained tint. Popular hues like warm rose, peach and terracotta shades are often accompanied by soft bronze undertone. Warmer tones of red, orange and pink give an inviting, vibrant and fresh look for the face, making them trending colors in makeup and beauty.
“Blonzer can appear as baked powders, creams and sticks in satin or soft-matte textures, and you can pick based on your skin type, with powders being better suited for oily skin and creams or sticks as preferable for drier skin,” Kanwal says.
“Fair skin looks best with peachy nude or rose-beige blonzers, while medium to deep skin glows with apricot, copper or berry-bronze mixes,” Kanwal advises. She recommends applying where the sun hits first, across the upper cheeks and temples as well as lightly over the bridge of the nose using a fluffy brush and very light pressure, while building slowly for a real vacation flush instead of a stripe.
Layering lip products
The layered lip trend is really about treating lips like skin and adding dimension with thin stacks of balm, liner, tint and gloss rather than just one thick lipstick. Those who prefer a minimal look might choose nude shades and glossy tints for a light shimmer, while those making a statement might enjoy a vibrant lip in shades, such as candy gloss, rose, deep berry, warm orange or black cherry, or a diffused, soft smudge and blurred makeup effect.
“I suggest starting with a hydrating, fragrance-free balm or serum, then using a softened pencil to trace just at or slightly above your natural border, adding a sheer or creamy stick for color and finishing with gloss only at the center for a fuller effect,” Kanwal says.
To avoid goop and pilling when layering lip products, keep each layer thin and resist stacking several heavy long-wear formulas or multiple plumpers, especially on sensitive lips. People with easily irritated lips should also always choose mineral or plant-based pigments, avoid cosmetics with strong fragrances or menthol and regularly reapply SPF 30+ lip protection when outdoors.
Shimmery, metallic makeup for smoky-eyes
Shimmer, glitter and metallic hues, graphics and bold edgy eye looks are back as a way to add instant dimension with very little effort, with some popular trending eye makeup styles, including soft pearly washes, full-foil lids, smoky-eyes and twinkly liners. Bold, colorful eye makeup, as a liner, shadow or mascara, makes eyes pop, and it’ll give them a mysteriously alluring smoky-eye with dark shades of purple, blue, green or brown, metallic shimmers, sparkly blacks and more.
“I find that fine shimmer and satin metallics suit most people, including people with textured or mature lids, while chunky glitter is better suited for younger, non-sensitive eyes and kept away from the waterline,” Kanwal suggests. She also recommends using an eye-safe cream or liquid formula as a base to reduce fallout, pressing shimmer or metallic graphics on with a fingertip and keeping the rest of the face more neutral so the eyes stay the focus.
While anyone can try this makeup trend for shimmery eyes and colorful lids or lashes, it’s worth noting that contact lens wearers and people with sensitive eyes should be extra vigilant, ceasing use if experiencing irritation or adverse effects. Choose eye makeup and cosmetics labeled as eye-safe, gently remove all face makeup at night before bed and avoid pressed glitters that shed visible particles.
Wearing bold, bright colors
Bold color is very much back, with makeup style trends like strong blush draped from cheek to temple, saturated lipstick and vivid eye looks that feel playful again. People gravitate towards beauty and glamour routines that allow room for personalization. Bright pops of color and statement-making accents create fun, eye-catching and alluring looks that stand out.
Wear bold, bright colors on lips, lids and lashes, cheeks and more. Trendy makeup shades like blues and purples, dark smoky-eye hues and shimmery metallics enhance eyes as eyeshadow, liner or mascara. Bright warm pinks, reds and oranges, candy-colors, dark cherry and glossy to complement tints and shimmers work well on lips and cheeks, and lipsticks with color-changing or pH-reactive properties can be fun to try, as they shift slightly based on lip chemistry to create a custom bright stain with minimal effort.
Trending graphic shapes or makeup-style looks include floating liner that sits above the crease, negative-space wings that outline rather than fill and colored mascaras in bright bold colors like cobalt, plum or emerald, as applied just on the top lashes for a flash of color.
“My advice is to pick one feature as the star and keep the rest of your everyday makeup simpler, choose long-wear but comfortable formulas and avoid layering too many bold shades at once unless it is deliberately editorial,” Kanwal recommends.
“Lollipop lips” makeup style
Lollipop lips are that soft, diffused lip where the brightest color sits in the center and gently fades toward the edges, so as if you’ve just eaten a popsicle. It flatters medium to fuller lips and softer features since it keeps the focus near the middle of the mouth, making lips look pillowy, whereas very thin or sharply lined lips sometimes lose structure with this style. Vibrant, creative lip colors are great, including dark cherry, candy-colored, berry, rose, apricot and bright, glossy tint stains.
“I tell people to tap a bright tint into the center and press lips together, then blur the edges with a fingertip or cotton bud and add clear or sheer balm on top,” Kanwal suggests. She recommends avoiding very dry matte formulas without prep as they can cling patchily and to choose flexible tints or balmy lipsticks that smudge and stain evenly.
Thinner, more defined eyebrows
Thick, bushy brows are out. The current 1990s-inspired brow is slimmer than the fluffy brow era but still structured, giving brows a defined arch and clean tail rather than “over-plucked lines” we remember. People with naturally dense brows can benefit most from this makeup trend because they can refine the shape a little without risking permanent thinning. If you have already more or naturally sparse brows it’s important to be very cautious when removing hair, keeping handy tips in mind for shapely, defined eyebrows.
“In clinic, I recommend faking the look first with a fine brow pencil, brow powder and clear gel, using hair-like strokes and only minimal tweezing of obvious stray hairs underneath,” Kanwal says. “My big red flag is at-home over-plucking or waxing that damages follicles so I prefer good tweezers, a small brow razor only if you are steady-handed and a professional shaping session before making any big changes,” Kanwal adds.
Create These Trending Looks With Natural Cosmetics from Vitacost
Here are a few quality products to try at Vitacost for achieving these hot, trending makeup looks.
Gabriel Multi-Pot For Eyes, Lips And Cheeks in Dahlia
This multi pot is a three-in-one cream for eyes, lips and cheeks that gives the face a blendable and buildable sun-kissed flush with naturally sourced ingredients like shea butter and jojoba oil. It fits the monochromatic trend while staying kind to skin, making it suitable for all skin types. In dahlia, it offers a bright pop of color, with a beautiful pink tint and underlying gold shimmer, so it is a good choice for several makeup trends.
Honeybee Gardens Instant Shadow Stik in Lavender Moon
This shadow stick is vegan and infused with jojoba and vitamin E for healthy skin and hydration. It swipes on effortlessly, blends with its built-in brush and delivers a long-wearing shimmer that fits the metallic eye trend without complicated application for increased risk of eye irritation.
Mineral Fusion Sheer Moisture Lip Tint in Blush
This pink mineral lip tint offers sheer, buildable color with shea butter, peptides and vitamins for hydration, anti-aging benefits and improved skin appearance. Mineral formulas like this one are a nice option for sensitive or acne-prone skin since they avoid many common irritants and give a soft, wearable pigment.
Pacifica Vegan Collagen Fluffy Mascara
This mascara uses vegan collagen and plant-based fibers to give lashes a fluffy, fanned-out lash effect with a cleaner and cruelty-free formula, making it perfect for achieving soft minimal lashes without heavy clumps.
Honeybee Gardens Brow Bliss Fine Point Brow Pencil in Chestnut
“This fine-point brow pencil has a very slim tip that lets you draw natural, hair-like strokes and softly build definition, making it ideal for recreating the new, more defined but not overdrawn 1990s-inspired brow,” Kanwal says. Plus, the color chestnut is lovely for a smokey-eye look.
Gabriel Lipstick in Santa Fe
This lipstick offers long-lasting and full coverage and has a warm pink-orange hue and formula enriched with natural waxes and emollients to offer a comfortable, hydrated bold lip that works beautifully with the sun-kissed and blonzer makeup trends.
Honeybee Gardens Eyeliner in Smoking Gun
“This steel gray charcoal liner with a hint of sparkle glides on smoothly without tugging, creating a rich yet softer-than-black definition, and it is gluten- and paraben-free, making it a comfortable and conscious choice,” Kanwal says, suggesting to use it for smokey-eyes and a bold shimmer.