These Beauty Trends Are Set to be Huge in 2026

Is it finally time to retire the clean girl aesthetic?

Trends are in some many ways are one of the more jarring things, we’re forced to encounter. In essence, trends are tools, in many ways a navigation of taste and a way to help name taste.

In today’s world, trends are a far bigger beast. They don’t just help us navigate; they actively dictate our tastes. Most of the time, we’re not even aware of it — the way trends seep into our psyche and impact our lives. Everything from how we dress our homes, to how we dress our bodies, to how we quite literally “do up” our faces and that is just the beginning.

We all understand that trends can be harmful and yet we continue to participate. This isn’t about blaming the individual, because this feels like something that’s happening to us, rather than something we’re actively choosing, well some of the time.

In a neat, perfect world where things are simply good or bad, I’d probably say trends are bad. But trends function on multiple levels. They can act as cultural shorthand, creative catalysts, even tools for community-building and, of course, useful data for brands. Simunaltously, brands capitalise on trends, sell us things we don’t need, and trends often impact our self-worth, usually not in a good way. They organise people, reinforce often sexist and racist hierarchies with of course harmful consequences.

One thing I hear over and over again is this idea of trend fatigue, the idea that we’re so tired of the constant mill of trends. I get it, I feel like everything is a trend but we’re also very part of this mill of trends and perpetuating them. I don’t actually think it’s trends themselves that we’re exhausted by; it’s the pressure. The pressure to participate. Whether we consciously feel it or not, it’s there. The pressure to keep up, to adapt, to visually signal our worth. In theory, trends are supposed to be take-or-leave, and somehow they’ve become compulsory.

One of the loudest predictions coming out of beauty forecasts for 2026 is the so-called death of the “girl aesthetic”. Do I buy it? Not really. Yes, the clean girl aesthetic is boring, and “toxic”. It’s another way, women are told to self-regulate and it’s about conveying an illusion of perfection and control over our lives. And now, we’re seeing trends that the Internet is referring to as counter aesthetics, like the “messy girl”, which had thousands and thousands of tagged content on just TikTok alone. We’re so tired of performing perfection, so we’re going to perform a little messiness?

Pinterest, has declared jelly candy aesthetic “big” for 2026. I know, I know. Do you know what though, it feels like an extension of the current cute-everything era, the bag charms, tiny accessories, novelty overload. Searches for “jelly candy aesthetic” are reportedly up 100%. Is it ridiculous? Yes. Is it fun and colourful? Also yes. And those aren’t bad things, I guess for now.

Is this move towards cutesy, colourful, playful beauty a way of distracting us from harder conversations, like the regression of rights and the hyper-controlled, palatable aesthetics that often accompany it? Is this resistance? Maybe it’s just fun. Or maybe it’s about control, not us being controlled but giving us control, the illusion of control? Or maybe it’s about belonging. Social media makes the world feel smaller, like we’re all in the same room and performing these trends offers up a way to signal alignment. To say: we’re on the same team, I understand, I belong.

Searches for avant-garde editorial makeup are up a whopping 270%, alongside a rise in “alien core” aesthetics. Perhaps we’re entering our alien girl era. I can kind of see it — can you? Especially with the way Zara Larsson is blowing up right now. Less scary alien, more cute alien, it’s the same family, right? Also, in the new series I Love LA, Ayo Edebiri’s character Mimi Rush, stage persona is an alien, I think we’re going to be seeing a lot more alien vibes as they transcend into being more cool.

Animal-inspired trends continue their reign (we’re never escaping those), but there’s a new entrant: the dragonfly. Searches for dragonfly nails are up 145%. Delicate, strange, vaguely ethereal. Very alien girl.

Blue is also set to dominate in a big way, from icy blues to full glacier aesthetics. Brands are already jumping on the bandwagon, Bleach London has recently collaborated with Pinterest to curate a menu of blue hair looks. Pantone… maybe you were wrong about the white?

If you strip away the ridiculous names, what these reports really show is that we’re craving individuality and creativity and escapism. Aliens and cute jelly bears scream I’ve had enough of this world. The irony, of course, is that this desire arrives packaged as trends, and trends flatten creativity and individualism.

Still, there’s something hopeful here. We’re clearly craving experimentation with colour, texture, and play. Maybe a loosening of the rigid, clean beauty standards that have squashed us into conformity for the past few years (centuries) is coming? Optimistic? Naive? I’m intrigued to see where these trends lead us. In 2026 will trends path a way out of the trenches?

What trends are you hoping to leave behind in 2025? And what, are you looking forward to seeing in 2026?

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Zeynab xx