Makeup shimmers on the surface and adds the finishing touch to our already beautiful faces. If you look beyond the gloss and glitter, you’ll discover the following: The colors, products, and trends that are in vogue say a lot about the current political and economic state of the world. An example? The so-called Lipstick Index: When things aren’t going so well financially and we’re sliding into a recession, women tend to spend more money on that little luxury—a nice lipstick. And has the “clean girl” makeup trend perhaps fostered conservatism? Some people think so. This year, maximalist, imperfect makeup is being celebrated. So is this a rebellion against the rise of conservative ideas? Quite possibly, because makeup is more than just decoration. That’s why our Beauty Report isn’t just a feast for the eyes, but also a snapshot of the current landscape—one that’s always open to debate and interpretation, of course.
LET’S ALL AVERT THE MALE GAZE
When men who have nothing in their bathrooms but a 3-in-1 shower gel that smells like gasoline claim that women are so much prettier without makeup, we say: Thanks, but no thanks. Eyeshadow, lipstick, blush, and long nails all at once? That’s hot.
KIM SHUI
SHEDDING TEARS
Showing emotions is a tricky thing. You make yourself vulnerable—and as a woman, you’re often dismissed as hysterical. That’s why we use makeup to paint the tears we shed out of anger, sadness, frustration, and sometimes even joy onto our faces. At least that way, they don’t ruin the rest of our makeup.
RAW MANGO
COLDER THAN ICE
When your lips lose their pink hue and gradually turn blue, it means there’s a lack of oxygen in your blood—often caused by extreme cold. But what can be dangerous looks—in the truest sense of the word—cool. Fortunately, lipstick comes in every icy shade you could possibly want.
THE SITUATIONIST
BYE BYE BABY BLUE
Madé Lapuerta, a data scientist and founder of the Instagram account “Data, But Make It Beauty,” already laid out the bare facts for us earlier this year: blue eyeshadow is totally back. And for a variety of reasons, ranging from ’80s nostalgia to Chanel’s denim-blue beauty campaign.
ECKHAUS LATTA
READ MY LIPS
Even Cleopatra wore red lipstick. Thousands of years later, numerous studies confirm what the Egyptian beauty queen already knew without any data: People who wear red lipstick
can hold their conversation partner’s attention for a full seven seconds longer.
WILLY CHAVARRIA
WINGBEAT
Since even makeup pros don’t always find it easy to draw a precise line, winged eyeliner can be a little thicker—but no less razor-sharp. Minimalism has no place here.
LAQUAN SMITH
I DO(N’T) CARE AT ALL
Don’t be fooled: What looks effortless is often meticulously planned down to the last detail. Every strand, no matter how unbrushed, sits exactly where it’s supposed to—namely, wild and nonconformist. And every smudged lip line was planned in advance. And the lip piercing? The cherry on top.
UJOH
PURPLE HAZE
Anyone who learned about the color wheel back in school knows this: red and blue make purple. And purple—in all its shades, from light lilac to berry tones—looks stunning on cheeks, lips, and eyes.
NINA RICCI
SMOKY, SULTRY, SMUDGED
Once again, Cleopatra was the trendsetter: Even in ancient Egypt, people outlined their eyes with black kohl paste. During the silent film era, eyes were also heavily emphasized because this made facial expressions stand out better on camera. The smoky eye was perfected in the 1990s by makeup artist Linda Cantello for Gucci—and today it has long since become a staple of everyday makeup.
ERMANNO SCERVINO
NEON SIGN IN THE DARK
What kids scribble on the pavement with chalk and what students highlight in their books with highlighter also works on the face. You don’t need anything else to grab attention.
DIESEL
MOTHER EARTH
Whenever men think a woman isn’t wearing makeup, there’s actually a whole routine behind it. Because achieving a classic nude look in natural earth tones also requires products—and just as much skill as creating an elaborate, colorful look.
FASHION EAST
And what was trending on faces last season? You can see it in our Beauty Report Spring/Summer 2026
Photos: © Launchmetrics SpotlightSM
