17 Outdated Makeup Trends To Leave Behind In 2023
Makeup is very similar to fashion in the sense that trends are constantly changing with each new season. And while makeup trends from the '70s, '80s, and '90s gave beauty lovers so much to work with, according to Prevention, not all of the trends from those eras were meant to last. Still, the world of beauty and cosmetics is incredibly fun to keep up with, even though what's popular today might not be popular a year from now.
Bright Side notes that makeup trends constantly change once the masses start experimenting and catching on to new and popular ideas. The cool thing about makeup is that it can truly change your appearance by highlighting your best attributes. For example, the right amount of mascara can make your lashes look much longer. The perfect shade of lipstick can give you a stunning pout. When your eyebrows are on point, it might give you an instant boost of confidence. These are the most outdated makeup trends to leave behind in 2022.
Glittery eyeshadow
Although glittery eyeshadow has had its moment when it comes to popularity, it won't be necessary to have it in your makeup pouch in 2023. Beauty Bay explains that glittery eyeshadow is widely believed to be suitable for major celebrations like Christmas or fun-filled trips to festivals, but it's not a good option for normal, day-to-day life. So while there is certainly something special about eyeshadow with a bit of glitter to it, completely covering your eyelids in glitter beyond 2022 isn't exactly going to be the trendiest thing to do.
As Insider notes, glittery eyeshadow has a reputation for being notoriously messy to put on. There are tons of eyeshadow options to choose from in lieu of glitter that requires way less maintenance and effort. If you consider yourself to be someone who absolutely adores glittery eyeshadow, don't worry about this trend disappearing permanently. Glittery eyeshadow will undoubtedly make a comeback at some point in the future since it's still such a fun and playful look to try.
Defined eyebrow shaping
Eyebrow shaping is considered a form of personal grooming that can be accomplished through various methods (via BeautyAnswered.com). While groomed brows are certainly in, if you find yourself sharply defining your eyebrows with an eyebrow pencil and sketching out each and every line in a perfect way, you're probably doing a little too much.
Maybelline New York explains that natural-looking eyebrows are actually way trendier right now and will continue to be in the new year. If your natural eyebrows are well groomed, you will look polished, fresh, and generally better. There's no need to go overboard with filling out your eyebrows and making them look defined with rigid structure and lines. Instead, you can fill them in to make sure that they don't look too pale or sparse. As long as they're filled in to a degree that makes you the most comfortable, you don't have to do much more than that.
Technicolor mascara
Another major makeup trend to leave in the dust in 2022 is technicolor mascara. Once upon a time, it looked really cool to have technicolor lashes — available in shades of blue, purple, green, and more, according to Exhibit A – that matched or contrasted with your eyeshadow. Now, it makes more sense to leave your lashes more natural looking by simply using normal black mascara or no mascara at all.
VSP Vision Care explains that mascara is often difficult to deal with since it has a sticky consistency. Instead of dealing with that in 2023, you can simply ditch technicolor mascara altogether and make your life a lot easier. If you love the idea of wearing bright and colorful lashes every once in a while, you don't have to worry about technicolor mascara going out of style on a permanent basis. It will undoubtedly rise in popularity at some point again down the line.
White eyeliner
According to Yahoo! Sports, there are a handful of benefits that come along with using a product like white eyeliner. One of those has to do with the fact that white eyeliner can make your eyes look bigger by opening up your waterline. Even so, white eyeliner will have fallen out of style by 2023.
It's incredibly easy to make mistakes with white eyeliner because of the number of places you use it (via NewBeauty). These include on your upper lash line, under your lashes, under your eyebrows, and layered over regular black eyeliner. Since there are so many ways to go wrong with white eyeliner, why be bothered with it at all? This is a makeup trend that is considered totally outdated these days. The main issue with white eyeliner is that although it promises to make your eyes look bigger, it often makes your eyes look creepier than intended, which isn't a good thing.
Heavy concealer
A lot of people may be convinced that thick concealer is a must when perfecting an ideal face of makeup, but heavy-duty concealer is an outdated trend that should be forgotten about in 2023. According to Sephora, heavy-duty concealer is typically used to hide blemishes, dark spots, and other areas of skin discoloration. The most common problem areas tend to be around the mouth and under the eyes.
If you're not dealing with any of these issues, heavy concealer doesn't necessarily need to be at the top of your makeup needs list. Ivy Boyd Makeup explains that there are tons of ways to go wrong when using concealer on your face. You might be using too much, using the wrong formula, applying it in all the wrong places, or not making sure it's properly set afterward. If you don't prep your bare skin first, ensure that your concealer perfectly matches, use a brush applicator that's too fluffy, or skip out on a color corrector, things can go awry as well.
Nude lipstick
Nude lips were popular for a while, but that time has come and gone. Wearing shades of lipstick and lip stains that offer a little more color is the way to go in 2023. Red Apple Lipstick notes that nude lipstick was a hit due to its sophisticated, timeless, and classy vibe. Unfortunately, nude lipstick doesn't universally look divine on anyone and everyone. There's no need to force a makeup trend to be part of your routine if it doesn't personally suit you.
According to The Beauty Gypsy, nude lips can also make you look totally washed out and almost zombie-like. And while yes, there are ways to avoid a washed-out look — such as finding your skin's undertone, playing with textures, and using lipliner — there's no reason to stress out over the subject. Lipstick that provides even the most subtle amount of color will look fabulous.
Unnatural lashes
It seemed like incredibly long faux lashes were going to be in style forever. It turns out that's simply not the case. Faux lashes are going out of style in 2023, which means there are other options to explore. Chic Lash Boutique explains that the trends surrounding lashes are constantly ebbing and flowing including wet-look lash extensions, textured lash extensions, and dense cat eye extensions. Subtle and short lashes that are totally natural-looking are also capturing the attention of tons of people in 2023.
Per TasleemaNigh.com, some of the issues arising from the use of faux lashes include discomfort, poking, and eyes burning from glue fumes. The outlet also notes that when your lash extensions are far too long, they create a fake appearance that is far from believable. If you're unable to find the perfect set of lashes that still look totally natural, you can skip out on faux lashes altogether by just applying some mascara to what you naturally have.
Overly outlined lips
The purpose of over-lining your lips is to create the illusion that your lips are actually much bigger than they are. A lot of people were inspired to start doing this after watching a makeup tutorial or two by beauty mogul Kylie Jenner. Her makeup tips have encouraged millions of people to follow in her footsteps. Beauty experts at L'Oreal Paris explain that over-lining your lips is exactly what you should do if you're in the mood to show off a plumper pout than usual.
The reality, though, is that over-lining your lips way too much in an exaggerated way is an outdated trend that needs to be left behind in 2022. Instead of going overboard with tons of extra lip liner when you're completing your makeup look, you might want to think about dialing it back. According to Highxtar., a new lip trend — called oval lining — is what people should be attempting instead, in order to add the perfect amount of volume. The main variation here is that you'll follow a slight oval shape around your lips over the "heart" dip.
Excessive bronzer
In 2023, it might be time to give bronzer a break. This doesn't mean you have to throw away your bronzer forever, but it's definitely time to explore other options when it comes to facial coverage for your skin. Adore Beauty explains that bronzer is one of the more confusing cosmetic items to live in one's makeup bag. The reason it exists is to provide people with a healthy-looking glow in a shade that makes you look as though you've spent a good amount of time in the sun.
Making it look like you got a tan during a luxurious tropical vacation without having to leave your house is the biggest pull and benefit that comes along with the use of bronzer. Now that it's no longer super trendy, it's time to reflect on some of bronzer's faults. According to Claire Talks Beauty, bronzer can often make people look patchy and muddy instead of sun-kissed. That's definitely a look you'll want to retire.
Too much highlighter
Just about everyone was wearing loads of highlighter on their chins, noses, cheekbones, and foreheads at the height of its popularity in 2018, 2019, and 2020. Thanks to endless TikTok tutorials from beauty gurus teaching the world how to apply different brands of highlighter, everyone was interested in jumping on the bandwagon. At this point though, wearing too much highlighter is no longer in style. One of highlighter's biggest downfalls is that instead of making people look as if they had a dewy glow, it often made people just look shiny with sweat.
Fashion Gone Rogue explains that mistakes with highlighter can be made if it's placed in the wrong areas, applied with the wrong brushes, or applied with the wrong base. Additionally, if you add highlighter over the wrong foundation base or forget to take lighting into consideration, you'll be in for a world of trouble (per L'Oreal Paris). Ditch the highlighters in 2023 and you won't have to worry about any of these potential problems.
Frosty shimmer in inner eye corners
There's no reason to stress about making sure that your eye makeup is totally symmetrical and includes frosty shimmer located in your inner eye corners any longer. Once upon a time, this was the fun and playful makeup challenge on everyone's checklist. Per ElizabethMott.com, this look was achieved with an eyeliner pencil, eyeshadow, or even a highlighter that's meant to be used on other areas of your face. Fashioncide notes that you can even purchase small tubs of finely milled glitter that can be mixed with makeup glue and added to the area you have in mind.
Now, however, frosty shimmer in your inner eye corners is no longer a trend that will turn heads. And regardless of the steps you take to achieve a look like this, it's considered outdated going into 2023. Just like glittery eyeshadow, this isn't such a hot trend anymore.
Overly dark lip liner
Some people believe that rocking overly dark lip liner was once the smartest makeup decision ever. The classic '90s trend was popular back in the day, but that doesn't mean it's making a comeback now. The Face explains that when you wear an overly dark lip liner with a natural shade of lipstick, it creates an exaggerated contrast. Some of the most famous individuals to pull off this look in the past include Lil Kim, Cindy Crawford, and Naomi Campbell.
Going into 2023, overly dark lip liner just isn't as stylish as it once was, even though plenty of icons used to love it. Instead, L'Oreal Paris explains that matching your lip liner and lipstick is a skill that can help upgrade your overall appearance to a new level. Their experts' advice is to start by exfoliating your lips to make sure that dead skin cells from the surface are removed. Next, add some primer, then add your matching lip liner and lipstick before cleaning up the edges for a flawless finish.
Skinny eyebrows
Rocking skinny eyebrows hasn't been popular in quite some time. Skinny eyebrows were considered fabulous in the '90s and early 2000s, though. Tons of celebrities hopped on the bandwagon including Gwen Stefani, Angelina Jolie, Drew Barrymore, and Christina Aguilera. According to The Guardian, anyone who wants to attempt something similar to skinny brows in this generation should consider trying one of the modern variations.
Those variations include totally bleaching your brows or shaving them off completely. Another option is to leave your eyebrows in their natural state. Experts at Maybelline New York explain that combing out your natural brows and adding a little bit of shading to fill them in can create a magnificent result. It's incredibly rare for someone to be born with perfect eyebrows that don't need to be tweaked in the slightest. If you do choose to wear your natural eyebrows, making sure they are brushed out, filled in, and blended with clean edges that aren't too rigid is the way to go.
Super intense blush
Why do people apply blush to their faces in the first place? According to Makeup.com, when you add the right color and amount of blush to your cheekbones, it can help provide you with a natural glow that makes you look healthy and beautiful. It can also help your cheekbones look more defined than before. Blush is supposed to add an ideal amount of warmth to make you look more sprightly, awake, and active.
The problem that then comes into play is when people add an intense amount of blush to their cheeks. There's never a reason to add so much blush that it no longer looks tasteful or natural. Grove Collaborative explains that adding blush to your face requires the right makeup brush to ensure everything blends together flawlessly. Whether you're going for a deep shade of red or a playful shade of pink, you should skip out on adding way too much blush altogether so you can avoid giving off the appearance of costume makeup.
Cat-winged eyeliner
One of the longest-lasting makeup trends in society happens to be cat-winged eyeliner. Tons of celebrities have rocked this look over the years, including Mila Kunis, Kate Moss, Scarlett Johansson, and Lauren Conrad. 100% Pure explains that typical cat-winged eyeliner has been labeled timeless and classic.
There's no denying the fact that it's been around for a while as it dates back to the ancient Egyptian empire. Some of the first people to ever wear cat-winged eyeliner lived around 4000 BC. In 2023 though, there are variations to cat-winged eyeliner that aren't so typical or overdone. According to L'Officiel, wearing double-winged eyeliner is the newest trend for beauty lovers to learn about. Anyone who watched Natalie Portman in "Black Swan" from 2010 probably remembers the way her double-winged eyeliner stood out during some of the most pivotal scenes. Wearing double-winged eyeliner adds a special flair that typical cat-winged eyeliner lacks.
Neon lipstick
Neon lipstick simply isn't as popular as it used to be. Although the idea of wearing bright shades of neon lipstick used to be something that was considered fun, playful, and exciting, it's now considered an outdated trend for 2023. Makeup.com explains that neon lipstick was rising in popularity in mid-2019. A few years have passed since then, and it's time to think about other options.
Insider notes that there is an endless amount of neutral lipstick colors and shades that give off a stunning and natural look. Neutral lipsticks range in color including pale shades of pink, shades of calm beige, and soft shades of brown. Wearing neon lipstick gives off the vibe that you want your lips to steal the show compared to the rest of your makeup, your hairstyle, and your fashion choices for the evening. If you opt for a more neutral shade of lipstick, the rest of what you're wearing has a chance to stand out too.
Fake freckles
The fake freckles trend has certainly come to an end. According to Coveteur, fake freckles rose in popularity thanks to viral TikTok videos that were originally meant to encourage self-expression and individuality. To achieve the look, according to Maybelline New York, people were gently dotting on fake freckles using brown eyeliner pencils before adding blush and blending everything together to diffuse the look and make it more natural looking.
The truth of the matter is that the fake freckle trend is no longer considered charming or impressive in 2023 because, as it turns out, people who weren't born with freckles in the first place never needed to pretend that they had been. Instead, it makes more sense for people who naturally have freckles to proudly show them off. Those who weren't born with freckles can focus on any beautiful facial characteristics they do already have including eye symmetry, nose width, brow slants, and dimples.