We're always so busy looking forward that we forget to look back. But as the year wraps up, we're assessing the biggest beauty trends that dominated 2022. Luckily for us Beauty Pie has been crunching the numbers and untangling the algorithm to determine what went truly stratospheric. The brand analysed millions of data points, including TikTok hashtag views, Pinterest boards, Instagram hashtags, and the annual Google search volume to work out once and for all, what the heaviest hitters were.
So, if you want to know what was popping (and whether you were ahead of the curve), we've rounded up the biggest beauty trends of 2022 below.
The Wolf Cut
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With almost 2 billion engagements, the wolf cut has led the pack as the biggest beauty trend of 2022. The choppy cut – which is a mash-up of the 70s shag and the 80s mullet – went wild in 2022 with celebrity fans like Billie Eilish, Barbie Ferriera, Keke Palmer, Doja Cat and Miley Cyrus jumping on board. Proof that the mood for the past year has been a little more rebellious.
The edgy cut is back for 2026. Here's all the inspo you need.
Graphic Eyeliner
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With 1.6 billion hits, graphic liner has been another headliner. More of us have been looking for ways to remix our classic cat-eye with floating liner, double-winged liner and tear duct liner all offering an interesting alternative to a basic black line.
Eyeliner at the ready.
Mewing
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A surprise smash-hit, mewing (also known as orthotropics) involves placing your tongue on the roof of your mouth to reshape your face and jawline, and address orthodontic issues. It's name comes from it's founder, British orthodontist John Mew. We can't vouch for its long-term abilities but, for a selfie the peeps on TikTok apparently swear by it.
Skin Barrier
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More of us (1.5 billion, in fact) are focusing our efforts on protecting and fortifying our skin barrier as an antidote to overdoing it with too many harsh or active ingredients. To recap, “the skin barrier is important because it serves as the body’s first line of defence against environmental aggressors," explains Dr Barb Paldus, Founder, Codex Beauty Labs. “It has a brick and mortar type of structure wherein the skin’s cells represent the bricks, and lipids naturally produced by the body represent the mortar. Together, they form a cellular matrix which comprises the human body’s outer wall of protection.” Too many active ingredients, or other external aggressors like extreme temperatures and pollution, can create micro cracks and tears in the surface, which in turn can cause moisture-loss and inflammation in skin, but barrier-building skincare, like ceramides and hyaluronic acid can help to nurture, nourish and protect skin.
Brow Lamination
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It's not new, but brow lamination continues to capture our attention, the term generated over 1.3 billion hits over the past year as more of us seek to keep fluffy, full-looking brows in place. Kind of like the opposite of a perm for your brows, it involves brushing brows up and into your desired shape, then setting them semi-permanently (for around 6-8 weeks) so that you can skip styling them every morning.
Niacinamide
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Like hyaluronic acid, glycolic acid and salicylic acid before it, 2022 saw niacinamide become the buzzy ingredient we all wanted to know about. In fairness, the skincare multi-hyphenate is one of the hardest-working ingredients, with a few tricks up its sleeve. It can balance oil-regulation, strengthen the skin barrier function, improve cell turnover and brighten skin. Not bad for one lowly ingredient.
Slugging
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There's no way you could have missed the slugging trend take off on TikTok this year. Created by K beauty, popularised on Reddit and sent stratospheric across socials, 'slugging' involves coating your face in Vaseline or other petroleum-based products before bed and after your usual nighttime skincare routine. This creates an 'occlusive' protective barrier, preventing water loss from your skin during the night. It's a controversial one with some claiming it blocks pores and others swearing by it as the secret behind their dewy skin.
Everything you need to know about slugging.
Lash Serum
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Lash serums were another of 2022's headlining beauty trends, with the before and afters on TikTok convincing us we all need to jump on it ASAP. As for team GLAMOUR, we love the Revitalash serum for a visibly maximised flutter, and The Ordinary's lash serum (launched this year) for an affordable entry point.
Copper Hair
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Another big-hitter that's been around for a bit but isn't going anywhere, copper hair proved to be 2022's most talked-about hair shade. Picking up celebrity fans such as Zendaya, Kendall Jenner, Keke Palmer, Sydney Sweeney and Nicola Coughlan, the strawberry and spice tones add extra luxe interest and dimension to hair.
It's the prettiest way to ease into the trend.
For more from GLAMOUR's Beauty Editor, Elle Turner, follow her on Instagram @elleturneruk
