From bows to a boyfriend blush, adorn yourself with the prettiest trends that proclaim, “I’m literally just a girl”.
Makeup: Girl therapy
In the year of girl dinner and girl math, embrace your feminine energy with these runway trends.
Golden goddess: The silver and chrome popularised by Beyoncé’s Renaissance Tour take a backseat to a new metallic obsession. As seen at Thom Browne, Chanel, Peter Pilotto, and Christian Siriano, it’s all about the golden-goddess treatment, with flecks and splashes of gold over the eyes, lips, and hair by way of gold leaf on sleek buns and molten-gold pigment swiped across eyelids.
Try: Revlon ColorStay Xtensionnaire Lengthening Mascara in Black, R250; Huda Beauty Nude Obsessions Eyeshadow Palette on Nude Medium, R665.
Bow mania: Halfway through the year and we’re still not over bows — and with good reason: the ways to wear them keep getting better and better! At Simone Rocha, bows were used as “makeup”, with models sent down the runway in ribbons tied into bows and fixed to the cheeks. The mandate is clear — one bow is never enough. It’s about going big and having fun.
Try: Satin bows 4pk, R180, lovisajewellery.co.za; Duo Eye Lash Adhesive in Clear, R550.
Pop-star flush: Take inspiration from singer Sabrina Carpenter for an unapologetically girly and super-glowy way to wear your blush. Using an iridescent, blush-highlighter hybrid formula, layer two to three pink blush shades in varying undertones and textures for a multi-dimensional, high-shine finish. Sweep them across the entire cheek area, from the side of the nose, over the apple of the cheek and up to the cheekbone.
Try: Fenty Beauty Hot Cheeks Velour Blushlighter in Baked Peach, R640; Nars Blush in OrgasmX, R760.
Female-gaze makeup: Sultry and designed for the “gworls”, this TikTok trend is about women doing makeup to please themselves, rather than male-gaze makeup that favours a more natural, innocent look. Pair fresh-faced, model-like sculpted coverage with defined, feline-looking eyes. Apply a small, sharp, winged liner and tight-line eyes by running black kohl liner along the waterline of both lash lines.
Try: Kylie Cosmetics Kyliner Gel Eyeliner Pencil in 001 Matte Black, R490; Revlon Super Lustrous Lipstick in Whiskey Business, R170.
Beauty road test:
Boyfriend blush. Take your cue from rugby boys’ post-match flushed cheeks for this season’s ultimate girly-girl look.
Start with fresh-faced, luminous coverage that creates the ideal base for this super-flushed look. Perfect for round or oval face shapes, this blush technique creates the illusion of fuller, more youthful-looking cheeks.
Placement is crucial, so concentrate on the area where one would naturally blush — on the lower part of the cheek, along the jawline. Ditch the usual higher blush placement, along the temples and cheekbones, which is used to create a sculpted, lifted look.
Focus placement lower on the face, in line with the nostril and hollow of the cheek, and blend blush down towards the jawline, in an almost triangular shape. Intensify colour payoff by applying a cream blush as a base and layer with a powder blush in a similar shade family.