TikTok trends, Star Wars and superheroes… but make it fashion.
Last year, as we entered lockdown, I decided I wanted to take the time away from people to figure out how to make myself look more presentable at work, in terms of hair and makeup. However, my priorities soon switched to making my skin feel clean so I wouldn’t feel the need to wear makeup anymore to look present or awake. While that’s been a fun, healing mindset, I still want to cultivate new aesthetic skills! I truly believe that looking beautiful is an art, and I’ve never been much of an artist. I would like to change that!
I have several looks that I want to learn this year. Take a look at my ideas list so far!
- Curl my hair with straightener. This concept has eluded me for years. It is allegedly so simple and easy that most girls can do it every other morning, in twenty minutes, and be ready for work. Salon-fresh! That’s what I’m really after: get so good at hair that I don’t need to go to the salon.
- Winged eyeliner. See previous sentiment. My go-to look in junior year was a bright red lip, winged eyeliner, and not much else. Nowadays when I make the attempt, it often comes off uneven, and I end up looking like a toddler with her mom’s makeup, but I also was copying a beatnik. I’m an adult. And sixties looks aren’t completely back yet. I think we’ll be there by 2027, but right now we’re still vibing on modernized takes of nineties and eighties styles.
- Space buns. They’re everywhere. Well, they used to be. Three years ago, it felt like every influencer had perfectly proportioned space buns. There are newer trends out there now, but the space buns have stayed with me this whole time. They’re a fun way to keep all your hair off your shoulders! In a world where throwing my hair up in a large, messy, tight bun leads to a thinning hairline and headaches, I need a more stylish alternative that doesn’t make me look nuts.
- Hard core contour. I’m not a contour person. I think it takes too long, requires a strong hand, and if you don’t have time nor a strong hand, you could come out looking like a poorly-lit nightmare… or, you know, the catalyst for an apology video. That said, I’ve always wondered how I’d look if I really studied all those contour tutorials on Youtube, took a day where I didn’t have to go or be anywhere, and just casually resculpted my face using only powder and brushes. There is something kind of magical in being able to use cosmetics like that. My Bella Hadid look from last year felt like step one to really getting a strong contour going. I think there’s room for growth!
- Color my hair. I’m gonna do it. This is the year. I’m going to wait until I hit a personal goal, and once I do, I’m booking the appointment, sitting in a chair, and getting my hair a SLIGHTLY DIFFERENT BROWN. Gasp. Yes. It’s happening.
- Madison Beer makeup, revisited. She keeps showing up on my Instagram feed, just… MOCKING me. It’s borderline offensive. I’m not gonna let her get me. I WILL BEST YOU, INSTAGRAM MODEL I’VE NEVER MET.
- French braids. I personally believe there’s two different kinds of cool: when guys think you’re cool vs. when girls think you’re cool. It’s different. I always thought the cool girls at camp were the ones who knew how to French braid. I don’t think I’ve ever had French braids in my hair in my life. Isn’t that insane? It seems to be a go-to look for looking “casual at home,” but I don’t think I’ve ever seen a concept more complicated. This seems to be the year where the complicated just becomes my normal (foreshadowing), so figuring out this style is fitting!
- Wonder Woman makeup. I’ve discussed my love of Wonder Woman at length here, I think. Gal Gadot has been my EVERYTHING since taking the reins (the sword? The lasso. You get it) in 2017. Thankfully, some beautiful soul out in the cosplay universe named Alyson Tabbitha has the makeup, hair, and wardrobe assembling talent to create a look for nearly everyone you’ve seen get their own Halloween costume. You wanna talk about hardcore contour, this girl can transform herself seamlessly into Jack Sparrow! Anyway, she has a step-by-step walkthrough on how to look like Diana Prince herself. Since Wonder Woman (and really, Gal Gadot) has a mostly natural look with neutral tones, I’m excited to see where this can go!
- Air Curling my hair. TikTok has a new trendy way to guarantee beautiful hair at all times without needing to use a straightener! You know what you DO need, though? A dryer brush. Or an air curler. It depends on who you ask. It’s essentially a hair dryer combined with a round brush. With a skilled hand, you come out with a picture-perfect blowout every time. I do not have a skilled hand. I do have a dryer brush, though! I cannot wait to get this trainwreck a rollin.
I have attempted both items 1 and 9 in the past month. I’m getting better at the former, and I’m seeing no change in the latter. I hope that as the year goes on, even if I don’t do them every day, I at least can say I know how to do them! Especially French braiding. I should be able to figure that out, right? IT’S HARD TO DO THINGS TO YOUR OWN HEAD.