Makeup Trends Everyone Ditched In 2019

Makeup trends seem to be evolving faster than ever before. At the outset of 2019, celebrity makeup artists Elie Maalouf, Adam Breuchaud, Amy Strozzi, Kindra Mann, and the one-and-only Sir John — Beyoncé's makeup artist — predicted some of the hottest trends of the year. And they weren't wrong. Just as the experts expected, neon eyeshadow, glowing skin, monochromatic makeup, and even glitter made their way into the mainstream. Despite their early popularity, though, many of the new styles were already trending out by the summer months. That's not to say you should give up your favorite makeup just because they're "out," though.

As Breuchaud told Marie Claire: "Trends are fun, but the best makeup always is a result of genuine and confident self-expression." He continued, saying, "Don't be afraid to take a risk, try something new, and BE YOURSELF!" Still, you probably can't help but wonder what trends were unable to go the distance, right? According to makeup gurus, here are the top looks everyone started ditching in 2019. 

Instagram brows are officially dead, confirmed nearly every makeup artist and expert The List interviewed. Rick DiCecca, creative director of makeup design for Artistry by Amway, revealed, "The days of using 15 steps to make your brows look perfect have ended — we don't have time for that." Instead, he said people are focusing on "embracing our true selves." Professional makeup artist Bryan Cantor agrees that ain't nobody got time for Insta brows anymore. "No one wants to spend ten minutes with five or six products just to put on their brows," he explained. Preach.

Of course, a trend as big as Insta brows can't go away without another one swooping in to take its place. "The trend is moving to fluffier, more natural-looking 'Virgin Brows' that require far fewer products and steps to create," Cantor told The List. Likewise, Ally Seago, makeup artist and founder of Ally Things Beauty recommends a full and neatly groomed eyebrow. This is much easier to pull off than the Insta brow, considering you'll only have to commit to "using powder to fill in sparse areas and a tinted brow gel to add volume and definition," according to Seago.

Apparently full-coverage foundations' days are numbered. Krystal B. Armstrong, a professional makeup artist in New Orleans, Louisiana, said we can say goodbye to matte and heavy foundations — and the "dry faces" that come with them. Replacing the thick makeup trend is a light, dewy look. "Glass skin, natural skin, luminous skin — it all says hydration and does not say matte," the expert told The List.

California-based makeup artist Mandie Brice said people have especially given up their "matte, full-cover foundation" during the hot summer months. "People are embracing more of a 'glowing from within' look with effortlessly perfect skin (thanks to a good skincare routine) showcased with tinted moisturizer or a BB or CC cream and a nice highlight."

Armstrong explained that CC cream allows "the skin to breathe." If you're not ready to take the leap from full coverage to barely-there coverage, however, it is possible to get the dewy skin look with a heavier foundation. Armstrong recommended trying "a skin-like medium coverage foundation with a hint of facial oil." This combo will probably still feel lighter than you're used to, but it's a great middle-of-the-road option.

With dewy skin being such a huge trend in 2019, you'd think there'd be no such thing as glowing too much. Nevertheless, overdoing it on the highlighter is a trend we all fell for — and probably now regret. Ally Seago, makeup artist and founder of Ally Things Beauty, admitted that she herself is inclined to overdo the highlighter at times. The best way to use highlighter, though, is to sweep it across "the high points of the cheeks to create a healthy glow that looks authentic," according to the beauty guru.

"Highlight that is too shiny can make you look like a light bulb," Carlina Zacaria, a makeup artist in New York City, told Insider. "It's supposed to be used to create a glow — not high beams. A sheen, smooth texture of highlight is the best and will give you a nice glow that you're looking for." Seago told The List that she personally uses Luminous Dewy Skin Mist by Tatcha to get the desired, subtle effect.

In 2018, the cut crease eyeshadow trend took root. The technique called for applying a lighter shade of eyeshadow across your eyelid and then a darker shade in the lid crease. This certainly defined and called attention to the eyes, but it was a bold look that didn't quite stand the test of time. Just as we all started gravitating to the less-is-more foundation trend, a less dramatic eye also replaced cut crease shadow. 

"It was cute while it lasted," Louisiana-based makeup artist Krystal B. Armstrong told The List, "but you never see it on the cover of Vogue." She continued, saying, "Color is still in for 2019, but it's more like washes of color instead of color-blocking with harsh lines." Some have opted for an even more minimal approach to eyeshadow. With a larger focus on skin, Armstrong said "the eyes are being left with mascara and liner." And it's a good look.

In 2017, Allure reported that faux freckles were having a "major moment on Pinterest." This wasn't exactly an easy trend to master though. Makeup artist Krystal B. Armstrong told The List, "Nothing looks worse than fake freckles done wrong — and MOST of them were done wrong." By late 2018, faux freckles were still a thing. But, despite being on trend for a while, Armstrong said she is "so glad" faux freckles finally died out in 2019.

Real freckles, on the other hand, are having their much-deserved moment. Thanks in part to the Duchess of Sussex Meghan Markle, many have been inspired to show their spots. In an interview with Allure in April 2017, the former actress revealed (via People), "To this day, my pet peeve is when my skin tone is changed and my freckles are airbrushed out of a photo shoot." With the rise of minimal makeup, Armstrong said people have started to "embrace their freckles" — as they should. If you don't happen to have freckles, though, that's perfectly okay. As long as you don't draw them on.

"Super bright under eyes are over," makeup artist and founder of Ally Things Beauty Ally Seago confirmed to The List. "I do think it's good to highlight and brighten [the under eyes] a bit, but having a stark white under eye is not flattering and not natural." The expert recommended: "Try using a concealer just one shade lighter than your face instead of three to five shades lighter. Also, try setting it with a translucent powder instead of a lighter highlighting shade that's commonly found in contour palettes." 

If you're hoping to mask dark under-eye circles, you'll want to pay special attention to the inner corners of your eyes, New York-based makeup artist Ashley Riley told Reader's Digest. You'll also want to consider using a concealer that's not just a shade lighter than your foundation, but one that is actually yellow-toned. This will "brighten under the eye," according to Riley.

When you first tried contouring, you were probably pretty in awe with the results. Who knew you could chisel out a jaw with only the tools in your makeup bag? But, alas, the days of Kim Kardashian-esque contouring are over. A "more natural and realistic" look has taken its place, Ally Things Beauty founder and makeup artist Ally Seago told The List. Don't worry, though, there's still a place in your makeup routine for contouring — it's merely evolved. "Contour softly with a slightly larger brush and with a powder to buff it out," Seago detailed. "Try using a face powder that is one to two shades darker than your skin tone to add dimension to the cheeks, jaw, forehead and nose and blend until you can't blend anymore."

Don't go crazy with the contouring products, either. You don't need to blend in a bunch of different shades. In an article for PopSugar, makeup artist Nicole Moleti put it bluntly, writing: "Embrace your face, people. There is no reason to stripe it up." Hear, hear.

Just as matte foundation is out, matte lips have also been placed on the back burner in favor of a more hydrated style. "Matte liquid lipsticks aren't going away by any means," Los Angeles, California-based makeup artist Mandie Brice told The List, "but a more satin or even glossy look is becoming more prominent again." People are ditching their fave matte tubes for gloss, yes, but those lipsticks aren't exactly being thrown into the trash bin. You will see them again. However, there's no time like the present to swipe on some gloss.

Lip gloss was a big deal in the '90s, as you may well remember, but it didn't surprise Sacha Jackson, Stila UK's national lead makeup artist and trainer, that it has made a triumphant return. "We have... seen an increase in a more natural approach to makeup, and having a more glossy, moisturized look on the lip really compliments that," she told Who What Wear.

Even if you thought you'd never give up your trusty black eyeliner, you may have started to experiment with what Rick DiCecca, creative director of makeup design for Artistry by Amway, dubbed "artistic and freer looks." When speaking to The List, he said people have begun "steering away from the structured 'rock and roll' look" and have trade in their "dark" and "graphic" eyeliners for something softer. After all, this style pairs better with the minimalist makeup trend.

You may even want to try — wait for it — brown eyeliner. We know, we know, it's not the same as your pitch black liner, but that's kind of the point. Brown liner can make for a softer appearance and you might even find that brown is more your color. "It definitely made my eyes look bluer and gave a warmer, softer look," one Brit + Co employee told the publication after switching out her black liner for brown. If you're not digging the brown liner, there are plenty of other colors from which to choose — even purple.

If you follow any beauty gurus on social media, you are probably all too familiar with the glitter lip phenomenon. It's true that glitter lips look amazing in photos. Nevertheless, they have a hard time existing anywhere outside of Instagram. Sigh.

Bryan Cantor, a New York City-based makeup artist told The List that the trend was just "too impractical and high-maintenance for most people." He continued, saying, "The only way to get them to stay well was to use lash glue over your whole lip, which is incredibly uncomfortable and probably not so healthy." They're just not fit for real life.

Glitter hasn't left the makeup scene, though. "In 2019, glitter has moved off the lips and is basically being applied everywhere else — the eyes, the cheeks, the temples, the forehead, and even the body," Cantor confirmed. And isn't that better than having glitter stuck in between your teeth? We'd like to think so.

Wait. Is glitter in or is it out? As makeup artist Bryan Cantor told The List, glitter has migrated from the lips to other parts of the face, including the eyes, cheeks, temples, and more. Nevertheless, many "colorful glitter" trends of the past have died out, Rick DiCecca, creative director of makeup design for Artistry by Amway, confirmed. "We'll see more subtle shine and luminosity to represent a healthy glow," he continued. As Marie Claire revealed, the reinvented glitter makeup trend is all about looking "chic" — not like "a human disco ball."

Contrary to popular belief, there is a way to use glitter subtly — even glitter eyeshadow. The secret is both in the application and the shade you select. "Choose a shade that's lighter than your skin tone to mimic the look of a pearl highlighter," makeup artist Rommy Najor told Cosmopolitan. You'll want to apply a small amount to the inner corners of your eyes. This technique is called eye strobing, according to Najor. When choosing a color, you'll want to remember that silver and pale gold compliments light to medium skin tones whereas bronzes and deep golds are a great fit for deeper skin tones.

"We all want fuller and more luscious looking lips, but you don't want it to seem like you have an entirely exaggerated mouth," Gabriel De Santino, beauty guru and owner of Gabriel Cosmetics, told The List. Unfortunately, that's just what we were doing when we overdrew and overlined our lips. If you were going for a Kendall Jenner or Ariana Grande look, but instead ended up with Miranda Sings' signature pout, well, we feel you. Thankfully, though, there's another way to get fuller-looking lips that doesn't call for extending your lip liner past your lips.

De Santino recommended "dabbing some gloss in the center of your lips" or "lining them with concealer to make the color pop." You can also make your lips look larger without having to use any makeup at all. By drinking eight glasses of water each day, Healthline revealed that your lips may appear fuller. Exfoliating your lips with a lip scrub can also improve circulation, thus leading to a fuller appearance.

If subtle makeup isn't your thing, you'll be happy to know that bright eyeshadow is still a strong trend in 2019. However, Rick DiCecca, creative director of makeup design for Artistry by Amway, told us that "really bright pops of color on the eye" paired with "a matching bright lip" is not quite the popular look it once was. The expert predicts that bright eyeshadow will stick around in 2020, but it certainly won't be paired with "the whole face" of the same color. "We're only going to pick one feature to put a bright color on," he explained. 

If you're going to use a colorful eyeshadow palette, like Violet Voss' Fruit Sorbet in Vivid Brights, a nude lip is always a safe — but never boring — bet. However, you don't have to go completely colorless on the eyes or lip just because you're trying to avoid competing brightness. Byrdie suggested pairing red lipstick with gold eyeshadow or a peach lip with forest green shadow. These colors coordinate well without washing your face out in one solid, strong color.

Whether you refer to them as blurry, just-kissed, or smudged lips, you likely remember the trend as it made its way around Instagram. "Blurry lips were a thing for a second," Rick DiCecca, creative director of makeup design for Artistry by Amwa, revealed to The List, "but I think everyone quickly realized that it looked more messy than trendy." If you took a stab at this trend, you know exactly what the makeup guru means. If you did happen to become a pro at applying blurry lipstick, well, that's kind of a bummer because just as quickly as blurry lips came on the scene, they were out again. By summer 2019, a "clean, statement lip" took over.

According to DiCecca, everything from "classic, vibrant red" to "neon shades" began stealing the show. After surveying beauty experts for the 24th annual Best Beauty Buys, InStyle revealed the best lip products of 2019. And, just as DiCecca told us, colors from bold reds to muted mauves — and of course lip glosses — were reported to be among some of the top products.