Every now and then, a beauty look pops up on your feed and you immediately save it — even if you have no intention of recreating it.
This year we're drawn to fun, creative beauty looks, and our Instagram feed has come in clutch when we're looking for inspo. Less uniform and more experimental. Is the internet finally embracing maximalism? Either way, social media has been serving us a generous amount of rhinestone-encrusted lips, orchid-inspired eye makeup, nail art that makes me want to try all of them at once, and hair inspo that has me planning my next five hairstyles ahead of time.
I love that beauty is shifting away from feeling overly serious. People are mixing references again: a bit of Y2K here, a touch of ‘90s supermodel glam there, paired with modern styles. One minute it’s bleached brows, the next it’s bold blush, lip gloss layered over coloured liner and hair that’s far from what we’re used to seeing. Could it be that people are finally setting trends instead of following them? Either way, we’re obsessed with the shift.
Beauty also feels a lot more personal lately. Instead of everyone trying to achieve the exact same look, people are leaning into individuality again — and honestly, it’s making beauty content fun to consume. There’s less pressure for perfection and more room for experimentation, whether that’s through unexpected colour combinations or intentionally messy hair. Even celebrity beauty feels a little less “untouchable” right now. The looks flooding our feeds still feel aspirational, but in a way that makes you want to play around with your own routine instead of copying it exactly.
And maybe that’s why certain looks end up sitting in our saved folders for weeks — not because we’re necessarily planning to recreate them detail for detail, but because they spark ideas. A hairstyle might inspire your next salon appointment. A makeup look might convince you to finally wear that bright eyeliner sitting untouched in your drawer. Sometimes it’s just about seeing beauty approached in a way that feels fresh again.
Take a look at what we’ve been loving on our feed this week.
Nails
Makeup
Hair
Recent stories by:
Lethiwe Nhlangothi
The ultimate guide to bra fitting and maintenance
Catching Up with Shudufhadzo Musida: Life after Miss South Africa
Breaking down the meaning behind Euphoria Season 3 makeup looks
Men in Beauty: 5 South African men redefining gender norms in beauty
