With 2024 and the Mob Wife trend already underway, we’re taking a look ahead to see what is in store for the year. What makeup trends will rule our TikTok feeds? What beauty looks will dominate the runways? Thanks to some incredible industry insiders, we have a sneak peek at 2024 makeup trends we’re about to see everywhere.
The Mob Wife Makeup Trend
The first makeup trend of the year is all about the sultry take on a Sopranos-inspired aesthetic, and according to Miami makeup artist Natalie Dresher, it’s absolutely everywhere.
“The clean girl aesthetic is DONE,” Dresher declares. “The mob wife aesthetic is IN and I’m absolutely loving it. Messy shadow, eyeliner rimmed eyes, full coverage foundation and red or brown lips—count me in!”
“An easy way to achieve the mob wife aesthetic is with a full-coverage foundation that still looks like skin such as the CoverFx Powerplay,” Dresher explains. “Smudge on some cream shadow and rim the eyes with a dark liner—the perfect duo to achieve this with is the Tarte Cosmetics Quick Stick in Taupe Luster/Black liner combo. Overline your lips with a brown lip liner or red one depending on your mob wife vibe, feather in the color and top with a matching gloss!”
Blue Is Back
When it comes to color, we’re taking a bold turn into blue territory.
I see blues trending this year,” explains celebrity makeup artist D’Andre Michael. “Various shades and tones of blue eye shadows are going to be seeing a resurgence.”
MAC Cosmetics director of makeup artistry Terry Barber agrees, noting that blue eye shadows specifically have a lot of cinematic references that make it a uniquely powerful shade to be a makeup trend.
“Some of my key moments in makeup were blue eye shadow,” Barber says. “Liza Minnelli in Cabaret and Elizabeth Taylor in Cleopatra, Christina Ricci in Buffalo 66. I’m influenced by that so much. There’s something about a blue eye. It almost has a bit of a swagger to it. It’s a pretty color, but I think there’s almost something a little bit kind of punk and rebellious about it at the same time.”
Michael notes that the latest makeup trend is always going to be influenced by the past. “Because people are always going to continue to recycle the old trends, the new trends are all in search for those looks that are uniquely their own,” he says.
Red Lip Resurgence
If you’ve seen the Taylor Swift coverage, you’ve probably been thinking about a red lip (we certainly have).
And if it’s a glossy red or a gorgeous deep matte, the red lip is back. “I think 2024 is going to be about various red lip shades,” Michael predicts. That means the nude lip, though always a popular staple, may take the backseat to the bolder, more stand-out shades.
It also tends to pair well with blue eye shadow, explains Barber. “MAC Frost Eye Shadow in Tilt is a shade you could wear with a red lip but also with a nude lip and they say completely different things,” Barber explains. “I love blue eye shadow with a red glossy lip.”
Skin Says I Dew
“We’ve seen skin move towards a fresh and clean look,” Michael says. “I think in 2024, we’ll see more dewy, intentionally placed glow.”
With the last year awash in skin trends like cloud skin and glass skin, we’re sure to see a trendy new name for what’s in this year.
“We’ve been calling it Pearl Skin,” Barber says. “I just love this idea of the freshness and this kind of radiant shine. Because it reminds me of 18th century portraits or a little bit Regency, you know, very ornate dress skin with little pearl tones on top of the cheekbones and the nose. Very delicate, very elegant.”
Grunge Gets Gorgeous
Obviously, the ’90s have been back in a major way for a second. The aesthetic, modern updates to what was always a messy, deconstructed style has the makeup of the era seeing a new style, too.
“I think dirty, murky colors are having a moment,” Barber says. “Colors which actually don’t look that attractive in the container are often the most complimentary colors on the skin. Like sometimes the dirtier the color, the more tonal it is on the face or the more it brightens the eyes or creates a really shaped monochrome. So, never be passed by dirty colors colors which have kind of slate or gray or khaki in them.”
