There’s a buzz in the beauty community. After years of the clean-girl aesthetic reigning supreme - from stripped-back makeup to monochrome fashion - the tides are officially changing. Enter: maximalist makeup.
Swedish pop star (and honorary Brit) Zara Larsson, has spearheaded this colourful shift in 2025 with the help of her makeup artist, Sophia Sinot. Sophia is known for her larger than life glam, featuring bright colours, iridescent finishes and glittering gems. With each new bold look they produce, the whimsical trend grows - and it certainly shows no signs of stopping next year.
© @zaralarssonIn Pintrest's annual trends report, they predicted the rise of colourful glam in 2026. We spoke to Annabelle Taura, beauty expert at Fresha, to see how these trends will manifest into makeup looks and products in 2026.
Cool Blue: frosted tones and icy shimmer
“Cobalt blue has been huge over the last year, so it’s interesting to see this cool-toned, frosted iteration set to trend in 2026, " the expert tells H! Fashion. "We’ve already seen early hints of it this year with the rise of boyfriend blush and that ‘just stepped out of the snow’ flush. I expect that to evolve as people reach for shimmery shadows again." Adding: "We've definitely seen a departure from glitter over the clean-girl era, so its return feels overdue."
© @yesimshay_ makeup by @louiesdollhouseWith the festive season underway, this deep hue will only rise. Anabelle says: "I expect cool-tone ice-y metallic shadows to carry straight into the new year, possibly with more silver cream products that give that wet-iridescent glow." We may even see the return of false lashes with icy tips, or a comeback of products like the Givenchy lash pearls. She continues: "Gemstone eyeshadow looks could also become more day-to-day, especially with the Euphoria season 3 premiere set to reignite interest in embellished beauty."
The application technique will change too. She explains: "Makeup looks will become more blended and diffused, too, with blush sweeping higher into the eye crease, and eyeshadow pulled outwards for that frosted wash of colour."
© PintrestGimme Gummy: jelly textures and playful neons
Annabelle says: “This trend really highlights the rise in popularity of Gen Z and Gen X makeup and skincare, especially products that lean into classic gummy bear colourways and packaging that mimics bubbles, rounded shapes and that soft, squishy aesthetic." It's safe to say that jelly blushes and lip products show absolutely no signs of slowing down next year.
When it comes to nails, this trend will also influence the salon picks. She says: "I think this could signal a return to neon colours. In recent years, fashion has been much more muted, and people are clearly yearning for playfulness and colour again." The celebrities are aso folliwng suit: "Timothée Chalamet and Kylie Jenner literally stepping out in vibrant orange matching Chrome Hearts looks this week, and that appetite could translate into beauty," she notes.
"I think we could see this play out in hair trends, too. Expect more vibrant rust and orange tones, and potentially a return to pastel dyes like bubblegum pink temporary tints, very reminiscent of those mid-2000s Bleach London moments that dominated internet-era beauty.”
Extra Celestial: iridescent, high gloss glow
In case you missed the memo, highlighter is back. The beauty expert says: "With this one, it’s very similar to cool blue, but it immediately screams iridescence. We’ve already seen this on catwalks this year, especially with brands like Iris Van Herpen's couture shows, where the looks felt almost weightless and otherworldly." She continues: " I don’t think this will be ‘alien’ in the traditional green-and-sci-fi sense. Instead, it’s going to lean into ultra–high gloss, hyper-reflective textures and finishes that catch the light from every angle."
© PintrestGlow will be the centre of our complexion combinations next year. The expert says: "I think we’ll see a return to Vaseline-style highlighting to bring glow back to the skin without adding any shade or colour." Annabelle also wouldn’t be surprised to see iridescent highlighters making a full comeback, similar to the bold glamour era of 2016.
She concludes: "With the rise of exosome treatments, lasers and microneedling, people are still heavily invested in treatments that make the skin look lit from within. That’s the real takeaway from this trend: skin so glowy and radiant it almost looks out of this world.”
