As a maximalist makeup lover, it brought me great joy announcing the end of the Clean Girl beauty reign at the end of last year, but what’s next? Metallic makeup!
Looking into my crystal ball – how all beauty editors foresee the upcoming trends, of course – metallic makeup has been quietly bubbling up in 2026 from the runway to your favourite celeb faces like Tyla, Hailey Bieber, Zara Larsson, Chase Infiniti and Wunmi Mosaku.
“What can I say, other than that it’s fun, and fun always makes its way back,” makeup artist Lara Nasamu tells Glamour on why we’re seeing the emerging beauty trend. A peek through at her Instagram feed and you’ll see just how obsessed she is. Metallic lips, lids, cheekbones and skin all look like they’ve beamed straight in from the year 3026. “There’s nothing else that gives you that immediate deep gasp – ‘ahhhh’ – moment than when you swatch something shiny,” she adds.
I similarly have found myself switching out my regular eyeliner shades – from hot pink to electric blue – for gold, silver and holographic blues, greens and purples. Inspired, in part, by the recent arrival of Half Magic in the UK. Founded by the iconic makeup artist behind Euphoria, Donni Davy, I asked her about the recent resurgence of maximalist makeup. “People want to participate in expressive, fun or colourful makeup, but they give up before they even try because they think they can’t,” she says. “That’s what really inspires me with Half Magic. I want to show them that it’s so much easier than you think; undo everything you thought about fun, creative, artistic makeup and we’ll show you how easy it is with our products.
Among the offerings that dropped on Sephora, some of my faves are Glitterpill and Sparklestik, but the real MVP is Glitterpuck – AKA my new go-to for effortless glam. A pressed glitter that doesn’t end up everywhere, it somehow manages to survive my sweaty hooded lids and can be applied with a simple swipe of your finger. A tip I picked up from Donni, I’ve also been using a fluffy powder brush all over my body before a night out for an extra dusting of sparkle. “I don’t think in terms of rules and a lot of steps, like some makeup artists who are more traditionally trained,” Donni explains. “I really think about the human aspect of it and the chaos. Maybe you have a kid and you’re running around or you’re late and want to throw something on really quick that makes you feel like the best version of yourself.”