Make-up trends that went viral in 2024 – for good reason

The year 2024 has seen a wave of beauty trends, from excessive blush to skinny brows, and some were certainly more popular than others.

When it came to application, make-up enthusiasts flooded social media with so-called ‘hacks’, claiming to be the secret to perfecting flawless glam.

Low-contrast make-up

“Low-contrast make-up” went viral on TikTok when creators began questioning how the contrast between your hair, eyes and skin tone affects the way your make-up looks.

This trend revolves around maintaining a low-contrast, where each element of your make-up seamlessly blends together, rather than allowing any single feature to dominate. The result? An arguably effortlessly chic finish.

French make-up artist, Alieenor, has been instrumental in popularising this approach, sharing a series TikTok videos that explore the concept of “finding your contrast”.

Pout Clout Lip Plumping Pen – Neutral Beige, £8

Blush contouring

Blush certainly had its moment in 2024, thanks to singer Sabrina Carpenter and the Eighties revival, social media went mad for rosy cheeks.

Whilst ‘blush blindness’ also went viral – and not necessarily for good reason – people began to look for the best ways to properly apply blush.

“Blush contouring gives a swept look drawing the attention away from the centre of the face,” explains lash technician and founder of bonded, Elizabeth Chandler.

“Colouring from the top of the jawbone to the temple gives a more groomed squared-off look instead of a rounded shape,” explains Chandler.

Blush contouring soon became the go-to hack, where you hold your thumb and index finger in an ‘L’ shape and hold it in line with the outer edge of your nose, facing inwards.

Iconic London Blurring Blush Stick, £23

Lash curler hack

While eyelash curlers work wonders immediately after use, sometimes you can find your lashes fall flat just an hour later.

The hack that went viral this year was the use of eyeshadow primer to keep that curl in place.

The method included curling your eyelashes as normal with your curler, then taking an eyeshadow primer on a small brush and applying it to your lashes. Following this up with mascara then means your lashes will stay put all day long.