A New Era of Beauty: The Trends Defining 2026
Minimal beauty is out. This year, bold makeup, skincare and innovation take centre stage.
If the last few years of beauty were defined by restraint (ahem, the clean girl aesthetic and barely-there makeup), 2026 is officially (and finally) flipping the script. The next wave of beauty is bolder, moodier and driven by self-expression and experimentation. From icy shades of blue and gothic-tinged glamour to regenerative skincare, here are the five trends poised to dominate the year ahead.
Cold-Front Colour
This year, makeup is going cold. Cool blue tones are emerging as a cross-category obsession, spanning fashion, décor and now beauty. “Cool Blue is the shade that refuses to warm up to anyone and it’s showing up everywhere,” says Sydney Stanback, Global Trends and Insights Lead at Pinterest. “It’s a cross-category colour moment across fashion, beauty, food and celebrations.” On the platform, she notes users are gravitating toward glacier-inspired visuals that feel sleek and futuristic.
That energy translates seamlessly to makeup. “We’re seeing strong growth around frosted blue makeup,” Stanback explains, pointing to icy eyeshadows, cool-toned liners and shimmering finishes that feel like a modern nod to ’80s maximalism. Look to Pat McGrath’s baby blue lids at Schiaparelli’s spring show and the inky, denim-toned lips at Luar as prime examples.
The Regenerative Era
K-Beauty’s influence isn’t slowing down anytime soon. This year, the focus is on advanced actives like PDRN (polydeoxyribonucleotide), a regenerative ingredient making the leap from professional clinics to everyday routines. Yes, it’s famously derived from salmon sperm. “[It’s gone from a] K-Beauty icon to a global breakout ingredient,” says Clare Varga, VP of Content at WGSN, a global trend-forecasting agency. Even A-listers like Charli XCX. Hailey Bieber and Jennifer Aniston have embraced it. “PDRN is emerging as the regenerative active of 2026.”
Known for its collagen-boosting and repair benefits, PDRN is now showing up in serums, sheet masks, eye creams and more. Retailers including Shoppers Drug Mart, Sephora and Holt Renfrew are getting in on the K-Beauty excitement, expanding their makeup and skincare offerings and making these once-niche innovations more accessible than ever. If the fishiness of it all (or the sperm part) gives you pause, there are other options emerging. “Vegan PDRN alternatives are also gaining traction,” Varga notes, bioengineered to meet demand for animal-free innovation.
Modern Gothic
“This trend brings back drama in a really modern way,” says Stanback. Picture jet-black nails like those spotted at Christian Cowan, Blumarine’s smudged kohl eyes, dreamy goth hair and high-shine finishes that feel luxurious rather than costume-y. The overall mood? “Haunting and heartbreaking.”
The trend also reflects a larger cultural shift. “We’re seeing people move away from subtle, minimalist beauty and lean into looks that feel more expressive and identity-driven,” adds Stanback. If messy, black-rimmed eyes feel too dramatic to test-drive, ease in with a dark red or berry lip like Jenna Ortega’s recent Emmy look.
Otherworldly Beauty
If your makeup looks like it belongs on another planet, you’re doing it right. Extra Celestial is all about out-of-this-world glamour, with holographic finishes, opalescent textures and cosmic details leading the charge. “This trend is inspired by an intergalactic, futuristic aesthetic,” Stanback explains. Gen Z and Millennials are especially drawn to its otherworldly appeal, embracing beauty that feels imaginative.
On Pinterest, searches for “alien-inspired makeup” are climbing, spanning everything from opalescent eyeshadow to dewy, moonlit skin. Lady Gaga’s bleached brows and ethereal skin for her Mayhem album rollout nod to the trend, while watercolour-washed lids at shows like Collina Strada further cement its appeal.
Soft Sculpting
As GLP-1 drugs dominate the wellness conversation, a parallel trend is quietly gaining momentum: beauty solutions that promise sculpting and toning without medications or side effects. “Designed for the wellness-first, pharma-hesitant consumer, this trend highlights sculpting, toning and weight-supportive results—no prescription required,” says Varga.
Think lymphatic-drainage creams, lifting serums, contouring wraps (who could forget the Skims Sculpt Face Wrap?!) and tightening tools that claim injectable-adjacent results. The TikTok-famous “Morning Shed” trend—where participants tape their mouths shut, wear chin straps and layer on umpteen skincare products—is just one way consumers are buying into the idea. That said, realism is key. While some tools can deliver results, anything claiming to mimic or replace injectable, in-office or surgical treatments deserves a healthy dose of skepticism.
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