The trend for balletcore isn’t going anywhere. The fresh and romantic look was huge in 2023, and as the months go on we’ll only continue to favour hyper-feminine, coquette styles (see: the huge trend for hair bows). Balletcore relies on glowy bases, glossy lips and pink-toned cheeks and eyes. One major key to this trend is to focus on hydrating your skin, so before applying any make-up, go in with a rich moisturiser. Then, mix a dewy skin tint with a couple of drops of liquid highlighter.

Yep, the grunge aesthetic is back. But this time around, it’s all about taking a softer approach rather than using harsh techniques. The trend still includes deep matte lipsticks, smudged eyeliner, smoky eyeshadows and flat complexions (meaning foregoing depth-adding products like bronzer and blusher), but for a touch of softness, opt for different hues instead of traditional black. Navy is a great shade for your smudged eyeliner, while an amethyst smoky eye may become your new go-to. For lips, try Dior’s SS24 ‘witchy lip’ (pictured above), which was created to give a ‘bitten’ effect.

Like balletcore, this trend relies on a glowy and fresh finish but instead focuses on subtle, soft accents to your make-up. Think ultra glowy cheekbones, draped pink blusher and highlighted inner corners, the latter of which was spotted at Roksanda’s SS24 show. On lips, opt for a blotted finish. Apply your lipstick to the middle of your lips and blend out towards the edges with a fluffy make-up brush. To amp up the ethereal finish, swipe a layer of lip gloss on top.

…basically, all shades of red. While hues of crimson and scarlet are often used on our lips or painted onto our fingertips, 2024 will see us use the colour in fun and experimental ways.

Red blush will become as commonplace in our make-up bags as traditional pinks and corals. If you’re prone to redness or rosacea and prefer taking away any signs of red, re-consider your blush placement. Focus your blush on the temples instead, blending it out towards your hairline.

As for red eyeshadow, we encourage sweeping the colour all over. But if that sounds scary, ease yourself in with colour eyeliner instead. Either use a red pencil, or buff a red eyeshadow along the lashline. While on lips, upgrade your classic red lip with a shiny finish. At Alice + Olivia’s SS24 show, lead make-up artist Elyse Reneau created what she described as “the revenge lip: a bold red lip dripping in juicy gloss”.

While we’re on the topic of colours, peach is set to be everywhere in the New Year, but particularly when it comes to blusher. The rise of peach isn’t much of a surprise, considering Peach Fuzz was named the Pantone Colour of the Year for 2024, and the hue will bring a pretty-yet-subtle flush of colour to your cheeks, like at Eudon Choi’s SS24 show. The great thing about this trend is you can go as light or as heavy-handed as you like, and when it’s done, sweep the blush over your eyelids and across the bridge of your nose for a uniform warmth in the skin.