From Blush Blocking to Cloud Skin—6 Makeup Trends That Are Poised to Overtake 2026

Every year brings new fashion and beauty movements that are, even if imperceptible to the general public, inspired by the state of the world around us. The return of maximalist fashion and long hemlines in 2025 indicated economic turmoil, and one could interpret the slate-swipe from “clean girl” beauty to grungy, messy makeup as an artistic representation of global unrest. Using aesthetics as a means of self-expression is a tale as old as time, which explains why the beauty trends of 2025—amid the throes of an American election year, no less—err on the side of bold colors and loud statements instead of subtlety.

Within the realm of beauty, makeup is easily one of the most pronounced ways that aesthetic proclamations are made. Red lipstick can convey liberation just as much as it insinuates sensuality, and so on and so forth. While we don’t have a crystal ball that will reveal the unknown cultural phenomena and fashion moments that will influence makeup in 2026, we do have a team of experienced celebrity makeup artists who study the shifting beauty landscape (and have valuable forecasts to share).

“Fashion, right now, is all about subtle structure with little surprises, and beauty is mirroring that,” celebrity makeup artist and Ciele Cosmetics founder Nikki DeRoest tellsBest Knockoff Luxury Clothing . “I think people are gravitating toward looks that feel intentional but not overly polished.” Celebrity MUA Kelli Anne Sewell is aligned, expecting “a lot of blurring, soft matte finishes, [plus] blushy complexion and lips” in the coming year.

From ethereal skin to color-punched pouts, the trends before us are less about “adding” to your look and more about “editing” your routine. Ahead, six makeup trends to hop on before they’re buzzy this year.

The Top Makeup Trends of 2026

Blush Blocking

Beauty lovers have been heavy-handed with their blush for the last two years, but these rosy pigments will be utilized in a more intentional, multitasking way this year. “2026 will be defined by a real ‘cheek-first’ approach to makeup,” explains DeRoest. “Blush isn’t just an accent anymore—it’s becoming the anchor of the entire look.”

Whether flushy, doll-like pinks or deep, jammy swathes, DeRoest is seeing “everything from soft, diffused color” to “more sculpted, lifted placements” trending upward for 2026. Think toasted blush in the hollows of the cheekbones in lieu of bronzer (much like Marianna Hewitt’s “blonzer” trick) and cream blush tapped onto the lips for a blurred, French-girl look (as demonstrated by Mario Dedivanovic in his party-ready makeup tutorial).

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Cloud Skin

One thing that celebrity makeup artists make abundantly clear about 2026 is that complexions are going to look a lot less “wet” this year. “Skin will stay radiant, but the finish is evolving,” DeRoest explains. Though skincare may well still be in the “glass skin” era, the makeup industry is leaving this shellacked look behind in favor of dreamier, blurrier, softly veiled skin. Sewell sees this as a direct response to the overly dewy-skin trend that’s steered the complexion ship in the last few years. “Glassy, glazed-doughnut skin is out, and soft blur is in,” she proclaims.

DeRoest describes this angelic, cloud-like complexion trend as a “smoother, gentler glow—like light bouncing off well-moisturized skin.” To achieve this look, reach for moisturizing skin tints with a whisper of coverage or buildable foundations with natural or satin finishes. “If you want more dimension, layer a cream blush for radiance or use a small amount of powder to soften the finish,” DeRoest adds.

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Feathered Finishes

This isn’t a trend you can achieve with products; it’s one you accomplish through sheer technique. Luckily, it’s super beginner-friendly. “Feathered” makeup is marked by imperfect, blurred edges, and most makeup artists use their fingers to achieve this look. Sewell observed the subtle gradient of luminous blush into poreless skin and “bitten” lips all over the runways for 2026, and she expects it to be the next big thing this year.

The trick? Don’t be so precious about your placement. “Use your favorite lipstick on your cheek,” Sewell suggests, an “old-school” technique that offers a flushed, editorial look that never looks too exact. You can also achieve a feathered flush by “bringing your blush a bit higher on the face” or “sweeping it over the bridge of your nose for that soft, outdoor flush,” explains DeRoest.

This trend is perfectly aligned with the Nina Park makeup craze sweeping TikTok right now, where creators try to re-create the celebrity makeup artist’s softly blurred celebrity makeup look. To achieve her blurred lip-and-cheek look, stipple lipstick onto the center of your lips before buffing it past your natural lip line for a blurred, effortless vibe (very French, might I add). Sweep luminous highlighters on with a fluffy brush, swap your sharpened lip liners for lip brushes, and smudge your eyeliner to your heart’s content for this trend—it’s all about that watercolor blend.

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Melted Matte Lips

“Another big shift for next year is the return of the strong lip,” says DeRoest. “After all the soft, barely there color trends, people are craving a little punch—something that feels powerful and crisp, even if the application is still diffused and effortless,” she adds. I won’t say I told you so, but I did call the return of 2016 makeup this summer after watching music’s It girls don cut creases, blinding highlighter, and of course, matte lipstick, during the summer music festival gambit. However, this doesn’t mean that you have to resurrect your sandpaper-dry liquid lipsticks from the King Kylie era.

Matte formulas have massively improved in the past 10 years, which means that these lippies are (usually) no longer dehydrating. However, the “melted matte” look offers a bit of peekaboo radiance for a healthy, skin-forward look. “Keep things unfussy but bold,” DeRoest advises. “Apply your color, then tap the edges with your finger so it feels lived-in and cool instead of too perfect. It’s such an easy way to modernize a strong lip.” The feathered finish meets the 2016 lip—the perfectly undone upgrade this trend deserves after a 10-year hiatus.

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Maximalist Makeup

Zara Larsson and Sophia Sinot may be the 2026 whistleblowers, but maximalist makeup never really went anywhere—it’s just finally resurfacing after post-COVID years of “clean girl” beauty aesthetics. With the spring-slated release of Euphoria’s third season, we can expect an uptick in colorful, jewel-bedecked beauty looks as the year opens up—and with it new maximalist makeup trends that even we are not yet privy to.

If this trend in all its multicolored, glittering glory feels too grandiose for your everyday, try incorporating a sliver here and there: a hint of colorful eyeliner or a subtle stipple of fractal glitter eye shadow over a neutral base. You can also cherry-pick a few of the trends mentioned above—blurred finishes, no mascara, and a statement lip, like Florae’s glossy-lip look—to achieve a maximalist editorial look, rather than Larsson’s glittery, tour-ready iterations.

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Naked Fringe

The no-mascara trend is one WWW senior beauty editor Jamie Schneider has been championing for years now, and the experts expect this movement to keep picking up steam in 2026. “I noticed a lot of no-makeup makeup with a lip and cheek stain, and no mascara [this past September],” Sewell recalls, reflecting on New York Fashion Week. Models at Sportmax S/S 26 and Pauline Dujancourt F/W 25, to name a few, popularized the blurred-pout and bare-lash look on runways, but the makeup artist is expecting a gradual trickle-down effect in the coming months (and she’s not talking about swapping black mascara for brown).

Editorials often showcase bold, slick, or shimmery eye makeup set against an eyeliner- and mascara-less eye, as demonstrated by Razzano and maximalist makeup artist Lynda Florae, to draw more attention to the shadow and complexion makeup than the eyes themselves. Despite maximalism being an irrefutable trend this year, in some cases, the lashes will be left completely bare to let the rest of the look do the talking.

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