Whenever someone utters the words "street style," my mind immediately jumps to the eclectic outfits and edgy beauty looks we see editors, influencers and celebs stepping out in during fashion week. However, off-season, there's a lot to be said for the beauty and style inspiration thriving on the streets of cities around the UK courtesy of everyday women.
This month, we're in the capital documenting real street style and keep noticing that London's girls are keeping their beauty looks pared-back, undone and effortlessly cool. In fact, there are three key beauty trends that they all seem to be embracing for spring: tousled buns, lashings of black eyeliner and simple skin.
It's a truly relaxed approach to hair and makeup that even those of you who aren't that into beauty will find genuinely wearable—trust me. Keep scrolling to see the best beauty looks that we spotted on the streets of London, and shop the products you'll need to re-create the looks at home.
1. Black Eyeliner
Admittedly, black eyeliner is a pretty classic beauty look, but I'd pretty much forgotten about it given the number of neon eyeliners and colourful eye shadows everyone's taken to wearing on Instagram this year. Instead, on the streets, girls are going back to basics and embracing classic black eyeliner. From liquid flicks to smudged-out kohl, it's an incredibly versatile product to have you in beauty arsenal. Apply as little or as much as you want and experiment to find a liner look that works for you.
Throw it back to the '60s like Ida with a bold slick of winged-out, jet-black eyeliner. Keep the rest of the eyes bare, including the lower lash line, to let that cat eye really do the talking. (Bonus points for ticking another 2019 beauty trend with a topknot too!)
My best friend is something of an eyeliner aficionado, and she swears by this pen-style one from Fenty Beauty. (Her eyeliner is always impeccable, FYI.) It has a flexible tapered nib so you can create everything from an ultra-precise line to a thick flick—and it glides on with the ease of a gel.
We're veering from the '70s into the '90s with Hannah's kohl-rimmed eye look. Forget the feline flick—keep the colour close to both your upper and lower lash lines instead. Tightlining (aka applying the colour inside your waterline) gives the eyes a cool, grungy finish.
Before I discovered this eyeliner, my attempts at cool-girl kohl left me looking like a sad panda. Thankfully, this double-sided baton is foolproof. One side contains a creamy eyeliner pencil that glides on and can be smudged out with a finger if you want a more lived-in look (it also stays put for the rest of the day). The other side contains a shadow if you want to add a really smoky edge to your look.
The subtlest of liquid liner flicks and lashings of black mascara create Mollie's polished, preppy makeup look. It works just as well for a day in the office as it does for a night out.
When the queen of eyeliner, Alexa Chung, puts her name to a product, you know you're in safe hands. This felt tip liner can be used to subtly define the eyes or create a full-on retro cat eye. Top tip for liquid eyeliner newbies: Start by putting a few dots of eyeliner along your upper lash line, and then join them up to get a more even line.
2. Undone Buns
From tousled topknots to end-of-day ballerina buns, this updo is less about precision and more about practicality—London girls want their hair off their face as they work their way through the city. However, this scraped-back approach actually results in a really modern take on the bun. The key to rocking a bun without making it look too try-hard? Once you've pulled it up on top of your head or at the nape of your neck, tug your hairband away from your head to loosen up the style; then pull some tendrils loose around your face. The more the merrier.
The chicest undone bun I ever did see. Tora's topknot is prevented from veering into ballerina territory thanks to the soft wisps of hair at the edges of her style. If your bun is looking a little too polished, use both hands to gently pull it apart and let some of those hairs fly free.
In my opinion, this look works best when there's plenty of flyaways and fuzzy bits. For some added shine, spray this onto your finished style to impart a beautiful sheen. The vitamin E will care for your hair while you go about your day as well.
Related: Every Cool Girl I Follow on Instagram Has This Exact Haircut
Yes, buns still look great with a fringe. In fact, in Nandi's case, it just adds to the dishevelled nature of her beautifully undone style. Instead of trying to scrape back curls or wavy hair into a sleek updo, allow the natural texture of your strands to create a gorgeous, relaxed feel.
Formulated with pure shea butter, this rich cream is great for anyone with wavy to tightly coiled hair. You can apply it on damp strands to enhance your natural texture, or on dry hair to re-moisturise and add extra definition to your strands.
If a topknot is something you only wear when it's time for a serious skincare session, then a low bun might be more up your street. When worn low, towards the nape of your neck like Molly, buns look effortlessly elegant. In London, girls are wearing them with extra texture at the crown of the head and strands of hair pulled loose around the face.
This is my holy grail texture spray. Before you twist your hair into a bun, give it a good shake and then spray directly into the roots of your hair, using your fingers to mess up your strands. It's great for in-between washes, as it absorbs oil while building volume.
3. Bare Skin
Taking fresh-faced to the next level, London girls are stepping out with what looks like barely a scrap of makeup on their skin. Complexions are even and there's no hint of blusher or contour in sight. You'll either love or loathe this look. If you hate faffing with makeup in the morning, it's a brilliant time saver, but if you aren't confident bare-faced, this look can seem intimidating. However, there are some tricks that can help you get the same results without you having to give up your foundation and concealer for good.
Barely there makeup and a neutral outfit are a classic combination as demonstrated by Eli.
I'd describe this serum as a skin tint and definitely won't claim it's comparable to a full-coverage foundation. However, when applied with a wet sponge, this lightweight serum does an amazing job at evening out skin tone for a natural finish. Even on days when I have blemishes, this looks beautiful as a skin base. I'll also use concealer to pinpoint areas that I feel need a little extra coverage.
Related: I've Tried 100s of Concealers—These Are the Only 10 I'd Ever Recommend
While Mai's outfit is all about excess (she loves layers upon layers), her makeup is kept beautifully simple with a fresh-looking complexion.
For me, making sure that my eyes look bright and wide-awake means I can wear less makeup on the rest of my face. After all, your eyes are the part of your face that most people are looking at when they're talking to you. This is a pink-toned camouflage cream that neutralises darkness under your eyes to immediately brighten the entire eye area. You can layer it beneath your concealer, but I've found that it does a great job on its own on no-makeup days.
If you're not crazy about colour, then teaming a statement piece like Ella's green coat with a simple beauty look is a perfect balance.
A balmy, illuminating cream that does a magical job of diffusing pores and fine lines and imparting a soft, healthy glow to your skin. You can use it alone, under foundation or on top of other products to add radiance where you want it.
Next up, these are the six trending hairstyles of fashionable women everywhere.
