How a Global Pandemic and Various Social Media Platforms Changed Skincare and Makeup Forever Written by Nikki Cole
When the pandemic hit, millions of women found themselves with more free time on their hands. Some women took this time to discover new hobbies, while others found a deeper love and appreciation for skincare and makeup. Consumers started becoming more conscious of skincare ingredients and even began adopting seemingly outdated cosmetic traditions. Just as well, Tik Tok opened the door for thousands of tips and DIY tricks – because who doesn’t love a good DIY?
Slugging
The name may sound weird, yet it is a tradition our grandmothers discovered years ago. While there are some things we are happy to leave in the past, this one has found its way back into our skincare routines. Slugging is where you add a nice thick layer of petroleum jelly as the last step in your skincare routine. While it sounds exactly like its name, it has proven to be very beneficial in locking moisture into the skin.
Skincare Consciousness
Conscious skincare anyone? Why yes, I think we will. During the pandemic, people became more aware of what ingredients they were putting into their bodies with a main focus being on skincare. Women wanted cleaner products and lighter makeup regimes. This has ultimately had the biggest impact on the industry, pushing hundreds of brands to reformulate and rebrand classic products to offer more ingredient-conscious products.
Makeup and Social Media
Skincare hasn’t been the only industry that has experienced a big shift. The makeup industry has been impacted as well. In the year 2016, makeup made its presence known on social media with new, groundbreaking techniques. Brands were expanding like never before, and the art of makeup was making its way onto platforms like YouTube and Instagram. People were creating tutorials left and right. It was a time of full coverage and colorful glam, and showing off creativity and artistic talents.
Flash forward to 2020, a pandemic hit, and women found themselves at home without the need to wear makeup everyday. When women started to re-emerge into public life, the idea of doing a full face of makeup was not exactly appealing or ideal. This is where skincare and makeup fused together to birth the era of the natural makeup look. Women wanted light coverage and clean beauty products. Serum-based foundations, natural eye looks, and subtle lip tones emerged, leaving the full coverage look behind.
While I oftentimes miss the colorful full coverage glam of years passed, I am loving the direction the skincare and makeup industry is headed. Women are wearing less, all while maintaining their confidence. We are learning to love the skin we’re in and are embracing our natural beauty while still appreciating the art of makeup. I, for one, am happy with the efforts being made, and I can’t wait to see what new beauty trends are on the horizon!
Nikki Cole is a 27-year-old fashionista and beauty influencer from Asheville. She drinks diet Pepsi and speaks in Friends quotes most days. When she’s not blogging about her favorite fashion and beauty trends, you can find her doing someone’s makeup, enjoying time with her husband, or planning her next outfit.