To wrap up a year of inspiration, the CIC team has analysed the TikTok trends that dominated in the last months of 2023 - from superhero-inspired effects and sugar-glazed wintery hues to intentionally unsettling makeup.
1. RAINBOW MASK
With its links to the LGBTQIA+ pride flag, Rainbow Mask makeup involves creating a spectrum of colours across the eye area, in the shape of a superhero mask. To begin, two strips of tape are placed on the face, above and below the eyes, to create a defined area for applying makeup.
White eyeshadow powder is then applied as a base, with different colours layered on top to create a rainbow effect. The tape is removed to reveal the mask effect. For finishing touches, the look is enhanced with hand-drawn artistry, gems and 3D embellishments.
There are alternative approaches, such as James Charles' preference for a mask in shades of pink with clouds, but the fundamental concept remains the same.
Key hashtags: #rainbowmask: 3.5M views / #rainbowmakeup: 349.5M views
Key influencers: @lucasrodgerss/ @mimiermakeup/ @beatsbydeb/ @nikkietutorials/ @jamescharles
2. Sugar Plum Fairy
Once again, Hailey Bieber triggered another viral makeup trend, this time fusing food-inspired narratives with her signature, Clean Girl coquettishness to declare winter 23/24, Sugar Plum Fairy season. Inspired by her childhood role in The Nutcracker, Bieber posted a festive look that riffs on the ballet’s iconic Land of Sweets segment, using sugary, shimmery pink hues with plum undertones.
To create the look, bright pink blush is extended from the cheeks to the temple and draped across the bridge of the nose and the eyes to create a frost-bitten glow. Plum, berry, warm pink, and mauve colours are also used by TikTokkers, reflecting the look on different skin tones. Defining her brows and adding a subtle glow with highlighter, Bieber then adds faux freckles. The look is completed by the Rhode Peptide Lip Treatment in the limited-edition shade Jelly Bean (a shimmery sheer pink).
Sugar Plum Fairy makeup builds on several key trends that surfaced last year (most of which were perpetuated by Bieber herself), blending the glow of #CleanGirl with the pink hues of #Balletcore.
Rising hashtags: #sugarplumfairy: 129M views/ #ballet: 19.8B views/ #balletcore: 1.4B views
Key influencers: @haileybieber/ @alissajanay1/ @victorialyn
3. Uncanny Valley Makeup
The Uncanny Valley trend, popularised by creator Emilia Barth, gained widespread attention at the end of 2023, thanks to her unsettling transformation into a humanoid robot. Using pale foundation and concealer, liquid eyeliner, and contour powder, Barth mimics the plasticky appearance of a robot’s skin, creating an eerily captivating effect.
The look is inspired by the slightly awkward imagery often generated by AI, which has flooded the public consciousness in recent months. TikTokkers have been quick to capture this uneasy aesthetic by recreating the almost otherworldly looks. Part robotic and part doll-like, the finished result is purposefully unnerving, with TikTokkers adding exaggerated facial expressions and haunting choral music to double-down on the uncanny effect. The trend now extends beyond mere makeup application, to include an Uncanny Valley-inspired filter. With its esoteric and unconventional themes, #UncannyValley occupies the same universe as #weirdcore and #dreamcore, as Gen Z continues to explore increasingly extreme and subversive narratives as a form of self-expression.
Rising hashtags: #uncannyvalleymakeup: 233.5M views
Key influencers: @blonde.girlyy/ @mimiermakeup/ @yodelinghaley
The CIC Take
TikTok continues to prove to be a vital indicator of the motivations of Gen Z, and our latest Trend Book, Beauty Protopia: Makeup Inspiration from the US is enriched with the latest TikTok data (provided by our partner, Spate), which feeds our prospective research and trend analysis. In it, we explore the latest consumer shifts and how these are impacting makeup - including the evolution of subversive messaging, as consumers embrace increasingly unconventional - and unhinged - aesthetics.
Contact us today for more information on Beauty Protopia: Makeup Inspiration from the US.