METRO's 2021 Hair and Makeup Trend Forecast, According to the Experts

What could 2021 have in store for us beauty fans? It turns out, the year is bound to be an exciting one, as we collectively took a sigh of relief that 2020 is over, and keep our hopes up for a better 2021. On the beauty front, it doesn't seem like we're having a boring year ahead—despite still having to stay at home! 

Just last night, we at Metro.Style spoke with industry experts in hair and makeup over at the Make Me Over x Style Me Now show on Kumu. Celebrity makeup artists Owen Sarmiento, Albert Kurniawan, and hair expert/salon entrepreneur Lourd Ramos graced our show and gave us their fearless forecasts for the year ahead! 

2020 was pretty much defined by pared-down, defined by a 'less is more' mentality—from makeup to skincare, as everyone suddenly found themselves spending more time within the four corners of their homes, naturally needing less makeup. Our kikay kits took a sudden hiatus—leaving us with products that were desperate to see the light of day. As we spent more time at home, our skincare routines took center stage, giving us a chance to tend to our 'maskne'-ridden complexions as the quarantine months rolled by.

As restrictions eased up, we found ourselves heading out a little more, with masks plastered on to our faces, putting safety in the top spot of priorities. Surely beauty could wait right? Or could it? The real beauty fans among us couldn't be stopped at some point—we played with makeup on our eyes as it was the only part seen when we were out. Investing in volumizing and lengthening mascaras and brow-perfecting products as well as experimenting with glitter and colored liner were the beauty trends du jour. 2020 may have been weird, depressing, and surreal in some parts, but we knew the comfort and happiness beauty could bring, and we turned to it big time!

2021 at a Glance

Expressing ourselves through beauty, as it turns out, has a huge impact on how we feel. Celebrity makeup artist Albert Kurniawan agrees, sharing that despite being in a pandemic, "you have to feel good about yourself by applying skincare and makeup." The year ahead will prove to be a lot more focused on this aspect, as we've all had enough of restraining our feelings and emotions. 2021 is set to be a year of release, of expressing one's self through beauty, and finding one's voice in the world once again.

What to look forward to: HAIR

We asked no less than hair expert and entrepreneur Lourd Ramos to give us his hair trend forecast for 2021, and his answers simply excited us. In terms of hair color, now is not the time to play it safe, as hues like iced tea, ultra blondes, dark silver, aroma green, blue jeans, dark chocolate browns are set to make waves in 2021. "There's no in between. Either you go dark, or you go really light. It's all about aggressiveness, it's all about power, being present at the moment, in the moment!" As for haircuts, women are more likely to go the bob route, or cuts similar to the haircut in 'The Queen's Gambit', and men will play with under cuts more. 

What to look forward to: MAKEUP

Surprise! We'll still be in masks this year. But while this is a health safety measure we must all adhere to, that certainly doesn't mean the beauty fun has to stop. According to both celebrity makeup artists Owen Sarmiento and Albert Kurniawan, 2021 will bring us even more ways to explore and play around with our eye makeup, as that will still be the center of attention for a good chunk of time.

"The colors of the 80s will be back, and we're talking about oranges, yellows, vibrant blues, purples", Owen shares. He also says "you can wear those in many ways, especially for those that don't like blending eye shadow, there are a lot of different ways you can do it. One of those is colored mascara, or perhaps a bright, bold colored, graphic eyeliner." Seems like nostalgic techniques are also in, such as cut-crease eyeshadow for that 3-dimensional look, or an all-over kohl liner look against bare skin. As for brows, thick-browed gals, rejoice! "Feathery brows will still be on-trend, and it makes you look younger", Owen says.  

In the same way, Albert shares that this year, muted tones for lips will take a back seat. Brick hues, terracotta hues, and rustic colors will need to rest for now as this ages the face instead of making it young, Albert says. "Let's use colors that lift our mood, and lifts the mood of the people around us", he adds. At the end of the day, he encourages us to set aside the sad, sombre mood, and go for colors that exude happiness. "There are no rules in makeup. Whatever mood you want to portray that day, by all means, do it", Albert says. 

As we head on to another new year of beauty, let's keep in mind to keep things fun and fresh, and be mindful of what we put on our face as it is basically what we put on our bodies. Albert encourages us all to learn how to read labels, to invest in products that serve you and not just because someone told you to buy it, and to simply own it. Now that seems like the attitude we want to bring with us all throughout the year! 

What hair and makeup trends are you looking forward to?

Lead background photo via Skitterphoto on Pexels