- Beauty expert Elise Wilson explains this season's biggest makeup trends
- Blusher, lipliner and lashes are having a renaissance but not how you think
- Have a question or request? Email elise.wilson@dailymail.com.au
Welcome to Polished with Elise Wilson, where Daily Mail's qualified makeup artist and hair stylist answers your questions, shares advice, and trials the up-and-coming beauty and skincare trends so you don't have to.
As a beauty editor, it's my job to spot beauty trends for a living, so I spend a decent amount of my life analysing faces.
Not in a creepy way, of course, but more in the sense that I'm constantly looking for the subtle shifts that reveal where beauty is heading next.
From slightly different blush placement on a red carpet, to the unexpected makeup choices on a runway, or the tiny tweak a celebrity makeup artist makes that suddenly starts appearing everywhere on Instagram a few weeks later.
After years of full glam, dramatic lashes and sharply contoured everything, makeup seems to be moving in the opposite direction.
The looks dominating our runways and feeds right now are softer, fresher and surprisingly pared-back for an effortlessly polished aesthetic, as seen on the likes of Emma Stone and pioneered by Kendall Jenner and Hailey Bieber's makeup artist Mary Phillips.
Three trends in particular keep appearing everywhere I look: bare 'ghost lashes' as they've been dubbed, windswept flushed cheeks and softly blurred lipliner - all suddenly the makeup du jour of modern-day 'it' girls.
Individually, they're very subtle tweaks, yes. But together they signal a much bigger shift in how we're wearing makeup right now which is one that prioritises natural texture and techniques that work just as well for a Monday morning coffee run as they do for a night out.
Still, after spotting these looks everywhere from Dior runways to celebrity makeup chairs, it's clear they're about to shape how many of us approach our beauty routines this autumn - although you may have to pry the tubing mascara from my millennial hands first.
After years of full glam, dramatic lashes and sharply contoured everything, makeup seems to be moving in the opposite direction. Three trends in particular are the makeup du jour of modern-day 'it' girls like Emma Stone (pictured), Hailey Bieber and Dua Lipa
The rise of 'ghost lashes'
If you've spent years believing mascara is the single most important step in your routine, me too.
'For so long, mascara was that one thing that opened up your eyes - it's that finishing touch,' celebrity makeup artist Daniel Martin, who works with Meghan, Duchess of Sussex and Gemma Chan, agreed in a recent interview with Harper's Bazaar.
But recently, that long-standing rule has quietly been challenged on the recent international runways, with models walking for brands like Dior, Burberry and Chloé with completely bare lashes - a look now being dubbed 'ghost lashes'.
Instead of thick coats of black mascara, the focus shifts to glowing skin, fluffy, brushed brows and subtle definition and naturally lifted lashes.
According to aforementioned celebrity makeup artist Mary Phillips, it reflects a broader shift towards easier, more intuitive beauty routines.
She said people are increasingly drawn to lighter, softer and more natural-looking eyes, especially for everyday makeup.
It also fits with the wider 'skin-first' movement dominating beauty right now, where healthy skin, subtle sculpting and good skincare take centre stage.
But, if like me, the idea of ditching mascara entirely feels terrifying, don't worry, because makeup artists say you can still enhance your lashes by curling them, smudging a soft brown liner along the lash line or applying lash serums for long-term definition.
Recently the long lash rule has quietly been challenged on the international runways, with models walking for brands like Dior, Burberry and Chloé with completely bare lashes - a look now being dubbed 'ghost lashes'. Pictured: Celebrity makeup artist Mary Phillips
Instead of thick coats of black mascara, the focus shifts to glowing skin, fluffy, brushed brows and subtle definition and naturally lifted lashes. Pictured: Mecca Max Zoom Matte Shadow Stick in Toffee ($20) and Fluffi Beauty Brow Starter Kit ($80)
The return of flushed, windswept cheeks
If you've spent the last few years applying blush high on your cheekbones for a sculpted, lifted look, you'll want to slightly rethink your placement.
One of the most noticeable shifts I've seen recently is the move back to a softer, more natural flush, and instead of dramatic contouring or high cheek placement, it's returning to where it naturally appears, the apples of the cheeks.
Makeup artists are even referring to it as 'Brontë blush', inspired by the windswept, romantic aesthetic of Wuthering Heights, of course.
Think cheeks that look slightly rosy, as though you've just come in from a brisk walk outside, so the trick is to place colour lower and more centrally on the cheeks, sometimes even sweeping a small amount across the bridge of the nose.
Berry-toned creams and balms work particularly well here because they blend seamlessly into the skin and mimic a natural flush.
If you've spent the last few years applying blush high on your cheekbones for a sculpted, lifted look, you'll want to slightly rethink your placement. Pictured: Beauty Expert, Elise Wilson without makeup on her skin
Blush is shifting back to where it naturally appears - the apples of the cheeks - for a softer, more natural flush. Makeup artists are even calling it ‘Brontë blush’, inspired by the windswept romance of Wuthering Heights. Pictured: Elise is wearing MCoBeauty Blush Stick in shade Warm Terracotta ($20)
Berry-toned creams and balms work particularly well here because they blend seamlessly into the skin and mimic a natural flush. Pictured: MCoBeauty Blush & Go Cream Sticks ($20) each
The lipliner trick for a fuller pout
For years, we were taught to carefully outline the lips with a crisp, defined edge before filling them in with lipstick, but the new approach flips that technique entirely.
The blurred lip trend - championed by cult-status celebrity makeup artists like Nina Park and Katie Jane Hughes - is all about softening those lines.
Instead of drawing a sharp outline, makeup artists recommend buffing or blending the liner into the lips using a brush or even your fingertip.
The result is a diffused, slightly blurred edge that makes lips look fuller and more natural.
It's a look that has been spotted on stars including Dua Lipa and Emma Stone, and it pairs beautifully with sheer lipsticks or tinted balms.
For years, we were taught to carefully outline the lips with a crisp, defined edge before filling them in with lipstick, but the new approach flips that technique entirely. The blurred lip trend - championed by cult-status celebrity makeup artists like Nina Park and Katie Jane Hughes - is all about softening those lines
The result is a diffused, slightly blurred edge that makes lips look fuller and more natural, paired perfectly with a hydrating balm. Pictured: Summer Friday's Lip Liner in Cinnamon ($35) and Balmee beauty Lip Balm ($35)
The trick is to choose a liner that's slightly deeper than your natural lip colour, then soften the edges so there's no harsh line.
The finished result is a softly sculpted lip that looks more 'just bitten' than meticulously drawn.
Taken together, these trends all point to one clear direction that our beauty should look effortless, with wearable makeup that enhances rather than hides.
And, as someone who has tested hundreds of products over the years, I genuinely love how accessible these trends are, with no artistry skills needed.
That said, while I'm willing to experiment with ghost lashes for the sake of beauty journalism, I suspect my beloved mascara will remain firmly in my routine for now.
Old habits (especially millennial ones) die hard, I guess.
Disclaimer:
The views and opinions expressed in this article are solely my own and do not reflect those of any brands or companies mentioned. This content is not sponsored or endorsed.
