Top 30 Beauty Trends of all time – red lipstick tops list

Brits have revealed the top 30 most iconic beauty trends of all time, including red lipstick, made famous by Marilyn Monroe, and Amy Winehouse’s winged eyeliner.

A study of 2,000 adults discovered the most memorable make-up styles, with lip liner, coloured mascara and thick eyebrows, which are favoured by Cara Delevingne, also featuring.

And while more than a third stated the red lipstick trend and smokey eyes – often seen on Kate Moss – are timeless looks which are here to stay, one-hit wonders were found to include body glitter and beauty spots.

Matte liquid lipstick, contouring and shiny lip gloss also featured in the top 30 trends of all time.

Kim Priest, a spokesperson for centre:mk, which commissioned the study, said: “Consumer trends, pop culture and social media now have had a huge impact on the beauty products that fly off the shelves.

“Our make-up reflects both our personality and our mood and we all like to experiment to reinvent our own individual look as well as work out what works best for us.

“The last year has only intensified people’s relationship with beauty – people have had more time to experiment thanks to online tutorials and have more confidence in trying new products and techniques as a result.”

The study also found that make-up wearers have tried an average of eight beauty trends in their lifetime, including red lipstick (48 per cent), winged eyeliner (36 per cent) and smokey eyes (33 per cent).

And the items Brits couldn’t imagine living without were found to include mascara (45 per cent), foundation (29 per cent) and lip balm (28 per cent).

Friends (36 per cent), magazines (29 per cent) and celebrities (26 per cent) were revealed to be the top influences when trying out new styles.

But TV shows and films including Grease (21 per cent), Breakfast at Tiffany’s (20 per cent) and Dirty Dancing (14 per cent) have also inspired trends.

The music world has also generated many influential make-up looks including Amy Winehouse (25 per cent), David Bowie (22 per cent), Lady Gaga (21 per cent), Madonna (26 per cent) and even the Spice Girls (20 per cent).

Boy George’s bold make-up (13 per cent) and Grace Jones’ angle-sculpting look (5 per cent) were also voted as iconic styles throughout pop culture.

Showing how trends have changed over time, respondents described the 1920s to 1950s beauty as ‘classic’, the 60’s to 80’s as ‘colourful’ and the current decade is viewed as ‘natural’.

It also emerged that more than a quarter of those polled via OnePoll believe make-up is an important reflection of the wearer’s personality.

And while 16 per cent agreed people should be more encouraged to experiment with playful styles, 21 per cent admitted they wish they were braver when it comes to trying new trends.

In the past year, 46 per cent have embraced a more natural look while 44 per cent said the amount of online tutorials they follow has increased.

More than a tenth have also bought more skincare products than usual in the last 12 months, with the average adult typically spending £223.20 a year.

Hannah Martin, the acclaimed make-up artist, said: “It’s great to see that people have tried out so many varied iconic beauty looks such as Amy Winehouse’s winged eyeliner, Kate Moss’ smokey eyes and Grace Jones’ angle-sculpting makeup.

“The research shows that although the average age of trying out these kinds of new looks is 15, most don’t find the look that works for them best until they are at least 23.

“It doesn’t stop there either – just as we do with fashion and style, many of us will continue to adapt and experiment with our beauty looks as we go through life, which is hugely important.”

Top 30 iconic beauty trends of all time:

1. Red lipstick
2. Smokey eyes
3. False eyelashes
4. Fake tan
5. Winged eyeliner
6. Shiny lip gloss
7. Heavy eyeliner
8. Full, thick eyebrows
9. Gothic black eyeshadow
10. Thick mascara
11. Beauty spots
12. Thin penciled eyebrows
13. Lip liner
14. Highlighter/contour
15. Nude lips
16. Dark lipstick e.g. dark purple
17. Coloured mascara e.g. blue mascara
18. Body glitter
19. Glittery eyeshadow
20. Overlined lips
21. Colourful eyeshadow
22. Red blushed cheeks
23. Hot pink lipstick
24. Pink blushed cheeks
25. Matte lipstick
26. Microbladed eyebrows
27. Heavy blusher
28. Metallic makeup e.g. eyeshadow
29. Multi coloured eyeshadow
30. Pale face powder