According to experts sunscreens, glittery trends from cult TV shows and natural-looking skin will do all the talking in your beauty cabinet in 2020. Here are the three big trends that are shaking up the make-up world right now.

Barely There Beauty
Beauty bloggers have dominated the last decade with their extraordinary high-arched brows; contoured cheekbones and jaws; and head-turning make-up that the average make-up enthusiast just doesn’t have the time to even try to recreate. “For the past few years, make-up trends have been all about Instagram make-up – full coverage and big bold eye make-up,” says Alphie Sadsad, the national artistry lead for Sephora Australia and New Zealand. This year, however, could just be the year we see a wholehearted embrace of a much more pared-back, natural approach to beauty – think a slick of lip gloss, luminous skin, brows that frame the face and a good lashing or two of mascara. “Heading into 2020 we are seeing – especially on the red carpet – the big shift towards more effortless, natural beauty with a focus on the eyes and clean skin,” he explains. “This year will see the continuation of the ‘no-make-up make-up’ look: less coverage, accentuating clean, beautiful skin,” he says. “We want the skin to shine through and do the talking.”

First Base
While it’s handy being able to reach for the perfect concealer to quickly cover up a pesky blemish that’s appeared out of nowhere, more of us are investing in skincare to help us achieve the perfect complexion. Total figures for 2019 are yet to come, but in 2018 the sales of prestige skincare products in the US grew by 13 per cent, according to the NPD Group. Make-up sales, on the other hand, only increased by one per cent. Sadsad says he’s seen a noticeable shift in the way that Sephora clients approach beauty and their skincare regimens. “Skin health is still a major topic in the beauty world,” he says. He adds that sun safety has become a particular focus for many customers. “Our Sephora clients have started to move from covering with heavy make-up and tanning in the sun to taking better care of their skin, consciously thinking about sun safety more than ever,” Sadsad says that encouraging consumers not to be afraid of sunscreen and to combine protective sunscreen with skincare will be a big focus for 2020.

The Euphoria Effect

For those make-up lovers looking for something a little more playful as far as beauty is concerned, HBO’s coming-of-age hit series, Euphoria will continue to inspire beauty trends in 2020. The influence of the series on the beauty world became apparent when a handful of designers sent models down the spring/summer 2020 runway with graphic eyeliner and high-shine, glittery beauty looks. “The TV series Euphoria has had a huge impact on industry trends across all generations, especially generation Z,” says Sadsad. “This year’s make-up is bound to be shiner and sparklier than ever, as evidenced by the past year’s trends.” As a result we’ll see eye make-up formulas that are “all about the metallic, shimmer, glitter and foil”, says Sadsad. “We will be seeing more techniques and trends on applying glitter, crystals, shimmer and metallic on clean skin.” Meanwhile, YSL is launching its latest addition to the Rouge VoluptĂ© collection – Rock’n Shine: a sparkling lip colour that uses eco-friendly glitter made from plant matter.

If you’re finding your mind racing more than usual, chances are you’re not alone right now. In fact, it’s human nature for our thoughts to wander especially during times of stress.

But preoccupation with wandering thoughts can lead to a vicious cycle of negative thinking which can contribute to poor mental wellbeing. Ruminating on and replaying our fears and anxieties in heads can often mean that we end up catastrophising.

If you find yourself preoccupied with bothersome thoughts, there are a few things you can do to clear your mind and focus on what you need to. 

Focus on the present

One of the first places a racing mind tends to go to is either the past or the future. If you find your mind doing a little bit of unwanted time travel try bringing your thoughts back to the present day. While goal setting for the future is important, thinking about negative things that may or may not happen doesn’t do our mental wellbeing any good. The same goes for ruminating on the past – there’s nothing we can do to change what has already happened, therefore there’s no point in fixating on it. Focusing on the present will help you train your mind to think about the things in your life that you can control. 

Write it down

If you find your wandering thoughts are getting the better of you or keeping you up at night, writing them out can help you clear your mind. Rather pushing repeat on the same troublesome thoughts, jotting them down within a notebook is a great way to move your focus onto something else. Writing out your negative thoughts can also help you to reassess if all your worry is really necessary – when something is written down you are able to look at your thoughts more objectively. If your thoughts are keeping you up at night, here are some more tips to help you get a great night’s sleep.  

Take a breath

Beating a racing mind can be as simple as taking your focus off of your mind and focusing on your breathing instead. When we start to get anxious or worried, the way we breathe often changes dramatically. Rather than taking deep breaths, when we are anxious we tend to take shallow, fast breaths. 

To refocus your breathing relax your shoulders and inhale deeply through your nose. Feel your abdomen gently expand. Purse your lips and exhale out through your nose. Repeat this exercise five or so times to refocus your mind. If you find that your mind wanders often, it can be helpful to set up a little reminder to focus on your breathing. It can be as simple as putting a sticker on your desktop computer – each time you look at the sticker practice the breathing exercise.