In This Story:
2025 was the year beauty felt human again. Not perfectly filtered, not aggressively trendy, just right. If we were to label it, we would call it the Sabrina Carpenter year of beauty. Soft, but never boring. Her aesthetic captured 2025’s sweet spot, polished skin, flushed colour and just enough shimmer to feel intentional. It proved that beauty could be playful and clean at the same time, and that balance quietly became the blueprint for the year. Basically like a glossy pop song that sneaks up on you and lives in your head for weeks.
While the internet argued about whether Clean Girl was cancelled, she was actually just evolving. She started wearing lip stains instead of concealer lips, shimmer instead of matte neutrals, and letting her hair look like it had lived a little. Meanwhile, maximalism did not crash the party. It waited (2026, girl, it's going to be a blast, apparently). Then it slipped in through the back door in the form of juicy colour, pearlescent shine and beauty moments that felt intentional rather than loud.
2025 beauty mirrored pop culture perfectly. Think cherry-coded glam, fashion month models with glazed eyelids, and that very specific Instagram face that looks effortless but absolutely is not. This was the year of in-between energy. Clean, but expressive. Soft, but memorable. And without trying too hard, it quietly laid the groundwork for the full-blown colour fantasy we are now stepping into. These are the five beauty moments that actually mattered in 2025.
Strawberry-Coded Everything
This was not just a look, it was a lifestyle. Strawberry skin, strawberry lips, strawberry perfumes, strawberry phone cases. It peaked when pop girlies and beauty brands leaned into flushed, edible beauty that felt youthful but chic.
How to get the look
Keep base sheer and skin-forward. Add a soft strawberry flush to cheeks and lips using the same product. Finish with a juicy balm rather than heavy gloss.
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Lip Stains Replacing Liptints
Lipstick started to feel a little try-hard in 2025. Enter lip stains. Effortless, low-maintenance and very “I touched up without you noticing”. They became a staple thanks to their blurred, lived-in finish and long wear. This was peak clean-meets-cool energy and a huge shift away from overdone lips.
How to get the look
Apply stain to the centre of the lips and blend outward with your finger. Let it set, then add balm if needed.
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Milky Shimmer Eyes
Not glossy. Not glittery. Milky shimmer eyes were soft-focus, pearlescent and quietly editorial. Think candlelight on skin rather than disco ball. Seen everywhere during fashion month and on red carpets. It was the perfect bridge between minimal and maximal, hinting at shimmer’s comeback without going full sparkle.
How to get the look
Use a cream shadow with a pearl or opalescent finish. Tap on lids with your finger and stop there. No heavy liner, no drama.
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Muted pastels And “Washed” Colour
2025 did colour differently. Instead of bold brights, it flirted with washed-out pastels that looked sun-faded and romantic rather than loud. Think lilac lids, pistachio liners, baby blue mascara and pale peach lips. It was a colour for people who claimed they “don’t wear colour”. This trend quietly trained us to wear colour again, paving the way for the high-impact brights dominating 2026.
How to get the look
Choose one pastel tone and use it as a wash rather than a statement. A sheer lilac on lids, a pale blue mascara, or a muted peach stain on lips works best. Keep the rest of the face clean so the colour feels intentional.
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Soft Grunge Revival
2025 flirted heavily with nostalgia. Smudged eyes, lived-in hair and undone beauty crept back in, inspired by indie sleaze’s return and guitar-girl energy. It was imperfect but intentional. It reminded us that beauty does not need to be pristine to be cool.
How to get the look
Smudge a brown or black pencil into the lash line and stop before it looks too neat. Pair with natural skin and minimal lips.
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Key Takeaways
2025 beauty did not shout for attention. It whispered, lingered and stayed interesting. By balancing clean aesthetics with subtle expression, it set the tone for 2026’s colour-forward maximalism without losing its polish. If next year is about going bold, 2025 was about learning restraint and taste first.
FAQs
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Was 2025 more minimal or maximal?
It lived perfectly in between, which is why it worked so well.
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What trend aged the best?
Lip stains and milky shimmer eyes are still everywhere for a reason.
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Which look is easiest to try now?
Strawberry-coded lips and cheeks instantly update your routine with minimal effort.
