Japanese cosmetics company Shiseideo has released their predictions for 2020’s makeup trends, as well as a look back at Japanese beauty throughout the last century. Will geisha makeup be making a comeback? Read on to find out.
Shiseido, founded in 1872 making it one of the oldest cosmetics companies in the world, recently announced their predictions for future beauty trends and also took a look back at past fashions. In an interesting examination of how beauty trends have evolved over the years, they recreated each decade’s style of makeup on one model. The photos start from the 1920s, when Western cosmetics were starting to be widely used in Japan, up to the present day. Looking at the correlations between the styles and the eras, they found that when the economy was doing well bright lipsticks and thick brows were more fashionable, while when the economy took a downturn eyebrows tended to become narrower. Also during natural disasters and unstable conditions women tended to go back to a more natural look.
The common point between makeup styles from the 20s through 70s was that they were all based on an adulation of Western culture, with looks patterned after silver screen icons and other Western stars.
These are the eras when Japan started to really be recognized around the world thanks to the Tokyo Olympics held in the Summer of 1964. Tanned skin became popular, and going into the 1970s overall decadent looks were the fashion.
Japanese women started to get rid of the complex of wanting to look like a Westerner and took another look at traditional Japanese beauty. Brows had been getting thinner, but now they suddenly became darker and fuller.
From the latter half of the 1990s women were all about dyed brown hair, thin eyebrows, and small faces. Beauty trends diversified and subcategories were formed. Apparently since the 2011 Tōhoku earthquake and tsunami disaster there has been a move towards returning to natural beauty and ‘rediscovering oneself’.
The report considers the social situations which will be influencing beauty trends around the beginning of the next decade and states that, “With the Olympics being held in Tokyo in 2020, people from countries all over the world will visit Japan, and attention will again be focused on Japan’s unique tradition and culture. Since the sports industry will also be invigorated, sporty fashions will be incorporated into trends.” Shiseido Beauty Trend Research Senior Hair & Makeup Artist Setsuko Suzuki proposed two styles of makeup that could be popular around the year 2020: ‘Japan Colour’ and ‘Sporty Pop’.
Japan Colour
This look is based on the long-standing three main colors of Japanese cosmetics, red, white, and black, as of course embodied in the traditional geisha makeup. White is represented in translucent skin and a sparkling inner eye while black eyeliner boldly frames the eye and the lips pop with a bright red lipstick. It brings traditional Japanese makeup into the modern style and “accentuates the refined beauty of Japanese women.”
Sporty Pop
The second style utilizes the fact that eyeliner can be used in a variety of ways and is a vibrant and colourful look, represented here by a double eyeliner accent done in blue. “Skin with a healthy glow and an orange lipstick creates a casual sporty impression. Overall it expresses a light and refreshing beauty.”
It’s impossible to know the future, and basing your predictions on past trends does have its problems, but who knows, maybe these will be bang on the mark. Only time will tell.
Do you think that women will really be wearing these trends in the future? What are your predictions? Let us know in the comments section below.
Source: Net Lab
Top Image: Pinterest
Insert Images: Shiseido