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On the heels of the rollercoaster that was 2020, it should come as no surprise that 2021’s biggest hair and makeup trends tend toward the extraordinary. Whether you’re the type to embrace high-octane glamour at every chance or habitually keep things glowy and natural, 2021’s prettiest beauty trends have something to offer every bride-to-be with an extra-special, wedding-day touch.
For the glamour-inclined, Ryan Trygstad, a celebrity stylist and co-founder of Mark Ryan Salon in NYC (his clients include Emma Roberts, Laura Dern, and Kelly Ripa), tells Brides, “I’ve noticed that because of COVID, when it comes to wedding beauty, people are ready to glam it up. Everyone is so over not being social and staying inside that they want to have the biggest celebration while feeling the most glamorous on their special day.”
On the opposite end of the spectrum, some soon-to-be-wed women are more accustomed to the au natural effect that lockdown has spurred. “Brides are leaning toward more natural, lived-in looks,” Claire Balest, a Tennessee-based hair and makeup artist, says. “Spending the better part of a year embracing your natural hair texture and wearing less makeup than ever has done a bit of reprogramming on all of us. It has forced us into a sort of minimalist place, and swinging to the other end of the spectrum doesn’t feel natural quite yet.”
Gorgeous skin is another huge focus to serve as the perfect base for wedding day makeup, according to Balest. “This begins long before the wedding day, but people are putting in the time now. Simple beauty is what women want to feel ‘effortless,’ and that always begins and ends with great skin,” she says. Adding, “Brides are aspiring to stand out without feeling over the top.”
For those craving unique wedding day beauty without too much effort, Lakeisha Dale, an NYC-based makeup artist, licensed esthetician, and Melaskin Studio owner, predicts an ease-in effect with a “bring it” sensibility. “The last thing a bride will want to do is be stressed on her special day. However, she’s going to want to show up and show out for what may arguably be one of the first big events that they and their guests have attended since the pandemic has started,” she explains. Her prediction: a rise in not-too-fussy wedding day beauty with a singular bold statement so that brides look and feel like themselves, but in a memorable way that suits one of the most important days of their lives.
Wherever you lie on the beauty spectrum, keep reading for a breakdown of 2021’s biggest wedding hair and makeup trends, as predicted by Trygstad, Balest, Dale, and more.