In Rewind 2025, No Manners Magazine celebrates 2025 looking back at some of the year’s biggest moments, from the people who shaped culture to the topics that drove conversations.
In this installment, Mel Simmons recaps the beauty trends, celebrity moments and products that marked 2025.
beauty
superlatives
top beauty
moments
of 2025
/suːpɜːlətɪv/
adjective
1. Of the highest kind, quality or order, surpassing all else, or others. Supreme.
No Manners wraps up 2025 with a finely curated list of “most” and “best” moments—the hottest trends, most popular products and every moment that defined beauty throughout the year.
Throughout 2025, the world experienced a surge of new beauty trends, discovered innovative formulations and witnessed several standout celebrity beauty looks. The year reshaped collective preferences, sparked debates about the convergence of beauty and politics, and, more than anything, served as a mirror of the times we’re currently living.
From Cannes Film Festival beauties and red carpet highlights to Y2K revivals and divisive beauty trends, No Manners’ editorial team discusses 2025’s hero moments in beauty. Keep reading to discover No Manners Magazine’s 2025 beauty superlatives.
Best Y2K Beauty Revival: Body Mists
Since the early 2020s, beauty companies have been obsessed with reviving Y2K beauty trends. Frosted eyeshadow and butterfly clips were among the first 2000s staples returning to the mainstream. However, Y2K-inspired fragrances flew under the radar for years. Things changed up in 2025, when influencers couldn’t stop sharing the next-best body mist on TikTok’s #fragrancetok.
Perfume brands capitalized on the competitive price point, nostalgia, and ease of use of body mists. Unlike the syrupy sweet scents of bygone days, fine fragrance mists have been rebranded as cost-effective ways to enjoy fresh scents. Some companies even launched products that doubled as both hair and body perfumes with hydrating properties. Sol De Janeiro championed the medium with their iconic Cheirosa 62 Bum Bum Hair & Body Perfume Mist. Other brands followed suit.
Today, the TikTok hashtag #bodymist has garnered just under a million uses, bringing body mists back to the same level of popularity they enjoyed in the past.
NMM’s 2025 best Body Mist Picks
Fragrance Mist
TOUCHLAND
Peach Body Mist
KOPARI
Vanilla Skin Body Mist
PHLUR
Most Iconic Hair: Olivia Dean
British singer-songwriter Olivia Dean has taken the ’70s romantic energy and reinvented it for the 21st century. In 2025, the British star created a personal brand with glamorous, effortless and well-informed style choices. Building her beauty portfolio upon warm colors and a lived-in element, Dean’s looks carried the sort of genuine authenticity rarely seen in the show business.
While she gave herself some space to experiment with fashion, one thing that remained unchanged was her hair. At the beginning of the year, Dean swapped her defined coils for airy waves. She exclusively sported the soft, Hollywood hairstyle throughout 2025. Sometimes, Dean’s hair was parted on the side or the middle, but the retro-inspired hair with lots of volume remained her signature.
The best part? She embraced her curly hair as a strength. “I started to feel my most beautiful when I found my independence and I now know that my hair is my superpower and it gives me strength,” Dean said in her acceptance speech at the GLAMOUR Women of the Year Awards.
Biggest Resurgence: Goth Beauty
With a push from pop culture and social media, in recent years, the goth subculture has regained prominence in beauty spaces.
In 2025, one of the notable names making a case for goth aesthetics was Jenna Ortega. The actress portrays the iconic Wednesday Addams in Netflix’s Wednesday and has starred in films such as Scream, X and Betleejuice Betleejuice. Her roles have established Ortega as a modern–day Scream Queen. And she has dressed the part. Matching her series and films’ dark themes, the actor has delivered plenty of goth style inspiration, influencing a resurgence among Gen Z.
This year, Ortega returned to the screen in Wednesday’s highly anticipated season 2. The star’s push for gothic style during the show’s promotional run coincided with the world turning its attention to goth beauty. Goth makeup was featured on the runways of Vivienne Westwood, Elena Velez, and Ann Demeulemeester. Smokey eyeshadow, neutral lipstick, and bleached brows were all prevalent makeup styles among models. Meanwhile, the hairstyles consisted of shaggy haircuts in deep browns and icy blondes. The purposely unkempt styles injected a 1990s-inspired edge to the runway.
Now, goth style is trickling down to celebrities, social media creators and the general public. Influencers sport smudgy liner and dramatic makeup, similar to that of Ortega and models such as Gabriette and Amelia Gray. Some beauty forecasters and experts have even labeled the return of goth beauty as the end of the clean girl aesthetic.
Biggest Shift in Narrative: The Boom of Skin Barrier Repair
Until the 2010s, skincare brands promoted retinols, chemical exfoliants, and physical scrubs to target textured skin. Since the turn of the decade, the world has witnessed a shift in the narrative as skincare advertising has pivoted towards skin barrier repair.
Skin barrier repair products consist of moisturizers that focus on hydration and feature little to no exfoliating components. Centella asiatica, peptides, and ceramides are common ingredients in these formulations. Skin repair products usually take the form of milky, viscous textures with little or no added fragrance.
In 2025, companies released new products and repositioned classics to align with the movement. According to the data company Glimpse, search interest in skin barrier repair has grown by 29% in 2025. Vogue Business also reported that the popularity of products such as skincare oils reflects the growing interest in “barrier-supporting formulas,” which aligns with the larger skin repair movement.
On social media, the shift translated into popularity for products such as the Rhode Glazing Milk and La Roche-Posay Cicaplast Balm B5 Healing Ointment. Milky toners and hydrating products also experienced a spike in popularity, showcasing customers’ interest in barrier-conscious skincare.
NMM’s 2025 best Barrier repair Picks
Glazing Milk
RHODE
Cicaplast Balm B5
LA ROCHE-POSAY
Oat-In Calming Gel
PURITO
Best Tour Makeup: Zara Larsson
Towards the end of 2025, Swedish singer Zara Larsson embarked on her fifth concert tour, “Midnight Sun.” The tour branding channeled the bright, tropical colors of her most recent album.
Celebrity makeup artist Sophia Sinot crafted Larsson’s glam for every tour stop. Sinot’s makeup remained on par with the artist’s colorful outfits and upbeat bangers.
Larsson appeared in every city with bright ombre blush, crystals, and pearlescent body shimmer, tapping into the maximalism that defined beauty in the 2000s—think of the glam that stars such as Christina Aguilera or even Britney Spears favored back in the day: cat eye liner, colorful eyeshadow, bold brown lip liner and tons of glitter.
The Y2K energy quickly became a signature of the concert series, with fans catching the hype and recreating makeup looks of their own.
Most Influential Traditional Beauty Practice: Ear Seeding
Traditional Chinese Medicine (also known as TCM) has steadily gained popularity in the wellness industry. In 2025, TCM’s impact reached new levels, with brands and public figures promoting herbal teas, Gua Sha techniques, and ear seeding on social media.
Due to its visible effects, ear seeding, in particular, emerged as a popular practice across Asia and beyond. This acupressure technique has been used for centuries and works by targeting specific pressure points on the ears, without needles. When used correctly, the seeds can help alleviate pain, mental health issues, and insomnia. This wellness ritual has also caught attention online for its rejuvenating effects, temporarily lifting the appearance of the face.
Traditionally, customers went to clinics to receive ear seeding treatment. However, in more recent times, online retailers offer ear seeding kits. Ear seeds are available in minimal adhesive designs or bold patterns, suspended in a neutral adhesive or designed to resemble piercings. Now that’s what we call an impactful beauty practice!
Most Popular Halloween Beauty: Kpop Demon Hunters
Kpop Demon Hunters’ singing voice, Rei Ami, dressed up as her character Zoey during Halloween. Her costume perfectly resembled the character’s space buns, winged liner, and K-pop-influenced stage outfit, quickly capturing attention online.
But the signer’s costume was just one of the thousands of renditions of the Kpop Demon Hunters’ costumes during Halloweekend 2025. From toddlers to influencers, thousands of people opted for colored hair, space buns and theatrical makeup inspired by the members of Saja Boys and HUNTR/X. In fact, according to Google, Rumi, Zoey, Mira, Jinu and Baby Saja, all characters from the Netflix film, were the most searched Halloween costumes of 2025. The report surprised nobody. After all, Kpop Demon Hunters was one of the year’s biggest cultural phenomena. Per Netflix, the animated movie even became the most popular film in the history of the streaming platform.
For Halloween, the trend translated into long braids á la Rumi, hairbums that mimicked Zoey’s hairstyle and colored hair fit for the fictional boy band Saja Boys.
The Best Pink Hair Change-Up: Felix
And speaking of colored hair, pastel hues returned to the limelight in 2025. Pink was an especially coveted color among celebrities. The stars opted for bright pink, pink highlights and even reinvented the ‘90s frosty tips with pink hair dye. However, what’s arguably the best pink hair celebrity moment came courtesy of K-pop star Felix Lee.
Felix’s makeover was rather subtle. The star, member of K-pop group Stray Kids, swapped his usual icy blonde hair color for a light pink hairstyle at the end of summer, when Stray Kids presented their 4th album KARMA at the Conrad Seoul in Yeongdeungpo-gu. Felix later sported an almost imperceptible, golden pink color in the Parisian front rows. In fact, his pink hairstyle furthered his impact at Paris Fashion Week, where the artist paired the cotton candy hair color with icy blue contacts and a leather outfit.
The change came during a busy period for the artist who made waves in the beauty industry with his appointments as global brand ambassador for Korean brands Gentle Monster, Tamburins and Hera and continued to dominate conversations as a Louis Vuitton darling.
Best Take On The Jam Lips Trend: Tu Tontawan
The jam lips trend peaked in popularity during the warmer months of 2025, pushing for a just-bitten, glossy finish. This trend aimed to make lips appear like sun-ripened fruits, leaning on fruit-infused colors such as raspberry and toasted brown with just the right amount of glossiness—though many made a case for matte jam lips.
Always one to hop on a trend, Thai actress Tontawan Tantivejakul (Tu) tried her hand at the trend during summertime. Tu’s rendition featured a burnt fig lip color and high shine gloss. Her key points were her blurred lip line (similar to the over lip trend) that made her lips appear more voluminous. Meanwhile, her lip gloss application stood out for reaching the perimeters of her lip line, rather than just dabbing on the midsection. This last technique gave Tu’s pout a dewy and fresh fruit look that we’ll be talking about until next summer.
Buzziest K-Beauty Formula: PDRN
Polydeoxyribonucleotide, commonly known as PDRN, sent shock waves through the Korean skincare industry in 2025. PDRN consists of DNA fragments derived from trout or salmon sperm cells. Vegan alternatives can be retrieved from roses and ginseng plants.
This skincare ingredient has been labeled as a powerhouse for skin regeneration and barrier healing. Prior to the production of over-the-counter topicals, PDRN was a skincare booster sold by a Korean skincare brand, Rejuran. The booster (famously called Rejuran Healer) was injected into the skin via booster or microneedling treatments. The skincare ingredient became so popular that it made the brand a household name within skincare circles. Over the last year, searches for Rejuran increased by 121%, resulting in a monthly volume of 404,000 searches as of November 2025.
Many skincare brands have since jumped on the PDRN boom and released their own lines featuring the ingredient. They promote PDRN-rich products for skin regeneration as the ingredient encourages collagen production, smoothes out texture, and reduces the appearance of hyperpigmentation.
NMM’s 2025 best pdrn Picks
Salmon Centella Cream
HEVEBLUE
Salmon DNA PDRN mask
MEDICUBE
PDRN Rejuvenating Cream
DR. REJU
The Most Daring Hairstyle: The Hime
Celebrities across the board made a case for impactful hair updates to welcome 2025. The preferred hairstyle turned out to be the chic bob, prevalent on red carpets and front rows, as sported by Lilly Collins, Angèle and Gracie Abrams. However, some of the world’s most daring icons, from Miley Cyrus to Lady Gaga, opted for an in-between look: the hime haircut.
The hime, also known as the Japanese “princess cut,” consists of defined layers of hair. The style generally features a blunt fringe and a straight face-framing hair section. For a contrasting result, the remaining hair is usually left longer.
Although the hairstyle made a splash on the 2025 Grammy Awards red carpet, worn by Miley Cyrus and Lady Gaga, the hime cut kept the momentum at Fashion Week. In February, Doechii embraced the look to attend the Tom Ford Fall/Winter 2025 show. The next season, Thai star Orm Kornnaphat made headlines with a youthful take on the it-girl hairstyle to attend the Dior Spring/Summer 2026 runway.
While Miley, Doechii and Lady Gaga took the hime cut to the most unconventional side of the spectrum with dark and edgy fashion choices, Orm proved that this style can also pack a versatile, feminine and sweet punch. And for that, the hime belongs in this list.
Best Wedding Beauty: Davika Hoorne
Thai actress Davika Hoorne married screenwriter Chantavit Dhanasevi in the fall of 2025. The actress’s social media posts showcased her multiple dresses and beauty looks for the occasion. While everything lived up to expectations—Hoorne is one of Thailand’s biggest entertainers—her makeup and hair stood out for their flawless execution.
For magazine covers and front rows, Hoorne’s beauty looks usually focus on her brows, lips, and hair. However, her wedding changed the program. The star went the classic route for her makeup and hair, without neglecting the styles that better suit her features. Her eye look consisted of bold brows and smudged winged liner that lifted and elongated her eyes. Then, her makeup artists used the boyfriend blush technique to add a doll-like glow. Finishing off her wedding glam, Hoorne sported highlighter that volumized her entire orbital bone.
The outcome was natural, glowy and absolutely ethereal, suitable for a big, memorable day.
Most Futuristic Glam: Teetut Chungmanirat
Thai actor Teetut Chungmanirat (Thomas) channeled both Y2K and the retrofuturism aesthetics to promote Gentle Monster’s “Bold” collection on social media. Aligning with the brand’s theme, Thomas revived the Y2K stylebook: mini horns, cyber sigilism, and icy blonde hair. The Bed Friend star tapped into the Y2K frosted hair trend with his silver hair dye and paired the look with a glowy skin look. As the icing on the cake, Thomas adorned his forehead with face appliques strategically placed so they gave off the illusion of mini horns, a look that style connoisseurs can probably link to iconic runways such as the Thierry Mugler Fall/Winter 1988/89 show.
Most Pleasantly Surprising Team-up: Jungkook for Chanel Fragrances and Beauty
After conquering the front rows of New York Fashion Week, South Korean pop star Jungkook surprised the world, inking an ambassadorship deal for Chanel Fragrances and Beauty. Setting the tone for the partnership, the star was photographed in a monochromatic campaign. The minimal styling portrays his current status with the brand as a blank canvas, one that can take any direction. Truthfully, we can’t wait to see what’s yet to come for Jungkook in the beauty front.
Best Throwback Glam at Paris Fashion Week: Afra Saraçoğlu
Turkish actor Afra Saraçoğlu brought back the ’90s bombshell makeup look at the Balenciaga Autumn-Winter 2025 show. The star’s makeup has usually leaned towards warm colors, so the shift towards cool tones effectively sold the retro appearance. Inspired by ‘90s celebrities, Saraçoğlu’s eyemakeup consisted of a smoky grey cut crease crafted by makeup artist Manu Kopp. Bringing back the lightweight skin and subtle complexion favored back in the day, Saraçoğlu wore full coverage foundation—sans blush or bronzer—and paired it with burn mauve lipstick. Tying it all together, the actress wore voluminous curls, creating the perfect ‘90s supermodel look.
The Best Cultural Statement: Latinas Make Braids a Form of Protest
Although braids have taken different forms around the world, the art of hair braiding is regarded as a cultural marker in most places. In Latin America, braids symbolize heritage, myth and connection to ancestors. Each country boasts its own braiding tradition with history and meanings particular to each community.
In 2025, however, braids united the Latin American diaspora in the U.S., emerging as a form of peaceful protest and amid government raids and the toughening of immigration policy in the country. The movement took off on social media with users sporting fashion staples generally tied to the Latin American community, with the message, “Fashion is political.” Plaid clothes, chola makeup and naturally, braids, quickly populated TikTok, delivering a strong political stance through style.
Braids in all forms, especially those inspired by Oaxacan traditional clothing, as well as those reminiscent of Central and South American Indigenous groups (think of Ecuadorian Cholas Cuencanas or Bolivian Cholitas), quickly became a symbol of unity, resistance and protest for the Latin American diaspora. The movement reached a peak amid nationwide protests during the summer, when multitudes of people showed up on the streets wearing braids adorned with ribbons and the colors of their national flag. By the end of the year, groups and organizations such as Ponte your moños had launched braiding hair events and fundraisers to help the community through this bold and eye-catching style statement.
Best Eye Look at Paris Fashion Week FW25: Milk Pansa
Thai actress Pansa Vosbein, best known as Milk Pansa, made her Fashion Week debut at the Saint Laurent Fall/Winter 2025 show. The star sported an oversized, double-breasted suit set. paired with a striped tie that created a true power suit moment.
While the fashion took center stage, the makeup was equally strong. Milk’s hairstyle featured smooth, shiny waves, while her makeup focused on her eyes. Her base and lip makeup consisted of neutral matte pigments and her brows were tinted a khaki blonde. This matte, neutral canvas created a strong contrast for a dramatic, tight-lined eyeliner and a sculpting eyeshadow. The result was a master class in balancing power and subtlety on the front row.
Hottest Lip Product: Peel-off Lip Stain
Beauty brands are constantly reinventing themselves to create the most buzzworthy trends. Today, even legacy companies continually churn out new products to keep up with the times, so it isn’t rare to see new formulas on the market every other month. Among a sea of new products, the peel-off lip stain stood as one of the most innovative formulations of 2025.
Peel-off lip stains initially gained popularity on social media thanks to celebrities like Sofia Richie, Alix Earle and Billie Eilish. The novelty quickly gained them traction online. According to Glimpse, search interest in these products grew 397% over the last 12 months, compared to 2024.
Brands such as SACHEU and Wonderskin championed the peel-off technology, but it took no time before major brands launched their own renditions of the peel-off tint. Formulas varied, but the main idea was to coat the lips with a viscous, almost vinyl-like gel. After letting the color develop on the lips, the layer can be peeled off, leaving a stain that can last all day.
NMM’s 2025 best peel-off lip stain Picks
Lip Stain Peel Off Masque
WONDERSKIN
STAY-N Peel Off Lip Stain
SACHEU
Ink Peel Off Lip Stain
PERIPERA
Hottest Nail Trend: Gelboy Nails
Over the last couple of years, bold asymmetrical gel nail designs have steadily grown in popularity. In 2025, the look received renewed attention thanks to key figures in Asian pop culture. On one hand, K-pop star G-Dragon flaunted colorful and eye-catching manicures as part of the styling of his Übermensch album promotions. His push prompted a gel nail craze in Korea and neighboring countries.
On the other hand, the Thai boy love drama Gelboys captured international attention for bringing gel nail culture to the screens. In the show, actors Mahidol Pibulsonggram (PJ), Chayapak Tunprayoon (New), Leon Zech and Monthapoom Sumonvarangkul (Pide) explored the complexities of love as young men, with a plot that revolved around nail salons and Gen Z culture. It took no time before Gelboys gave birth to a gel nail trend popular across various demographics, particularly men.
Mostly favored by Gen Z, gelboy nail designs thrived on creativity, bright color palettes, charms and 3D art. The colorful and uneven manicures were so popular that several personalities, including Thai style icon Win Metawin, hopped on the trend. More than just cute manicures, the real impact of gelboy nails was reshaping beauty narratives across genders and introducing a fun and stylish tool of expression.
Honorable mention to the black and monochrome men-icures, that while not entirely novel, were the most popular nail look for men in 2025. Some notable examples include Japanese star Yuta Nakamoto and Stray Kids’ Hyunjin, who have made black manicures their signature throughout the years and in 2025 took the nail look to the front rows of Paris and Milan Fashion Week.
