Revealed: The World’s Biggest Beauty Trends

Google Search Data Shows How the Biggest Beauty Trends in Africa Compare to the Rest of the World

The origins of skincare and cosmetics can be traced back thousands of years to Ancient Egypt, and throughout the centuries that have since passed, beauty trends have continued to evolve. From winged eyeliner and beehive hairdos to ultra-thin eyebrows and brown lipstick, some have yo-yoed in and out of the beauty scene over the years, while others remain firmly on the agenda – in fact, false lashes have been en vogue since 1899. But what are some of the biggest beauty crazes today, and how do they compare around the world?

To find out, The Body Shop analyzed online search data from 64 countries and identified the Top 10 Global Beauty Trends:

Over half of the biggest global beauty trends focus on hair; short hair styles, boycut hair styles, eyebrow threading and bob haircuts find their place in the Top 10. 

In 2020, there has been an average of 1.4m Google searches for the term ‘short hair styles’ globally, with this trend most in demand in the UK. Also this year, ‘boycut hair style’ has seen an average of 735k monthly searches, with Guyana searching for this more than anywhere else. Alongside these hair trends, research also revealed that ‘bob haircut’, which ranks 8thin the global beauty trends, is most in demand in Germany. 

In cosmetics, ‘natural makeup’ sees 57k global Google searches per month. Rosy cheeks are bang on trend, with ‘pink blush’ seeing 95k monthly searches around the world. Demand for this look is highest in Poland. Meanwhile, ‘bronzer’ is big on the beauty scene, with 93k monthly Google searches worldwide, and more people in Monaco searching for it than anywhere else. 

Eyebrow grooming is also huge worldwide. In fact, ‘eyebrow threading’ receives 312k monthly searches, with more of these happening in the United States per capita than anywhere else. In fact, eyebrow related beauty makes up a third of the Top 10 Most-Googled Beauty Trends in the US.

People living in South Africa are letting their natural beauty shine by searching the most per capita for ‘natural makeup looks’, with an increase of 88% since 2019. 

When it comes to achieving a sculpted and dewy complexion, Gabon is searching the most per capita for ‘hot to contour face’ and ‘how to get natural glowing skin’.

The Top 10 Beauty Trends in Africa:

1. Short hair styles
2. Hairstyles for long hair
3. Boycut hair style
4. How to get rid of stretch marks
5. Short haircuts for women
6. Grey hair dye
7. Short haircuts for men
8. Natural makeup looks
9. How to contour face
10. How to get natural glowing skin

To find out more about the biggest beauty trends in Africa and around the world, take a look at the full report: Global Glow Up Trends | The Body Shop

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