It was the best of times, it was the...best of times, really. 2012 was a big year for beauty, and we’ve got no complaints. (Except for the messy bun’s slow fade from glory. Nooooooo, don’t leave us!) A look back on the trends that took red carpets and our hearts by storm this year:
Braids: There was barely any room for sepia-toned pictures of cats and mason jars on the Internets in 2012, and we have braid mania to blame. What’s Maru up to? Who cares, we were too busy drooling over braids going every which way—to the side, upside-down, down low, and uh, right across your face few times.
Vajacials: If you thought vajazzling was the height of pimpin' your ride, then this year proved you wrong. 2012 saw the rise of the vajacial, which is exactly what it sounds like if you think it sounds like a vagina facial. The treatment pampers your post-Brazilian hoo with stuff like exfoliation, CO2 treatments, vitamin C and retinol cream, extractions, and masks.
Specialized Salons: In 2012, we just wanted a salon that did one thing and one thing only, dammit. NYC hair stylist John Barrett opened Barrett's Ponytail Bar, offering ponytail styling from the pros. Soon after, Butterfly Studio in New York City opened a bangs bar, making it easy to test-drive fringe. And there was also TheBroot in Santa Monica, a smoothie bar suspiciously bereft of smoothies but specializing in deep-conditioning hair masks made from fresh ingredients.
Hair Chalking: Colorful tresses have been big for a while now, but commitment-phobes rejoiced this year when hair chalking took over. Pastel hues that wash out after a day, no emergency salon appointment required? Sign us up! Well, us and Lauren Conrad. And Nicki Minaj. And Avril Lavigne.
Big Brows: 2012 was the year of bold brows, and we’ve got the collection of eyebrow pencils to prove it. Eyebrow transplants were in demand, with Megan Fox and Kardashian brows as the top requests. But it was actually man brows that had us most inspired—this year we actually had a good reason for bringing pictures of Peter Gallagher to our threading appointment.
Textured Nails: Caviar, leather, rubber, feathers, and velvet. No, we’re not rummaging through a rich dominatrix’s purse, we’re listing our favorite nail trend of the year! Brands like Ciate and Nails, Inc. delivered big on textured finishes in 2012. The year ended strong with the December release of Nails, Inc.’s faux concrete polish, which suggests that faux fur and Astroturf manicures can’t be far away. Dream big, 2013.
There's ONE MORE DAY in 2012 to get any of these trends. Book an appointment on Lifebooker for brow shaping, manicures, and, yes, even vajacials.
