CLEAN BEAUTY TRENDS IN 2021

Even though most of us were stuck at home all this year, beauty was still very much alive. Lockdown (and possibly boredom) awakened our creativity and we experimented with #everythingeyes, perfected our zoom meeting glow, and took ah-maazing care of our skin (plus gave it a much need break from heavy foundation).

Now in 2021, with many of us still living the lockdown (or semi-lockdown) life, we’ll keep upping our beauty game whether it’s paired with pyjamas or actual go-outside ensembles.     

First, what is clean beauty?

Here’s the truth – clean beauty has no legal definition so can be interpreted by brands and shoppers in whatever way they like. To some, clean beauty means following a list of no-no cosmetic ingredients (but keep in mind, every ‘formulated without’ list is different from Sephora to Credo to other retailers around the world). To others, clean beauty just means avoiding the most well-known potential toxins like parabens, triclosan, phthalates, and talc.

To us, clean beauty means a clean conscience. It transcends just ingredients and means do no harm – to people, to this planet, or to animals. In our ingredient sourcing, our formulation, our packaging, our shipping – we pick the cleanest, most sustainable and ethical options available to ensure we’re putting #goodvibesonly into this universe. It means thinking about our impact on the planet as a whole, and making every choice in alignment with doing good – that’s also why we’re a Certified Benefit Corporation. We ban 2700 ingredients from our formulas and are Certified Vegan & Cruelty-Free forever. 

Of course, we all have our own definition of clean, and we’re are all about living your life in alignment with what feels good to you. So, however you see clean, we’ll keep producing products that feel ethically aligned for us and look magically crystal-charged on you.

For more on our definition of clean, read our Ingredient Code. Keep reading for all our favorite clean beauty trends in 2021!

THE TRENDS

1. SKIN IS IN

This year is all about taking care of, instead of covering up our skin. We're saying goodbye to full-coverage foundations, heavy contour, and excess concealer and embracing healthy-looking, glowified, rosy-cheeked skin.

We’re pulling back the curtain and letting our natural skin texture and freckles shine through #freethefreckle. If you don’t have freckles but always wanted some, try drawing them on with a medium brown shadow!

And we’re of course we’re embracing sunkissed shine – glowy highlight on all the high planes of our face, rosy flushed cheeks (and even a dab on the tip of the nose).  

skin-is-in

2. LID LINER

Instead of limiting our liners to upper and lower lash lines, we’re taking it all the way up the lid, creating a gorgeously graphic, ultra-defined eye! It’s a vintage, wide-eyed 60s ingénue vibe that we love. Create a defined shape with your liner or just experiment with graphic lid lines wherever you feel like it! 

lid-liner-looks

3. MATTE IS MAGIC

We’re definitely not saying goodbye to shimmers and metallics, but we’re giving mattes their moment in the spotlight and embracing the neutral nineties vibes. Like Naomi Campbell and Tyra stomping the runway - get ready to smize.

matte-magic

4. GLOSSY LIDS

Shine on! Pop some gloss over any color of eyeshadow for extra light-catching magic and a glistening, wet-look shine. Either use a dedicated lid gloss or a lip gloss will do just fine! 

glossy-lids

Images: @jemayward wearing our Summer Solstice Palette and @kendra.lspringer wearing our Rose Quartz Crystal Gemstone Palette + Supernova Crushed Pure Diamond Highlighter

5. ELONGATED LINER

Instead of stopping at the tearduct, we’re taking liner out, out, out and elongating that eye! Create your lines with shadow for a softer edge or liquid liner for a graphic line. If you’re using shadow, wet the brush first for high-impact, precise lines. 

elongated-liner
Images: @curlz_and_freckles (Mary) and @kendra.lspringer for socialite beauty (Click here for how-to create the look)

6. COLOR IS THE CURE

How to combat the quarantine boredom? Paint your lids with all the colors of the rainbow! The silver living of this pandemic has been the creativity from idle time spent at home. We’re throwing out our rulebooks and creating freely!

rainbow-lids

7. MASKNE-FIGHTING INGREDIENTS

With the dreaded maskne situation, we’re either foregoing bottom-half makeup or expecting more from our beauty products. We’re looking for products with an instant glow-up and long-term love for our clogged, covered-up pores.

A couple maskne-fighting ingredients you’ll find in the ĀTHR Beauty collection:

Organic Lavender Oil - Organic Lavender Oil helps heal acne and combat aging free radicals with its high antioxidant content and antibacterial qualities.

Amethyst Powder - Amethyst emits infrared rays which boost circulation in the skin, calming inflammation and redness. Its negative ion-charge helps detoxify the skin by drawing out toxins and free radicals. Amethyst crystal is also known to target bacteria growth, making it beneficial for acne-prone skin. 

amethyst-in-eyeshadow

8. BLUE-LIGHT PROTECTION INGREDIENTS

With most of zooming all-day long, and spending our lockdown nights bingeing on streaming, we’re getting exposed to A LOT of skin-damaging blue light. While the screen time is pretty unavoidable, we can protect ourselves from blue-light-related premature aging and pigmentation with antioxidants in our makeup and skincare.

Invest in a sunscreen with zinc oxide to protect yourself against the visible light. Some blue-light protecting ingredients you’ll find in the ĀTHR Beauty collection:

Organic Rosehip Oil: Antioxidant-rich vitamins A and C boost radiance, combat discoloration and sun damage, and encourage healthy collagen production.  

Sea Buckthorn Oil: Omega 3, 6, and 9 fatty acids help protect the skin from damage by reducing UV-related inflammation.

Organic Lavender Oil -  Lavender oil helps combat damaging free radicals with its high antioxidant content and antibacterial qualities.

Simmondsia Chinensis (Jojoba) Seed Oil - Rich in Vitamin E, Jojoba Oil helps fight oxidative stress that can cause premature aging.

Organic Moringa Oil - Moringa Oil contains vitamin A to help build collagen, vitamin C to reduce the look of fine lines and wrinkles, and vitamin E to help heal and prevent inflammation.

Organic Prickly Pear Oil - Prickly Pear is high in omega 6 and 9, vitamin E, and amino acids which stimulate collagen production in the skin. 

Amber Powder - The succinic acid found in Amber crystals is a powerful antioxidant. It helps fight the damaging effects of free radicals on your skin.

organic-moringa-oil

We can't wait to see the ĀTHR Beauty looks you create and the beauty trends you bring to life! Tag us in your photos on IG so we don't miss a thing! 

- ĀTHR Beauty xo


Recommended Product

Recommended Articles

How This Lunar Eclipse Will Affect Your Zodiac Sign
The Magic of Our NEW Citrine Crystal Quad
Why We're A Talc-Free Brand
The Magic of Upcycled Meadowfoam Seed Oil For Your Skin
Mascara Tips For Your Longest Possible Lashes