Strangest beauty trends of the year

Blame it on the increasing popularity of social media, but beauty bloggers have really been pushing the envelope this year with their wacky ideas. Be it the hairy selfie nails, that saw women adorn their tips with faces and realistic-looking hair or glitter butts, that saw bikini-wearers adding some shine to their derriere, 2017 has seen some really eye-popping trends that have picked up on Instagram, Twitter, Facebook and the likes. These are a few that made us cringe.

Nose hair extensions

(A blogger sports nose hair extensions)

While most men and women opt to clip their nostril hair and keep it in check, one beauty blogger feels they should not just be embraced but even enhanced. @gret_chen_chen created what she calls nose hair extensions by pasting false lashes around the nostril area. The bizarre trend had a lot of takers who not only gave a nod to the fad but also posted images of their creations on Instagram with the hashtag #nosehairextensions.

Glitter butts 

(Glitter butts)

Make-up artist Mia Kennington, who wanted to recreate the experience of having your behind covered in sand while on a beach, came up with glitter butts. She shared images on her Instagram page, which soon went viral with more women looking to recreate the shiny style statement. The glitter booty that involves using hair gel to help keep the sparklers in place was a summer favourite. 

Genitalia inspired nail art

(Nail art)

While last year saw the penis eyeliner trend, this year saw vagina nails making an appearance on Instagram feeds. From more abstract designs to 3D versions, this nail art found a fair number of takers. Portland-based nail artist Asa Bree posted an image of her work with her accent nails being made into a detailed 3D replica of the vulva.

Bizarre brows

([Left] Feather brows, [Right] Squiggle brows)

2017 was definitely the year of the brows with so many different trends that we almost couldn’t keep track. Squiggle brows saw women shaping their features in a wavy formation and then covering up the extra hairs with concealer and powder. Feather brows saw the delicate hair being parted and shaped with the help of petroleum jelly into a feather-like shape. Then there were brows shaped like McDonald’s iconic golden arches, as well as barbed wire brows.

Hairy selfie nails

(Hairy selfie nails)

This is downright creepy unless you’re a fan of weird plastic dolls. Dain Yoon, a South Korean artist is the brain behind hairy selfie nails. For the manicure, she  took five selfies of herself with various expressions and then painted them on her tips. Strands of hair on each add to the spooky finish.

Strange make-up applicators

([Left] Blending make-up using a bra insert, [Right] A boiled egg is used to apply foundation)

This year, saw a variety of new make-up ‘tools’ going viral. First it was bra inserts. The actual silicon pad that comes in a bra was found to be useful for blending make-up. In March, beauty blogger Nadi proved hardboiled eggs make for good make-up sponges as well. Beauty vlogger SadiaSlayy showed how she does her make-up using her Louboutin heel. Laila Tahri used a condom as a beauty blender, while YouTube beauty vlogger Ashley Blue experimented with a tampon.