After testing hundreds upon hundreds of beauty products (including over 500 personally tried by yours truly), the winners have finally been selected for the 9th annual TotalBeauty Awards. While we were selecting the winners in a series of (very long) meetings, a few beauty trends started to emerge. Products with jelly textures were popping up across the board, decadent coconut-scented products were everywhere and the whole holographic situation really hit the stratosphere. Read on to get the scoop on some of the hottest 2018 beauty product trends and our most-loved products.
This article was originally published on TotalBeauty.com
See all the winners from the 2018 TotalBeauty Awards
TotalBeauty Awards 2018 beauty trends
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Dessert-Inspired Beauty
Food-themed beauty will always hold a special place in our hearts, so it's been exciting to watch more brands get in on the trend. And with scents that smell just as delicious as the real thing, why not kill two cravings with one product?
The Fresh Sugar Lip Caramel Hydrating Balm, $18, perfectly captures everything you love about caramel, while also hydrating your lips like nothing else. We also found ourselves falling hard for the Carol's Daughter Almond Cookie Oatmeal Bar Soap, $6, — with its rich lather, it cleanses without overstripping your skin and you'll feel like you're indulging in some Italian sweets while you're at it. And the Harper + Ari Exfoliating Sugar Cubes, $24, are a no-brainer — their novel appearance makes them the perfect gift and their skin-soothing properties seriously sweeten the deal. -
The Jelly Texture is In
Bouncy beauty products are on the rise in a major way — and it goes across all categories. You'll see the distinctive texture popping up everywhere, from jelly conditioners to jelly highlighters, and the fun factor is undeniable. This isn't a case of form over function, though — in many cases, the innovative jelly texture improves the product while also putting that extra smile on your face.
The Farsali Jelly Beam Illuminator, $40, made quite a splash on the makeup scene and it's tough to argue with that buildable high-wattage glow. Then, there's the Drunk Elephant Beste No. 9 Jelly Cleanser, $34, — between its jiggly texture, light cantaloupe scent and gentle, makeup-busting foam, you're sure to fall in love. Gel moisturizers have also been rising in popularity lately and the Shiseido Waso Clear Mega-Hydrating Cream, $38, is definitely a standout in the category with its nifty, translucent texture and mega-hydrating formula. -
A Micellar Update
Micellar water has been popular on the scene for a while but lately, it's been making an even larger bid for world domination. Confined to being just a gentle makeup remover no more, micellar water has now expanded into various hair and skin care categories and it's making everything it touches better.
We're a sucker for the Herbal Essences Refresh Micellar Water & Blue Ginger Shampoo, $5.99: thanks to the micellar water, it's so lightweight and pleasantly foamy (and the spicy ginger scent is to die for). The Garnier SkinActive Micellar Foaming Gel Facial Cleanser, $6.69, also caught our eye — it's everything you love about the brand's cult favorite micellar waters, except in gel form. Then, there's the Dove Anti-Stress Micellar Beauty Bar, $5.49, which cleanses and lathers like a treat with an uplifting fresh scent to boot. -
Spage-Age Holographic Glow
Holographic makeup has been everywhere lately and it's easy to see why. After all, what's not to love about multi-dimensional sparkle? With the help of some iridescence, it takes regular shimmer and basically maxes it out to the nth degree.
For true holographic beauty aficionados, the Anastasia Beverly Hills Moonchild Glow Palette, $40, is a must-have. It features not one, but six gorgeous shades all in various levels of holographic-ness. Fans of the look will also get a kick out of the Milani Stellar Lights Holographic Lip Gloss, $9, which gives you that coveted iridescent glaze at a wallet-friendly price. Last but not least, there's the Too Faced Diamond Highlighter Powder, $34, a gorgeous product that strikes the perfect balance between a subtle glow and some unicorn-worthy iridescence. -
Nutty for Coconuts
Coconut is by no means a trend that's confined to 2018 alone, but we were so impressed with all the coconut-themed products that were selected for this year's TotalBeauty Awards. There's just something about that refreshingly sweet smell that transports you right to a white sand beach — and that's a feeling that'll never go out of style.
Too Cool for School Coconut Milky Oil Shower Moisturizing Body Wash, $20, earned a permanent spot in our shower caddies with its skin-soothing emollient lather. We also enjoyed the scalp-saving properties of the innovative Briogeo Scalp Revival Charcoal + Coconut Oil Micro-Exfoliating Shampoo, $42. As for the Skinfix Coconut Water Hydrating Mist, $10.50, they're absolutely ideal for keeping at your desk for refreshing midday spritzes. -
K-Beauty Continues to Reign Supreme
After a few years on the scene, it's becoming clear that Korean beauty products are here to stay in a major way. More and more brands are making their way stateside and there's something for all skin concerns, price points and personalities. Now you can build a whole 10-step skin care routine built entirely on Korean skin care alone, easy as pie.
I Dew Care made major waves with its viral I Dew Care Disco Kitten Illuminating Diamond Peel-Off Mask, $23, a silvery-chrome mask that's as fun to look at as it is effective to use. We also found ourselves falling hard and fast for the AmorePacific Vintage Single Extract Essence, $145, a true, luxurious treat for your complexion. And for fans of Belif's cult-favorite moisturizer, there's now the Belif Moisturizing Eye Bomb, $48, a new eye cream envisioned along the same lines. -
Liquid Lip Takeover
Liquid lipsticks were so omnipresent this year that you'd almost think regular twist-ups were completely outmoded. Luckily, that's not the case, but we tested so many groundbreaking liquid lipstick formulas that the trend can't go unnoticed.
Out of all the amazing formulas we tried, two rose to the top: First, there's the Marc Jacobs Beauty Le Marc Liquid Lip Crayon, $26, a liquid lipstick that actually comes in chubby crayon form (and boasts some of the most unique, wearable colors in town). Then there are the lovely Guerlain Intense Liquid Matte Lipsticks, $32: superlatively comfortable with all the pigmentation and wear time a person could possibly ask for. -
Everything's Coming Up Roses
Roses will always be in fashion but it's always nice to see the classic beauty staple get a bit of an upgrade. The scent popped up in unexpected places, whether it was in rosehip oil form or mixed with other alluring garden scents like jasmine.
Fragrance fans can't go wrong with the heady floral Gucci Bloom Eau de Parfum, $124, which is basically a summer night in a minimalist millennial pink bottle. The Biossance Squalane + Vitamin C Rose Oil, $72, adds lightweight hydration and brightens like you wouldn't believe, and Love Beauty and Planet Murumuru Butter & Rose Body Wash, $6.94, smells so, so luxurious, especially at its very affordable price point.
