Best Beauty Trends Of 2012

This past year may go down as the year of experimenting with beauty. From pixie cuts to pointed talons, 2012 saw just about every trend have its 15-minutes of fame. And while there are some looks we hope to never see again (we’re looking at you lilac lipstick), the following seven are ones we hope to see (and sport) in 2013.

Retro Curls:

Blame it on Draper Drama but this year was all about retro-inspired waves. We first saw them on the runways during the Fall/Winter 2012 shows and it wasn’t long before the trend hit Hollywood. Take cues from Orlando Pita (who outfitted the VS Angels with their bedroom curls) and get soft, voluminous waves with a barrel curler. Since heat-styling can wreak havoc on your strands, mend split ends with a repair serum.

Kerastase Fibre Architecte; $42; kerastase-usa.com

Amika 4P Interchangable Barrel Set; $175; sephora.com

Bold Brows:

Nothing said ‘pulled-together glamour’ better than bold brows this year. From starlets to supermodels, thick, well-groomed arches were the best accessory to sport. Not blessed with beautiful brows? Use a wax pencil to fill in what you have and set with a tinted gel.

Hourglass Arch Brow Sculpting Pencil; $32; sephora.com

Anastasia Beverly Hills Brow Gel; $21; nordstrom.com

Middle Parts:

No stranger to the trend circuit, the middle part had a major comeback this year. While side parts still played a dominate role, the more relaxed middle part seemed to be the trend to follow for fashion-forward girls. Keep hair sleek with a moisturizing cream. Use a dry shampoo to keep roots fresh and not greasy.

Serge Normant Meta Revivie Dry Shampoo; $25; neimanmarcus.com

Oribe Supershine Light Moisturizing Cream; $49; neimanmarcus.com

Colorful Eyes:

In a sea of neutrals, colorful eye shadow was a breath of fresh air in 2012. And while we wouldn’t necessarily sport the dramatic aqua-hued smoky eye that Prabal Gurung sent down the runway, we can see ourselves copying Ginnifer Goodwin’s emerald peepers or Kirsten Dunst’s lilac lids. The key for 2013 is to look for bold colors with minimal shimmer.

Covergirl Eye Enhancers in Purple Pop; $8.49; amazon.com

Tom Ford Beauty Eye Color Quad in Emerald Lust; $75; neimanmarcus.com

Braids:

The trend that dominated in 2012 was the braid. From fishtail to milkmaid, there wasn’t a head in site that didn’t sport twisted tendrils. To achieve the look yourself, keep plaits perfect with a non-sticky pomade and clear hair bands.

Goody Clear Elastics; $7.41; amazon.com

Bumble and bumble Semisumo; $20.78; amazon.com

Vampy Lips:

Between vampires and vixens, this year saw a surge in vampy lips. Pat McGrath started the trend at Gucci (using a mix of two CoverGirl lipsticks) and soon, the deep hue was lacquered on every starlet’s pucker. Wear it with neutral eyes, or go all out and pair it with bold brows and a smoky eye à la Emma Stone and Lily Collins.

NARS Larger Than Life Lipgloss in Rouge Tribal; $26; saksfifthavenue.com

Revlon Colorstay Ultimate Suede Lipstick in Backstage; $8.49; target.com

Sleek Bangs:

There isn’t a woman out there who hasn’t battled with whether or not to cut her bangs. With the trend making a major comeback in 2012 (Jessica Biel’s reveal had us all reaching to make an appointment with our stylist), it’s no wonder designers followed suit, sending models sashaying down the runway with face-framing fringe. Thinking of taking the plunge? Smooth hair with a leave-in treatment and keep strands smooth with an infrared flat iron.

Nexxus Promend Split End-Binding Leave-In Treatment; $17; folica.com

Thairapy 365 Flat Iron; $150; b-glowing.com