The Year that Changed Beauty

How does a global pandemic transform the beauty industry? Let us count the ways ...

- Coco Marett

With salons closed for much of the year and restrictions on social distancing giving little reason to get dolled up, our relationship with beauty reached a kind of existential crisis in 2020. What, and who, were we doing all of this for? And who do we become when gel nails, balayage and cheekbone fillers no longer play the same role in our self-perceptions or the images we choose to paint?

Hairy and poorly-groomed, we were forced to look ourselves in the mirror and reassess what beauty really means to us, and to society. Or, perhaps more importantly, we questioned the value of routines we once thought were critical and began to gravitate towards ones with a less superficial purpose.

Jenni Middleton, beauty director at industry trend forecasting company WGSN, says: “Beauty has taken on a role beyond the aesthetic. It’s no longer just about a style or a look. It’s taking on a role as a healer, soother and protector.”

We look at a few of the ways we’ve embraced beauty to find comfort, escape and consistency in uncertain times.

AFTERNOON DELIGHT