For 30-plus years, Allure has reported on those ever-more-frequent moments when beauty burst from its narrow lane of hair, makeup, and skin-care trends to dominate the news and to occupy a central space in the popular consciousness. The most stark (and chilling) example this year would have to be the protests by women in Iran against decades of repression by a brutal regime — over something as basic as showing your hair.
Other 2022 moments were triumphant: Ketanji Brown-Jackson took her seat on the Supreme Court. Some were a little nostalgic: After serving greatness — and looks — on the courts for decades, Serena Williams "evolved away" from tennis. And, as always, TGFB — Thank God for Beyoncé. In a year when state lawmakers in our country have introduced a staggering 155 pieces of anti-trans legislation, her celebration of LGBTQ+ culture on her new album, Renaissance, was the antidote everyone needed. Even better, it came with wigs, boots, and lots of green makeup.
Beauty, as we see it, encompasses identity, culture, politics, and more. At Allure, our years in review have included Botox and boy bands, royal weddings and White House hair. (On the night of his second inauguration, President Obama addressed the headline-making power of Michelle Obama's hair when he took the microphone and said, "To address the most significant event of this weekend, I love her bangs.") And there's been much more: Reality TV. Instagram filters. Natural hair. NFL hair. Glass skin. Tan moms. Contouring. Kardashians. Lookism. Ageism. Stem cells. Maskne.
So are you ready? Welcome to Allure's Year in Beauty, 2022.
She's That Girl
Beyoncé's Renaissance album is a love letter to all the queer and trans Black artists who have inspired her over the course of her career: Ts Madison, Kevin Aviance, Honey Dijon, and many more. Fans of Lemonade (approximately everyone on Earth) will recall the booming, gravelly voice of Big Freedia, "New Orleans’s queen of bounce," on the track "Break My Soul," which was a
big summer hit. The song is ostensibly about trading work for fun, but the lyric "You won't break my soul" can easily be read as a defiant cry from LGBTQ+ kids in Florida and Texas and other places where they face violence and hate and where politicians exploit their vulnerability for political gain. Unsurprisingly, "Break My Soul" was celebrated as a "gay anthem" (said the Washington Post) soon after its release.
Since Renaissance is a Beyoncé production, looks will be turned. A teaser preview of the "I'm That Girl" video features Beyoncé in silver boots and an elaborate updo, wearing a metallic breastplate, which is useful for making breakfast (she cracks an egg on it). Also in the clip are a ponytailed dominatrix, a bedazzled cowgirl, green hair and metallic makeup, and, naturally, wigs without end.
In a letter posted on her website just before the album's release, Beyoncé thanked "all of the pioneers who originate culture...whose contributions have gone unrecognized for far too long." Renaissance is anti-appropriation. When it comes to pop megastars, others of whom routinely borrow (okay, steal) ideas without credit, that is rare indeed.
Justice For All
Fulfilling a campaign promise that had helped propel him to the presidency, Joe Biden nominated Ketanji Brown Jackson to the Supreme Court. She is the first Black woman in history to have scaled this Everest of American Constitutional law. The honor was deeply humbling, as she frequently has said, but more importantly, it was earned. Not that there weren't indignities to endure along the way.
At her confirmation hearings, one senator asked Brown Jackson to define a woman (a favorite transphobic bomb lobbed by the right) and another seemed to need her to explain how internet porn works. Through it all, she maintained a preternatural calm, wearing an expression of composed exasperation on her face that MSNBC host Joy Reid described as "every Black woman ever."
After Brown Jackson officially ascended to the Supreme Court bench, she spoke about the significance of the day at the Library of Congress: "I know that it is not about me," she said. "People, especially young people, see themselves portrayed in me.... I remember what it was like as a young Black girl to feel utterly invisible." And because of her, many more brilliant
people are going to be seen.
Serving Greatness
None of us wanted to face it. Yet it had to happen sometime. Serena Williams announced this year not that she was retiring (there are few people to whom that word applies less) but "evolving away from tennis" to concentrate on other pursuits. Millions can remember the particular thrill of seeing her take the court at Wimbledon, Roland-Garros, or the Australian Open. If you were ever lucky enough to witness this in person, the excitement was that much more palpable. And her explosive energy during play was breathtaking. Her farewell match this September in Arthur Ashe Stadium at the US Open seemed to encapsulate 27-plus years of her legend. The 23-time grand slam singles champion and four-time Olympic gold medalist strode onto the court to thunderous cheers and applause that echoed in the New York night and seemed to last until dawn. She wore a Nike tennis dress, featuring a six-layer tutu, reference to her six US Open victories, and a jeweled headband with gems stamped into her hair. Somehow, her cheekbones seemed more regal
than ever.
Serena's ever-changing fashion and hairstyles have always been part of her appeal. And there is purpose in her choices. After the president of the French Open banned a catsuit that she wore to help prevent blood clots in her legs, which she had experienced in the past and during the birth of her daughter, Serena rather pointedly went on to dominate in a tutu.
In 2019, Serena told Allure: "Venus and I were unapologetically ourselves. We weren't afraid to wear braids. We weren't afraid to be Black in tennis."
Serena embraces her beauty. She embraces her muscles and her curves. She embraces sisterhood and motherhood (her delight in her mini-me daughter Olympia is as plain as day). Most of all, though, she embraces her power. It's a power that extends well beyond sports, beyond age or gender or nationality. And it's not physical power. It is the power to inspire.
In Memoriam
If Nichelle Nichols is any measure, there must be amazing beauty salons in space. For three seasons (1966-1969) of the original TV run of Star Trek, and in several of the movies that came later, she provided intergalactic glamour. She was a constant on the bridge of the Starship Enterprise as Lieutenant Uhura, chief communications officer. There she was at her blinking console, sitting with a dancer's posture, the picture of futuristic efficiency in a '60s bouffant, winged eyeliner, frosted lips, and green hoops (or other statement earrings) under her signature silver earpiece. She considered leaving the series after the first year to do a Broadway show, but, as the Los Angeles Times recounted after her death, a chance meeting with Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., an avid Trekkie, made her change her mind. Nichols recalled that King told her: "For the first time on television, we will be seen as we should be seen every day, as intelligent, quality, beautiful people who can sing, dance, and can go to space." She stayed. And the world saw.
This year, we said farewell to two queens: Loretta Lynn, the queen of country music, and Elizabeth II, the queen of a country, kingdom, and commonwealth. One was born Loretta Webb "in a cabin on a hill in Butcher Holler," Kentucky. The other was born Elizabeth of York in a grand house on Bruton Street in Mayfair, London. In 1960, Lynn released her first hit, "Honkey Tonk Girl." That same year, a portrait of Elizabeth II appeared for the first time on the one pound bank note. Throughout her life, Lynn expressed herself freely and ascended to the highest levels of fame. Her best-selling memoir, Coal Miner's Daughter, became an Oscar-winning film starring Sissy Spacek. Elizabeth II had fame she never wanted thrust upon her, and, as head of state, was barred from speaking her own mind. Her personal diaries may never see the light of day. But both queens were admired for their work ethic and staying power, their symbolism and dignity. Neither of their reigns will soon be forgotten.
Australian British singer Olivia Newton-John managed to embody some of the biggest American pop culture stereotypes: bobby soxer (Grease), neon, '80s gym bunny ("Physical"), roller-disco ingenue (Xanadu). If being inoffensive were an art form (which it most certainly is not), Newton-John would be its Leonardo da Vinci. Her perpetual perkiness and Top 40 singing made her a huge star of the '70s and '80s. But it was her role as a breast cancer survivor, thriver, fundraiser, and advocate for research that was the most meaningful. She founded the Olivia Newton-John Cancer Wellness & Research Centre at Austin Hospital in Melbourne and left a legacy of hope and healing for thousands. She once sang "You have to believe we are magic." In the end, she was.
The Last Straw
After decades of repression, Iranian women had finally had enough. The spark that lit the flame of protest this year was the death of 22-year-old Mahsa Amini while in the custody of Iran's much-feared morality police. She had been detained for allegedly wearing her headscarf too loosely, a violation of the country's strict dress code. Her family said she was beaten to death. Women (and men) took to the streets to demonstrate their outrage at the country's authoritarian regime. They
marched. They chanted. They lit fires. Some women publicly cut off their hair or tossed their headscarves into the flames, an act of almost unimaginable bravery. A violent crackdown by the
government ensued and continues to this day. There are many women in Iran and around the world who wear hijab (which means "barrier" in Arabic and refers to modest dress that varies from region to region) out of respect for their religion and culture. They are in no way complicit with the brutality of the Iranian regime and in many cases support the protests. Their motto: "Hijab. My right, my choice, my life."
On Message
When you're fighting an information war, you don't turn down an opportunity to reach millions all over the world. Ukrainian first lady Olena Zelenska's message discipline, whether speaking to the US Congress, the Biden administration, international news outlets, or Vogue has been remarkable. She and her husband, President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, have shown themselves to be tremendously skilled at rallying hearts and minds (leading to dollars and weapons) to Ukraine's side. Predictably enough, the Vogue shoot attracted criticism — from those who said it glamorized war (it did not) and, bizarrely, from those who thought Zelenska was sitting in an unfeminine way. (Yes, WTAF?) Women supporters of, you know, sanity, began posting pictures of themselves sitting in a similar fashion with #SitLikeAGirl. Zelenska told the BBC: "I believe it is more important to do
something and be criticized for it than to do nothing." So critics can sit down.
Camera Ready
For those who walk red carpets, these corridors of fame can be places to make
a few viral waves...and maybe even a salient point. This year, these three women weren’t afraid to reveal something of themselves — and perhaps the power of vulnerability.
The model and actor appeared on the Met Gala red carpet in a Dior Haute Couture pantsuit. She removed the jacket to reveal her gold-painted, chain-draped torso. Eye catching, for sure, but nothing that unusual given the venue and the "gilded glamour" theme. But Delevingne pointedly left her psoriasis flare-ups unpainted, an act widely praised for raising awareness of the disease.
After wearing a sheer pink dress to a Valentino show in Rome, Pugh had choice words for the body-shamers: "So many of you wanted to let me know how I should be embarrassed by being so 'flat chested,'" she wrote on Instagram. "Grow up. Respect people. Respect bodies. Respect all women. Respect humans."
For some reason (oh, yes, the reason is sexism), people have all sorts of ideas about how pregnant women should look. Sizzling hot is not generally one of them. Rihanna never conforms to expectations and defied them throughout her pregnancy in crop tops, lingerie, body-baring cutouts, and, at a Fenty Beauty launch in Los Angeles, this shredded halter by The Attico.
Baby Talk
Jennifer Aniston appeared on the December cover of Allure in a vintage Chanel mini bikini that bared pretty much everything, alongside her quote "I have nothing to hide at this point." Turns out those words were about a whole lot more than skin. In the interview, the 53-year-old actor talked candidly about many topics, but the one that sparked discussion everywhere Aniston is famous (meaning everywhere on the planet) was her struggles with infertility, including IVF.
IVF stories, especially celebrity IVF stories, usually have a bouncing baby on the last page. That is the Hollywood ending after all. But for thousands of women, someone changed the script. For them, after a physically and emotionally grueling process, there is no baby. And they have to live with that heartbreak in silence. Aniston’s disappointment and isolation was perversely compounded by the hundreds of news stories that speculated wildly (and judgmentally) about the state of her uterus, like it’s anyone’s business.
Aniston’s openness to Allure started a conversation, one that was long overdue. And if it makes some people feel less alone, well, we can’t hope for anything more.
TikTok, Boom!
TikTok has become known as the birthplace of bonkers trends — bucket bunnies, NyQuil chicken, the corncob challenge. Some are silly and harmless, others bizarre and dangerous. It's no different with beauty. So we present the 2022 TikTok beauty matrix: Dangerous, harmless, useless, and effective are points on the compass. See if you agree with what goes where.
Read more stories about trends we love:
- 21 TikTok-Approved Beauty Products That'll Upgrade Your Beauty Routine
- 5 Influencers Creating Space for Black Women in Alternative Beauty Trends
- Kidcore Is Here to Brighten Up Your Day — and Makeup Shelf
Now enjoy this lipstick expert trying out cheap and expensive lipsticks:
