If you've walked the streets of Manchester for more than a few minutes, you'll know that the legendary Tony Wilson quote "This is Manchester, we do things differently here" still rings true. Whether it's beauty, fashion, music, or art, the city is never short of creative innovation.
While London may well be considered the centre of trendsetting in the UK [1], and in a traditional sense it is, the looks served in Manchester are creative and eclectic and strongly influence how the UK gets made up. "The effortless edge of the place definitely translates into people's style" said Millie Horton [2], nail artist and owner of Northern Quarter salon Doll Parts [3]. "There's no blueprint to what is or isn't 'cool' and the locals style themselves however they like, without fear of judgement."
Even though the discovery of new beauty trends happens more often online these days, it's still possible to see them emerging and evolving in different cities and regions. Manchester is a creative hub that has spawned many a micro trend, and the streets are quite literally a catwalk. "There's so many cool people living here — the street style is like a walking talking Pinterest board," said Manchester influencer Faye Ellaby [4]. "It's such a colourful, vibrant city . . . which is always great if you're stuck for inspiration". Fashion blogger Louise Margeurite [5] (who recently made the move north from Sussex) agrees: "Manchester is gorgeously creative — it's one of the many perks that inspired me to make to move up to this magnificent city. The style is so individual and unique."
From Y2K [6] to bleached brows, click through to discover the beauty trends that Manchester influencers will be championing in 2021.
The Inverse Cat Eye
Bold liner has always been a staple in Manchester beauty looks, but influencer Ellen Brockbank [7] predicts that the "inner corner" liner technique will take off this year. Whereas a traditional cat-eye look extends liner past the outer corners, this trend is all about accentuating the inner corners to create the appearance of eyes that appear wider and more awake. "Adding an inner corner flick has really transformed my makeup looks", Brockbank told POPSUGAR. "It can be such a wearable look for every day makeup; however, I also love smoking out the wing with brown and black eyeshadows to create a more dramatic effect".
Bold Nail Art
Thanks to established nail studios like Doll Parts [8], Nails By Ya Gal [9], and Emily Meraki [10], there's never a shortage of nail art to be spotted in Manchester. This year the trend will boom once again, predicts Millie Horton, owner of Doll Parts [11], which is based in Affleck's Palace [12], an iconic Manchester institution that has a long history as the go-to hangout for the city's youth culture.
"People are embracing bold, brave trends at the moment", she said. "Being unable to go out and enjoy ourselves as we usually would this year has influenced everyone to have more fun with the smaller things. My clients have been loving mix and match nail art, vivid colours and fun designs like emojis and '70s style waves".
Sunset-Inspired Eye Makeup
Much like the rest of the world, Mancunians have spent the majority of the past year with lower faces covered, so standout eye-makeup looks have became a favourite for those looking to express their creativity around the confines of a face covering. Bolton-based blogger Thandie Ndlovu [13] is inspired by the city's vibrant (literally) style scene when it comes to crafting her makeup. "I'm a fan of bright colours, so I've been embracing more colourful makeup, and I'm in love with sunset vibes", said Ndlovu, who pairs the look with slime-inspired lime-green hair.
Experimental Eyeliner
This year, as the world is forced to spend a lot more time inside, experimenting with makeup has become a favourite pastime. "I'm not going anywhere exciting at the moment, so I love to try a new makeup look whilst I'm at home", said Faye Ellaby [14]. "I know I can just wash it off if I don't like it! I'm obsessed with coloured liner . . . the best I've found is L'Oréal Paris Matte Signature Liquid Eyeliner [15] (£9) — the shades are so bold and long-wearing"!
Bushy, Brushed-Up Brows
Much like its neighbouring city of Liverpool, Manchester has long had a love affair with eyebrows of all shapes and sizes. And in 2021, bushy, brushed-up brows are the favourite. Late last year, model and resident Mancunian Jess Hunt [16] launched Refy [17], a streamlined collection of products designed to sculpt, define, and set brows in three simple steps. The result? Laminated brows [18] minus the lengthy process and potential damage.
Logomania
With logo-heavy fashion [19] trending heavily in Manchester, it's no surprise that the trend has translated into the beauty sphere, with some of the city's most adventurous and talented makeup artists serving looks inspired by designer and streetwear brands such as Nike, Commes de Garçons, and Fendi.
Fearless and Expressive Makeup Looks
The love affair with dramatic, full-on glamour makeup runs strongly in Manchester. Pre-COVID, you'd spot it everywhere from Spinningfields to The Village, any time or day of the week. These days, you're more likely to swipe past it on the colourful Instagram feeds of Manchester beauty influencers like Mitchell Halliday [20] and Paige Louise Williams [21]. "As with anything in Manchester, the scene within beauty is really bold! People aren't afraid to clash patterns and prints in their clothes and do the same in their makeup routine as well," said blogger Louise Marguerite. "It's definitely a great place to be for embracing who you are and not being afraid to stand out".
Bleached Eyebrows (Without the Bleach!)
Bleached brows are poised to have a major beauty moment this year, but Mancunian beauty progressives have been dabbling with the trend for years. Last year, Manchester-based artist Alexis Stone [22], famous for their celebrity transformations, launched Sensorium Beauty [23], currently a single product specifically designed to give a temporary bleached brow effect.
Vivid Colours From Head-to-Toe
Even while the city's vibrant nightlife scene is on hold, the kinds of bold and bright beauty looks you might only have expected to see on a dance-floor pre-COVID are certainly not. "I have definitely started to have a bit more fun with makeup since we have been in lockdown; it's given me more time to experiment with different colours and looks," said blogger Libby Faulkner [24]. "Since I dyed my hair orange, I have been loving matching my eye colour to my hair! I have been using a superthin eye brush and setting spray to wet it, then use orange shadows as eye liners."
Soft Glam
It's extremely cliched to talk about "glam" when describing Manchester's beauty scene, but the look for which the city is most well-known still resonates, albeit in a slightly evolved version. "What I describe as 'soft glam' is probably the most common request I get from clients," said Manchester-based makeup artist Lucy Hart [25]. "A few years ago, everyone was into crazy lashes and cut creases — which you still see — and Manchester makeup has always been daring, but now everyone just wants to look like the best version of themselves".
Y2K 2.0
Manchester was famous for its '90s and early 2000s rave and grunge scenes, so it only makes sense that the Y2K trend is having a renaissance in the city. In fact, many stalwart Mancunians would argue that it never left. "Y2K is huge at the moment" says Horton. "Velour tracksuits and wide fit jeans are having a major comeback; we decided to add tooth crystals to our menu, which has already drummed up a lot of excitement for our reopening"!