Why Originality Is Today’s Top Beauty Trend

By Alison McGill

If you have never been one to conform to popular beauty standards, this is your time to shine. Pinterest has just released its very fascinating 2026 Beauty Trend Report (read it here), and it’s so encouraging to see that the biggest things users of the platform are looking for are fresh ideas, and ways to make the expected feel unique and different. 

The word we’re using to describe the current beauty mood: specificity. This means taking a trending look, then tweaking and editing to create your own bespoke aesthetic. In Pinterest’s first-ever-beauty-focused report, this leaning into specificity comes through via user searches. For example, users are not just looking for inspiration for a bob haircut, but rather a textured French bob. The 2026 Beauty Trend Report revealed that among Pinterest users, 85% say they discovered new beauty trends or ideas on the platform before seeing them elsewhere. 

“People want the freedom to change things up and make them their own, and Pinterest gives them a space to explore,” shares Sydney Stanback, global trends and insights lead at Pinterest. “No matter how specific the search is, features like our hair pattern and skin tone range search filters can help people find references that feel more personal.”

The report highlights 11 beauty trends which touch on everything from haircuts and colour to makeup, skincare, fragrance and nails. Pink-a-Boo puts the spotlight on candy coloured hair that definitely takes us back to the rosy reign of Kylie Jenner’s pink locks circa 2017. Copper Waves is another massive colour trend—and my personal pick because it’s totally me-coded—with Pinterest searches for mocha balayage hair, soft copper blonde, and cherry cola brunette seeing a massive surge in traffic.

A few other favourites include Eau So Cozy which is all about sweet and cozy gourmand fragrances that lean heavily into notes of marshmallow, strawberry, chocolate and coffee. Latte Lacquer which spotlights milky, glazed warm beige nail shades like almond and caramel. Another nail vibe with traction is Chrome Sweet Chrome which is the complete opposite, focused on manis with a cool reflective finish, or details such as polka dots and stripes.

As for Stanback’s trends of choice, she has two—one focused on icy-toned makeup and the other spotlighting Bridgerton-era soft, natural makeup. The fact that they are so completely different yet live in harmony together in this beauty trend report perfectly encapsulates the spirit of specificity.

“I love Arctic Frost because it’s a perfect mix of fun, nostalgia, and maximalism,” Stanback says. “At the same time, I’m also really drawn to Romantic Reverie for its undone feel. The fact that both are having a moment at the same time speaks to where beauty is at right now.”