Keeping up with trends can certainly be tedious business. Chokers were all the rage in 2016 but suddenly they’re topping every ‘trends that need to die’ list. We’d only just reached the point where we were delighted with our stock of ultra-matte lip colours when lo and behold, this season is all about to gloss and shine. It all seems arbitrary and fleeting but believe us when we say there is a method to the madness.

Trends stem from the runway, street style and now a new breed of social media influencers who can spark multi-million dollar fads with a single post. Yet knowing which ones to pick and choose and which ones can be adapted for real life can be a true game changer. If going through a long list of what’s forecasted for this year isn’t your idea of a relaxing Sunday, we’ve got you covered. We did the leg work for you and picked out the best trends that you can and should sport this season.

Here’s a comprehensive guide to approaching beauty in 2017.

There will be Gloss

Sticky, ephemeral and reminiscent of our teenage, glosses are back (yeah, we also looked at our extensive collection of Colour Pop Liquid Lips and swore we’d never betray them for high shine) with a vengeance. But there’s no need to fall into despair immediately. Because luckily, it’s not the revival of lipgloss - at least, not just yet. Glossy lips are beginning to appear more and more but it’s glossy skin and lids that are really the rage. And gloss making a come-back isn’t entirely out of the blue; with the return of metallic and high-shine materials in fashion, it was only a matter of time before the trend would be replicated by beauty experts.

So how exactly can you incorporate gloss into your beauty routine? Think outside the box. The taupe eyeshadow you wear regularly? Give it a 2017 worthy update by adding a dot of clear gloss on your lids and using it to create shine. Ditch your Benefit Benetit for Dior’s lacquered Colour Reviver Balms. Grab some wet look gel and comb it through your hair to give your tresses a shiny new look. And of course, it goes without saying, glowing, dewy, pearlescent skin is here to stay.

Gimme Vitamin Sea STAT

Apart from fashion and beauty, we’re also quite obsessed with the beach and much to our delight, it appears that so is the rest of the global cosmetic industry. One of the chief inspirations for beauty trends this season stems from the sea/ocean and the beach. Hair colour, eye shadows, skin tones; its all about bringing the beach to the boudoir.

While rose gold was the IT hair colour last season it’s sea green this year. For other applications, deep sea, aquatic tones create a smoky, multi-tonal eye with a high gloss, reflective finish. Applied all over the eye, colour is rich in pigment with a wetlook texture to mimic the surface of the sea. And it isn’t just the sea that’s inspiring. Colours of the sunset find their way into our beauty book as well. Glossy lips are drenched in a sunset orange hue for a jolt of statement colour. Moisturising balms keep lips hydrated in the summer sun while achieving a highly reflective surface, as we discussed above.

Pink, Please

It appears that there’s no escaping pink. While not as much a staple on the runway as it was visible on influencers and street style stars, there’s can be no doubt that pink is a standout colour still for both hair and lips, with the former taking in bubblegum-pink dip-dyes, and the latter pops of fuchsia or candy-floss.

Light, baby pink was a popular colour choice on fashion week streets, with a soft, muted hue used as all-over colour. Roots are clearly grown out, and tones segue into a soft peach towards the tips. A punchier look sees a dip-dye effect created with bright pink ends. Bright and baby pink bring a pop of femininity as lips become the focal point in shades of fuchsia, candy-floss and cerise, with a sheer finish.