Instep Desk

2018 has been a good year for beauty. Technology elevated us from using damaging products to dry our hair and took mascara application to the next level. From the arrival of Dyson’s ground-breaking AirWrap styling tool to the first ever 3D-printed mascara, 2018 made some groundbreaking additions to the beauty scene. Let’s take a look at some of them.

The most-anticipated bridal beauty look of 2018

No other bridal look was as discussed or dissected as much as Meghan Markle’s bridal look for her big day. Not only did her becoming the Duchess of Sussex give birth to a new era in the royal family but so did the beauty look she wore. Minimal was the name of the game and she wore it in the form of a glowing complexion that showed off the new Duchess’s freckles and a slicker version of her now-famous messy bun. For her evening look she got an up-do to show off her backless Stella McCartney gown to perfection. Countless bridal beauty mood boards were updated accordingly.

Rihanna’s skinny brows

This one was a little scary, one has to admit. When Rihanna made her skinny brows debut on the cover of Vogue, everyone thought that the days of the drawn-on razor-thin brows would be back. There were many pieces written that had everything from praise to think pieces that ensured that people will "never go back" to the look. Frankly, we were happy that the look didn’t catch on and it was only Rihanna that wanted to, and could pull off those brows in 2018.

Dyson

Dyson. First Dyson launched a hairdryer that promised to dry your hair quicker, at a lower temperature and without as much noise. Then, they out did themselves in October with the arrival of the Airwrap styler. Using groundbreaking tech innovation and a phenomenon called the Coanda effect, the AirWrap could smooth hair, waves and curls using air rather than heat, meaning you could achieve the same great styles but with a fraction of the damage normally caused by heat styling tools.

Chanel’s 3D-printed mascara

Chanel utilized the 3D printing technology and marked its territory in the beauty industry. Their Le Volume Revolution mascara is the first to boast a 3D-printed brush, which had micro-cavities printed into it to allow the mascara formula to absorb. This meant no clumpy lashes, no excess mascara ruining your perfectly applied eye-shadow and ease of application. A game changer.