Despite often being dismissed as superficial, beauty trends have proven to be one of our most reliable cultural barometers. While political analysts pore over polling data and economists track market indicators (largely predicting the latest election result incorrectly), subtle shifts in beauty trends have been forecasting a significant cultural pivot towards more conservative values. From cosmetic surgery trends to aesthetic procedures and makeup styles, the beauty trends of the past few years predicted Trump’s win even when pollsters couldn’t.Fashion influencer Elysia Berman recently went viral for suggesting that current conservative shifts in beauty standards may reflect broader societal changes, including Trump’s election win. This transformation is evident across multiple trends coming from America’s "Beauty Belt": "Utah curls" and “Latte hair” (a balayage of brondes) gained popularity while vibrant hair colors, notably blue, became synonymous with radical liberals. Winged eyeliner, once associated with alternative culture, is now deemed "cheugy" by Gen-Z and the beauty equivalent of wearing skinny jeans, according to Allure. It has been replaced by softer brown liner styles smudged subtly across the lash line.Beauty has always been intricately tied to class, wealth, and privilege, while phenomena like the "lipstick index," coined by Leonard Lauder, have demonstrated how cosmetic purchases act as direct economic indicators.