With 95 million posts shared to Instagram daily, trends are always competing against each other for the top spots, with some coming out stronger than others. From permanent body-changing makeup to acrylic nails that open like a door, here’s the trends making it to the top spot on Instagram, selected by BeautyMatter.

Lips for Eyes:

Makeup artists across Instagram have recently taken on a high-fashion stance when it comes to their makeup looks, experimenting with different shapes, sizes, and textures. The most recent trend to take over the discovery page was lipstick eyeshadow. Beginning by applying a bold, often red, lipstick, users then go on to press clear PVC film onto their lips, leaving an imprint which is then applied in creative patterns across the eyelids. The trend has seen multiple variations, with some artists applying powder over the top to blend out the product and create a subtle blushed look, while others stuck to a bold and daring standout print. 

The trend began when user @meicrosoft (Mei Pang) shared a reel creating the look, which now has over 540K views and 350 million likes on both Instagram and Tiktok. Initially posted as a Valentine-inspired look, the trend has continued since the holiday, with several other creators and fans recreating the look, adding their own twists. Another popular Instagram MUA (short for makeup artist) @mimiermakeup (Mirta Miller) took the trend into her creative hands, receiving another 335K+ thumbs-ups for the look. The hashtag #lipstickeyeshadow has 1.5K posts recreating the trend, which indicates a clear interest for the trend, after reports of long hashtags falling into decline.

Stretch Mark Removal:

Instagram has always had its impact on users, with the app even having the power to encourage individuals into changing their bodies permanently. In a survey of 816 people who have had plastic surgery, 48% admitted that social media had influenced them to do so. The latest life-changing procedure to trend on Instagram is stretch mark removal, which although not surgical, uses permanent makeup to cover up the marks on one’s body. The trend sees tattoo artists mixing multiple inks to match skin tones and then proceeding to tattoo over each individual stretch mark. 

Despite the blurring out of the marks using color-matched inks, the lines can still be seen rising off the skin, which several users have noticed, questioning if the procedure is in fact worth it. The trend has also upset some, with various viewers expressing the damage such a trend could create, influencing younger generations to remove natural features of their bodies. However, this has not stopped the trend paving its way through Instagram, with @elitepermanentmakeup, a popular account that offers the service, seeing their follower count increase rapidly, currently at 110K.

Beauty Blender Whisk:

Discovered by @imjuliekay (Julie Kay), who’s well known across Instagram for finding extravagant beauty accessories, comes a cleaning device dubbed the Beauty Blender Whisk. The product, actually named the Stylpro Squeeze Makeup Sponge Cleaner, comes with a bowl and a bottle of makeup remover, alongside a device that the beauty blender clips into. When the beauty tools are added to the device and lowered into the bowl, different settings can be applied to adjust speed and pressure, causing the device to rotate like a whisk and swiftly remove any makeup that has seeped into the blender. 

While some users have commented on the urge to purchase the product, others have expressed a lack of interest, with one comment stating, “Why don’t you just wash them by hand like any normal person.” However, this hasn’t stopped the product having its viral moment, with it selling out on Amazon within 12 hours of Kay sharing the video to her 1.5 million followers. It would seem that despite an increase in interest for DIY and recycling from millennials and Gen Z, many will still lap up a viral product if they can manage to get their hands on one.

Experimental Acrylics: 

With #acrylicnails housing over 15.2 million posts on Instagram, it comes as no surprise that nails are trending across the app. However, the trends tied into the nail industry are recently becoming more and more experimental across social media, with Instagram as the main hub for new ideas. As the artificial nail market is expected to see a $265.25 million growth by 2026, it would seem users are fighting to see who can be the most extra when it comes to their nail additions. 

@Valentina1121li (Valentina Li), who prefers to be referred to as a face painter rather than a MUA, with followers including Doja Cat, has paved the way for the recent increase in acrylic experimentation. From designer bags falling from the ends of nail extensions, to computers and keyboards adhered to the center of the nail, as well as necklace nails that join both hands together, the possibilities presented by Li seem endless. Another user popularly sharing the trend is @sansungnails (San Sung Kim), who has recently begun showcasing nails on top of nails, hinged like a door, which when opened reveal a contrasting design underneath. With 19.9K views on Kim’s Insta Reel, hinged nails could be the next big thing. It would seem nail art has now taken a new extreme across the app, with no intentions of slowing down.

Foam Foundation:

Regular liquid foundation is no longer in—foam foundation is the new essential. Rising to fame on TikTok at the latter end of last year, foam foundation, specifically Elizabeth Arden’s Flawless Finish Mousse Makeup, has taken over social media, with a recent re-trend on Instagram. As soon as the product comes out of the pump, an instant expansion begins, creating a bubble-esque look; the product is then easily flattened out and blended downwards into the face. The foundation is said to be perfect for a lightweight look and promotes clean beauty looks, which have seen a rise in recent months, with over 5 million posts under #cleanbeauty on Instagram alone. 

A well-known name associated with the trend is user @noeminikita (Noemi Nikita), who originally used the product in a TikTok video that received over 5 million views. Nikita still swears by the foundation, with her most recent Instagram Reel using the product receiving 15.1K likes in a 24-hour period.