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In the process, they are entirely redefining what it means to be ready. Gone are the days when the act of getting ready was a ritual of heavy contouring, perfectly painted lips, and flawless skin. In 2025, it’s all about showing up as you are. It’s all about showing up real, raw, and unapologetic.

Beauty, for women, has historically been of high importance; something to prepare for and master. From 19th-century magazines, certain "rules"  were ingrained within women, teaching them how to remain “wanted”. Articles and how-to guides taught them to accentuate their features and cover up any "flaws,". The message was clear - to leave an impression, a woman needed to be seen and, above all, desired. 

Beauty was an essential part of fashion, and you were never truly "ready" to leave the house without it. It wasn’t just about the makeup, it was about the expectation of being preened and presentable. The early 00s era saw an obsession with extreme diets and punishing workouts. And then came the relentless pursuit of youth; plastic surgery, botox, supplements and vitamins aplenty. This all created a culture where aesthetics equated attention. It wasn’t just about how you dressed your body, but about every inch and corner of its composition. The very act of contorting oneself to meet these unattainable standards was, strangely, seen as a badge of honor. 

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Florence Pugh recently gained attention for her comment to The Times, "The only thing people want to talk about is some useless crap about how they look." Her frustration with this relentless self-analysis echoes a growing sentiment. Similarly, Millie Bobby Brown criticized excessive media commentary about her appearance, stating on Instagram, "The fact that adult writers are spending their time dissecting my face, my body, my choices—it’s disturbing." She urged society to "do better," not just for her, but for all young girls deserving to grow up without fear of constant scrutiny. The tables are turning, and the actresses are calling it to action.

And despite these issues still being a gripe, we are in many ways witnessing a cultural shift. Women at large are beginning to say goodbye to those limiting beauty standards and opting to embrace diversity. Diversity of body type, skin tone, age, and overall beauty; even if there are still some outdated critics lurking behind screens.

The market's responsiveness to consumer demand is evident in the beauty, fashion, and entertainment sectors' growing inclusivity. In beauty, Fenty's diverse foundation range challenged traditional Eurocentric standards, while Glossier's skin-first approach popularized minimalist aesthetics. Fashion brands, including SKIMS, have embraced body diversity, showcasing all shapes, sizes, and abilities feeling sexy and sensual in underwear. Furthermore, campaigns like Dove's 'Beauty Never Gets Old' have championed age inclusivity, featuring older women and broadening our expectation of billboard faces.

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These brands aren’t just selling products, they’re changing a philosophy about beauty, and about what it means to feel beautiful. They are being loud about the idea that beauty can evolve, chop & change, recreate itself, and have different focuses.

The 'bare face' trend has also effectively disrupted the notion that beauty requires a certain transformation. We're witnessing an aggressive shift towards naturalness, where women confidently showcase makeup-free faces, natural body hair, wrinkles, and unedited bodies. The era of heavy makeup, alterations, and digital editing is fading. What’s “in” is playing with natural appearance and embracing beauty in a relaxed and minamilstic form.

This makeup-less movement has been gaining momentum for a while. Alicia Keys was an early champion, alongside stars like Cameron Diaz, Zoe Saldana and Jennifer Garner. But it was Pamela Anderson who took the movement to new heights. Pamela Anderson, who was renowned for her platinum blonde hair and iconic "Baywatch" body,  who had once embodied the epitome of glamorous, heavily styled beauty, began her bare-faced journey most remarkably during an attendance at PFW. 

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When interviewed on the subject, Anderson seemed to suggest that she found the moment liberating. Amidst all the beautiful clothes she was being dressed in for fashion week, she simply didn’t feel the need to do herself up - she wasn't trying anymore to be the prettiest person in the room. Whilst Pamela asserts that it wasn’t intended as a political move, the reprecussions were significant; if someone who had spent decades as a symbol of high-maintenance beauty could learn to embrace their natural self, surely other women could do the same. Pamela’s perfect mag-girl image was shattered, and with it a lot of expectations for women. Social media has been a fiery catalyst in propagating this new news. Convention is out, basic rawness is in.

New beauty trends are toppling the idea that beautiful means small. New beauty trends are dismantling the notion that beauty fades with time. The new beautiful flows through the like of Paloma Elesser to Prescious Lee, it flows through Jane Fonda and Andie Mcdowell. We have a spectrum of beautiful women.

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And it is the new rising student force of fashion and creativity who are waving this flag more energetically. Emerging designers are pushing it further; they are redefining the landscape to completely democratise style. For these new voices, self-expression and nuance reign over conformity. As the embrace of individuality deepens, marginalized voices are in tandem amplified, shifting societal perceptions of beauty and worth. Young creatives are reshaping the notion of beauty, but simultaneously forcing a spectrum of opinion and redefining what worthiness means.

Our redefining of beauty transcends cosmetics. We are also redefining art and taste. 2025’s designers, creatives, thinkers and consumers are creating a culture of personalized beauty where 'otherness' is celebrated and individuals are liberated from restrictive norms. Contemporary runways and campaigns bear little resemblance to the standardized castings of the past. Models, campaign faces, and the very presentation of clothing reflect a rich tapestry of diversity. Gone is the cookie-cutter mold. This dynamic mix of differences is fueling a more unburdened and impactful creativity within fashion. When we start to experiment with the mannequin, we allow more experimentation with the finished product.

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So, what does this all mean for the next generation? Flawlessness is out. Realness is in.

Makeup is an expression, its a mutli-million industry. Swarms of women love to buy into it and use these products, and that’s fine. But in 2025 it is no longer the prerequisite to being seen. Nor does your value as a woman melt with pounds on the scale, of wrinkles on your brow. It doesn’t waver in parallel with what you eat, or what you supplement. 

Women can go out, be in the world, and take up space without feeling like they need to perform. There isn’t a prerequisite to acceptance.

We’re in the midst of an era where beauty doesn’t need to be pre-packaged, bottled or pulverised. As the stars we once saw as symbols of perfection shed their makeup bags, and new designers place their clothes on unexpected but beautiful bodies, they’re giving all of us the permission to do the same.