It’s amazing how quickly a year can pass—weren’t we just ringing in 2015? But when you consider all that has happened in the past 12 months, there are plenty of major beauty milestones to celebrate. In fact, 2015 may be remembered as the year that we broadened our collectsive definition of the word. From the runways to the streets, women dropped uniform cookie-cutter blowouts in favor of their liberating natural texture, or ditched hair altogether for graphic buzz cuts. All it took was one look at a silver-haired Joan Didion in Céline’s Spring campaign or Joni Mitchell as the face of Saint Laurent to remind us that age, brains, and a pioneering spirit will always be powerfully attractive. Elsewhere, Caitlyn Jenner’s striking Vanity Fair cover—along with her honesty, grace, and bravery over the course of her public transition—moved the collectsive needle when it came to challenging traditional notions of beauty. From septuagenarians to workout selfies, here is what mattered in 2015.
Photo: Courtesy of Hannah Bronfman / @hannahbronfman1/11Workout Selfies
Blame it on the rise of athleisure, but everyone seemed to be ramping up his or her fitness routine this year and sharing it on Instagram. There were the celeb devotees of Ballet Beautiful, the Angel Strong Victoria’s Secret countdown selfies, the paddleboarding vacations (that not even Amy Schumer and Jennifer Lawrence could resist), and, most notably, the partner-driven acro yoga that had everyone from Lena Dunham to Hannah Bronfman and fiancé Brendan Fallis (above) defying gravity.
Photo: Courtesy of Ruth Bell / @ruthnotmay2/11Buzz Cuts
If you listened closely, you could hear the sounds of clippers shearing great lengths of hair off across the country—the most concentrated cross-section coming from the modeling world, where newcomers Tamy Glauser, Kris Gottschalk, and Ruth Bell (above) ditched hip-grazing strands in favor of less than a centimeter of blonde and brunette. They joined the nearly bare Ajak Deng, Alek Wek, Herieth Paul, and Grace Bol on the runway; it was a refreshing call to individuality, and a new expression of what it means to be feminine.
Photo: Courtesy of Vanessa Traina Snow / @vtraina3/11Bows
If you follow one piece of advice this year, may we suggest you save the ribbons from your holiday gifts. Take a cue from the Spring collectsions—where satin knots at Lanvin, ad hoc scarfs-cum–hair ties at Dior, and lanky grosgrain bows at Oscar de la Renta made for standout runway moments—and wrap one around your updo, blowout, or low ponytail. As proven by street style stars, party hoppers, and editors (see: Vanessa Traina Snow), it’s the quickest and most whimsical way to upgrade your standby look.
Photo: Courtesy of Nadja Bender / @nadjabender4/11The Bodacious Bottom
While the #belfie, a portrait of your backside, continued its meteoric rise on Instagram, raking in more than 235,000 tags, Iggy Azalea celebrated her famous asset on a shopping trip in the April issue of Vogue. By May, Beyoncé, Kim Kardashian West, and Jennifer Lopez all revealed their largest muscle groups in coyly bejeweled Givenchy, Roberto Cavalli, and Versace gowns, respectively, at the Met Galato great effect. Cue the influx of site-specific workout classes.
Photo: Getty Images5/11Half-Up Topknots
In May, Ashley Olsen ascended the stairs of the Met Gala with her hair pulled into a center-parted, half-up bun. Weeks later a near identical hairstyle adorned the head of Rooney Mara at the Cannes Film Festival. Soon the partial twists made an appearance on Dakota Johnson, Mary-Kate Olsen, and Rihanna, along with street style stars Hanneli Mustaparta and Laura Bailey. By the looks of it, the clever tactic is an easy way to camouflage post-workout hair or a romantic alternative to the standard evening knot—and it isn’t going anywhere in 2016.
Photo: Getty Images6/11Transgender Beauty
The transgender movement had a breakthrough year. Who could forget the debut of Caitlyn Jenner on the cover of Vanity Fair, where the glamazon revealed her headline-making signature look? On screens both big and small, Jeffrey Tambor, Eddie Redmayne, and Elle Fanning gave nuanced portrayals of transitioning. And the fashion industry broadened its definition of beauty, signing star faces Andreja Pejic to DNA Model Management and Hari Nef to IMG Worldwide.
Photo: Courtesy of Céline7/11Women of a Certain Age
Has it ever been more fashionable to be a grown-up? Hovering just around 50, Patricia Arquette, Tina Fey, and Julia Louis-Dreyfus made headlines when they satirically celebrated their last sexualized days in Hollywood in an April episode of Inside Amy Schumer. It’s a stereotype that 77-year-old Jane Fonda continued to shatter with her recent Golden Globe nomination. She shares a Globe nod with octogenarian Maggie Smith—and it wasn’t exactly a slow year for Helen Mirren or Judi Dench either. Let us not forget that 2015 kicked off with two of fashion’s most directional houses, Céline and Saint Laurent, choosing silver belles Joan Didion and Joni Mitchell, respectively, as the faces of their Spring collectsions. The future’s looking bright.
Photo: Courtesy of Daria Strokous / @dariastrokous8/11Gold Mania
Mysterious, sparkling flecks of gold blew in the breeze in the Tuileries this fall, where makeup artist Pat McGrath performed guerrilla makeovers to announce the launch of the first beauty product, Gold 001, from her new Pat McGrath Labs makeup line. The bright metallic pigment transformed models, designers, and reality stars, and, later, sold out in minutes online. At it wasn’t the only place the gleaming shade turned up among the fashion pack: Gilded headbands walked the runway at Givenchy; Midas-worthy lips stole the show at Prada; and, in a why-stop-there approach, model Alix Angjeli covered her face in gold foil, for the most opulent selfie we’ve ever seen.
Photo: Courtesy of Imaan Hammam / @imaanhammam9/11Major Curls
Brushed out for fuzzy volume, teased up to towering heights, and twisted into signature patterns, curls were given a shake-up. Backstage, models Imaan Hammam and Frederikke Sofie skipped the blow-drying stations, their natural texture remaining largely untouched on runways from New York to Paris. On the streets and onstage, Rihanna, Beyoncé, Solange Knowles, and Lion Babe made the call to curls, crowning their petite frames with geometric clouds of coils.
Photo: Courtesy of @ligerthegreat10/11Dogs at the Spa
Perhaps triggered by a late-summer heat wave, the dogs of Instagram went off leash, ducking out of the sun and into the spa. Furry Insta-favorite Liger indulged in some post–bath towel time with fellow Great Pyrenees Cornelius; pups Finn Hearst and Toast checked into the Park Hyatt for a full body makeover; and Ryan McGinley’s favorite subject, Dick the Dog, swung by Manhattan’s Valley nail salon for a manicure—or is it pedicure? One thing is for certain: In 2015 the term dog days took on a very different meaning.
Photo: Getty Images11/11Twinning Beauty
Earlier this fall, Liv Tyler posted a nose-to-nose snapshot with her Leftovers costar Margaret Qualley, their blue eyes, nude lips, and long brunette waves a near mirror image. And after months of matching beauty equations, we wouldn’t be surprised to find out best friends Gigi Hadid and Kendall Jenner enjoy a morning phone call to coordinate how they’ll apply eyeliner and tie topknots. Even Cara Delevingne and Annie Clark have gotten into the twinning game in identical shades of lipstick—because in 2015, real love meant borrowing your best friend’s products.
