Would you bet your beauty quotient on these trends?

The glamorous fashion industry has had almost all of us believing pigs can fly. The transformation videos on social media are disturbingly mind-blowing, and everyday brands pop up new fashion and cosmetics for us to go gaga over. The beauty industry, with the same message of self-expression and enhancement, brings up tons of unique beauty trends every day.

These are never just limited to beauty looks one can create. The industry and its research and development team have left no stone unturned to find a plethora of ingredients to play around with. Turn on your Google alerts, and every week, you will find the industry and users going crazy for new ingredients, procedures, or beauty trends.

When we speak of ingredients used in the beauty industry, did only chemicals pop into your mind? Hold on! This industry has a lot more to offer, whether it is the natural ingredients for the environment-conscious consumers or chemical actives for the skincare junkies; the possibilities are endless in this realm.

Mushrooms, algae, slime, colostrum, and coffee, are some of the trending ingredients that sound plain weird at first. But really, the beauty enthusiasts are loving it. After all, what is the harm with some nature-inspired experimentation, right? Everyone talks about the amazing trends and beautiful looks, the fairytale dresses. Well, this whimsical wicca is here to tell you the biggest failures. So, tighten your seatbelts, pull up your socks, and hold on for dear life because this ride is about to get bumpy and deep underground!

Snake spa, anyone?

Thai, shiatsu, aromatherapy, Scandinavian, hamam, reflexology, hot stone massage, and ayurvedic relaxation all sound familiar, right? When you think of going for a good spa, the list of relaxing options goes on and on. While most of these find their roots in more traditional and cultural practices, some thrill seekers can not even relax without a healthy dose of adrenalin.

A spa in Israel now allows small snakes to slither around the body as a massage therapy. They say it relieves migraines. If a snake crawled up my body, I bet I would forget about my headache and only care for my life. The bigger game happens in the Philippines. A zoo in the Philippines offers its visitors a warm (umm, maybe cold) welcome with a python massage. They drop two heavy pythons on the visitors. The only way to relax is to let them do their thing and not poke them.

Slime it up!

Have you seen a snail? Does it look like it could be the right fit for the beauty industry? Well, the slimy snail trail is considered gold in the world of cosmetics. Many fancy brands are now selling bottled small mucin as a skincare elixir. From anti-ageing to clearing those nagging acne, experts say snail mucin takes care of everything. And, also it provides hydration for days.

Now, I am not a sceptic, and it might be all true, but what many people are forgetting is that the industry experts would pack the mucin in a bottle with a lot of care, caution, and processing. They don’t just pick a snail, collect mucin, and simply sell it in a bottle to make bucks. Everything that reaches our vanity is processed in a manner that it is not just beneficial but also safe. However, in the name of trends, some people are taking their skincare to their gardens, and maybe that’s just inviting diseases. Images of a woman lying still with a giant snail on her face are going rampant on social media. Not sure if that is the way to go about it.

Just clownin’

With The Barbie Movie and The Little Mermaid making moolah at the box office globally, the beauty industry has several trends to follow and enjoy. Barbie Core and Mermaid Core that trended on social media were cute and peppy. But then came the Clown Core. Dressing up like a clown from head to toe is now considered rather fashionable. People come on camera to exhibit how to create the most bizarre look with wacky mismatched clothes and garish accessories.

Those weird characters from old TV shows who wore carrot earrings and polka-dot tutus are back with a bang. One might even say Luna Lovegood is practically a trendsetter fashionista in the current scenario. The next time you have those bedhead looks or smudged runny makeup from last night’s shenanigans, you can call it #lazycore, and what do you know, you might set the next hit trend.

Nightingale dreams

Many many years ago, in Japan, Geishas applied nightingale dropping as a face mask. They believed it reversed the effect of lead and zinc in their makeup. As per the Japanese, the nightingale droppings contain an enzyme called guanine. This enzyme acts as a natural bleaching agent and lightens dark circles and blemishes. Not just that, the dropping also gently exfoliates and illuminates the skin. I wonder why can’t we eat well to ensure all this?

One might say they were enduring it to avoid harmful effects and reap maximum benefits. But guess what? The trend is back in action! Now, Americans are paying a handsome amount of US$ 180 to get their faces exfoliated with nightingale droppings and rice bran mixture. If one had to say the entire skincare industry and uncountable exfoliating products have failed humanity, how is this a wise solution?

Jizz jazz

As you read this part, I think you will also wonder if humankind would do anything to stay or at least look young. Bull semen is the latest anti-ageing elixir that cosmetic companies are hyping over. Londoners also believe bull semen helps treat hair loss. Two shots in one go?

The Balenciaga effect

For those who may be unaware, Balenciaga is a luxury brand that has been in chatter for its unique taste in fashion. From handbags that look like trash bags to clutches that look like Lays packets to bracelets made of just chain heads, this brand is probably the longest-running con on the cream of the crop population.

The weird part is people spend thousands of dollars to acquire this literal and figurative ‘junk’, and some of us envy these people for their luck to be able to afford it. Coincidentally, their latest creation is a terry cloth towel skirt. I wish I knew my father was a trendsetter, I would have never argued with him over fashion.

This is nothing compared to the shenanigans of our ancestors. There have been instances from across the globe where seemingly different things were considered a matter of pride or a status symbol. Black teeth were a symbol of status among the rich in Japan. Romans offered a facial with Gladiator’s sweat. Europe was nuts for the pale and sickly tuberculosis look, and the Chinese were saving the sharpness of their nail cutters!

While humans have taken some strides for the betterment of civilisation, some humble souls believe in sticking to their roots. Though some may argue that age-old practices are sustainable, environment-friendly, and extremely beneficial, science may say otherwise. Many practices from our ancestors are great, but when it comes to the evolved, modern-day world, embracing the new beauty trends seems the wiser thing to do. However, while to each their own is true, those who believe such hazardous beauty trends are really beneficial, god bless their hearts!

Article by: Gauri D.