Cara Delevingne © AFP Photo / Valery Hache

The British Association of Beauty Therapists and Cosmetology (BABTAC) survey revealed that women in the UK think defined brows are the most stylish beauty look of the past decade, confirming several previous market analyses showing the importance of this trend. Stars including UK supermodel Cara Delevingne and US actress Camilla Belle have championed the trend and sparked brow envy among beauty lovers.

Contouring, a makeup technique made famous by reality TV star Kim Kardashian, was deemed the number two trend. The concept uses foundations and concealers of differing shades to subtly sculpt the face by enhancing features such as lips and cheekbones, while ’slimming’ other features such as the nose.

Dark ‘berry’ lips claimed third place in the survey, with the Nineties-style look proving popular with beauty lovers today. This was followed by the classic red lip look, with smokey eyes proving to be the fifth most popular trend.

Other looks that made the top 10 list include winged eyeliner, glossy lips, nude lips and drawn-on beauty spots. The least popular trend at number 10 was the natural look.

Trials and errors

A total of 2,844 British women aged 18-73 took part in the survey, with the majority claiming to have learned the techniques through trial and error. More than half confessed to watching YouTube tutorials online to improve their skills. This probably explains the success makeup sessions proposed by many brands and retailers.

Here is a full breakdown of the most popular UK beauty looks of the last 10 years:

1. Heavy eyebrows
2. Contouring
3. Dark ‘Berry’ Lips
4. Pin-up red lips
5. Smokey eyes
6. Winged eyeliner
7. Glossy lips
8. Nude lips
9. Penciled beauty spots
10. Natural look