Scroll through the IG feeds of your fave makeup influencers, and you’ll notice that makeup trends have evolved a lot in the last 10 years. We recently caught up with Cairo-based celebrity makeup artist, Shariff Tanyous, one of the region’s go-to glam masters, to get the lowdown on how Arab makeup trends have evolved from 2015 to today. With a decade of experience shaping faces across ages, styles, and eras (he recently created Huda El Mufti’s striking look for the opening of the Grand Egyptian Museum), Shariff has seen the region’s beauty landscape transform from the inside out.
Cosmo ME: How would you describe the evolution of makeup trends in the Arab world from 2015 to now, especially in cities like Dubai?
Shariff Tanyous: In 2015, the look was full beat with heavy foundation, strong contour and bold glam. Over the years, women shifted toward softer glam with minimal foundation, minimal contour, and a more youthful, natural finish. But interestingly, now many of my celebrity clients are asking for that full glam again, which feels like 2016 is making a comeback.
Cosmo ME: Why do you think people went from full glam to softer, skin focused makeup in recent years?
Shariff Tanyous: Because of social media, girls are accepting themselves more and embracing their natural beauty. They are learning to love their features instead of trying to create a different face. I like this. I love minimal makeup, a touch of concealer, blush, soft glam. But it depends on the girl. Every girl has her own style.
Cosmo ME: Brows have changed so much in the last decade, from structured to laminated to feathered. What shaped that shift, and where do you see brows going next?
Shariff Tanyous: Girls are tending to go back to the 2000s brow, the very thin brow, or they are embracing their naturally thin brows. Ten years ago, everyone was microblading and trying to thicken their brows. Now I see girls sticking with their own natural brow shape. I actually feel thin brows can make the face more feminine, while very bold brows can sometimes give a more masculine look. I think girls are starting to embrace their brows as they are.
Cosmo ME: How have eye makeup styles, lash trends, and kohl use changed over the last 10 years?
Shariff Tanyous: Lashes changed completely. Ten years ago, it was all about the full strip lash. Now I love cluster lashes, the ones that look like lash extensions but are not. Clients today want the siren eye or doll eye effect, something more wispy and lifted. Ten years ago, the look was bold and dramatic. As for kohl, it will always be part of Arab beauty, but the way we use it now is softer and more defined.
Cosmo ME: When clients back then asked for simple glam, what did that actually look like?
Shariff Tanyous: The word, simple, is different for everyone here. Some women think simple means full glam. Back then simple glam often meant a full brow, a cut crease, earthy tones, nude lips, overlined lips, and a prominent lip liner. For them, simple was about the shades used, not the amount of makeup.
Cosmo ME: How are Arab beauty influencers and creators contributing to the evolution of these trends?
Shariff Tanyous: We are always on our phones, so we stay up to date with everything creators are posting. You can be lying in bed and still see every new technique or product. Because of that, trends move faster and people pick up new styles immediately.
Cosmo ME: Arab skin tones and undertones are so diverse. How has complexion shade matching evolved in the past decade?
Shariff Tanyous: Brands understand undertones better and now there is more diversity in shades, especially with luxury brands. International brands know the Arab world is a major market, so they focus more on this clientele. Ten years ago, everything looked orange because everything was too warm.
Cosmo ME: How does the glass skin trend blend with what your clients prefer today?
Shariff Tanyous: Glass skin just means healthy skin. When the skin is good and you use good skincare, you naturally get that glow. That helps me use less product, or even with full coverage, the base looks smoother. I feel people today prefer natural glow over heavy highlighters. Clients are much more into skincare now, especially Korean skincare. When I started talking about skincare on Instagram, that is when my page really grew.
Cosmo ME: Which makeup trends from the last decade feel timeless, and which ones were just a moment?
Shariff Tanyous: A smoky brown eye or a smoky black eye will never get old. The 2000s lip, with brown lip liner and a nude lip is also timeless. The bright under eye is coming back strong. As for trends that were a moment, liquid matte lipsticks are so drying, but I sometimes use them as lip liners on mature women because they don’t bleed into lines. Highlighter is similar to glass skin, but now we focus more on natural glow through skincare.
Cosmo ME: Give us a trend that defines the beauty look in 2015 and one for right now.
Shariff Tanyous: The trend for 2015 was brows. Full, clean, concealed brow topped with pomade and giving the ombré effect. And the trend for now is pink, glossy blush.