Back to school season is officially underway. If you’re ahead of the game, you already have your pencils and books, but what about this season’s hot new looks? Sorry, I couldn’t resist rhyming. Now you know why I don’t write poetry! Seriously, though, whether you’ve got a teen heading into high school or you’re heading off to college first, put your best face forward with the hottest trends in makeup! Pick and choose the ones that work best for you, or go bold and try them all!

Go bold this season with the hottest back to school makeup trends! Check them out!

 

2017 Back to School Makeup Trends

1- Red Lips

Red lips took a summer recess and made way for lighter seasonal shades, but they’re making a comeback as we head into fall. While red lipstick really never went out of style, it definitely experienced a huge resurgence earlier this year.

The key to gorgeous red lips is to work with your skin to choose the right undertones. If you’re pale and want to brighten your complexion, Real Simple suggests going with an orange undertone. Darker skin tones look best with blue undertones, while those in the middle can go either way.  On the other hand, don’t let your skin tone keep you from a shade you love. I am ghost pale and prefer to play that up with blue undertones. I can’t stand anything too orangey.

2- Bright and Bold Colors

Bright, bold eyes are back, baby. Don’t worry, we’re not talking 1980s blue eyeshadow. Today’s colors are rich and deep, and look absolutely stunning when applied correctly. Check out this tutorial for some great tips on going really bold:

A little TOO bold for school? Dial it back with muted shades, or just go bold with eyeliner and leave the rest of your lid mostly naked.

3- Tropical Eyes

Tropical eyes are a fun trend for those young enough (or brave enough) to get away with it. Vibrant yellows, blues and greens blend together in rows to create a fun look that’s just right for the end of summer. There are a ton of tutorials on YouTube, but this one seems the most school-appropriate to me:

 

4- Strong Eyebrows

So long, over-plucked eyebrows, bold is back in this area, too. Personally, I don’t really pay much attention to my eyebrows. I’m not a fan of the over-sculpted look OR the super bold look. I suggest finding a happy middle ground. If you have sparse brows and want them to stand out a bit more, I love this tutorial:

 

5- Contouring

Love it or hate it, contouring is here to stay. Done correctly (and without too heavy a hand), contouring can help play up your best features while minimizing those you just don’t love. Done incorrectly, though, you end up either looking like you just smeared some random makeup all over your face, or like your face is made of plastic.  While I’m not a fan of the trend, if you do love it and want to try it,  I suggest watching a ton of videos and practicing until you get it right. I love this tutorial because it look the most natural out of all of the ones I watched (and I went through a lot of them to find a good one!).

6- Long, lush lashes

Now, this is a trend that I can get on board with! I love the look of long, lush lashes. Unless you have incredibly sparse lashes, I suggest working with what nature gave you versus slapping on falsies. I’ve yet to figure out how to glue fake lashes to my face and probably never will.

Fiber lashes, on the other hand, are pretty cool. I’ve been using and loving Lash Factory for a few years. I highly recommend their 300X 3D Fiber Lash Mascara. It’s a 2-step process, but makes your lashes really pop. I love this tutorial:

Speaking of lashes, I’m also kind of loving colored mascara, although my lashes are pretty dark so it’s hard to find shades that stand out on them.

 

7- Don’t go overboard!

I know this sounds a bit contradictory to the other trends, but since we’re talking back-to-school makeup, don’t go overboard. Pick ONE bold trend to focus on and dial back the rest of your makeup. Consider “muting” the bold a bit for your daytime look. For example, wear a red lip gloss or light stain versus layers of deep matte red. It’s all about balance.  You can always upgrade your look for night time.


While these are just a few of the hottest back to school makeup trends for 2017, there’s one trend that never goes out of style: being yourself. Seriously, if you read through this and said “hate it, hate it, hate it,” that’s okay. Come up with your own personal look and don’t let anyone tell you that it’s not “in.” I’ll tell you a secret: I’ve had the exact same eyebrows since I was 16. As I mentioned above, I am not a fan of most eyebrow trends, so I just skip them. Decide which trends “speak” to you and leave the rest behind.

What are some of your favorite back-to-school makeup trends? Which of these do you just plain dislike? Share below!