Natural hair hasn't had this much of a comeback since the '70s afro. Stars like Solange Knowles and Viola Davis proudly flaunted their chemical-free curls. And per usual with the big O, when Oprah joined the movement and showed off her natural hair on the cover of her September issue, it officially became one of the biggest beauty trends of 2012.
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Worst: Gimmicky perfumes
From a fragrance that helps you lose weight to one that sprays a disappearing blue hue, we saw an explosion of non-traditional scents in 2012. There was also the sushi scent and the paper perfume. Is it just us, or don't you miss the simple days of jasmine and grapefruit? Just because you can make a perfume with notes of "wet dog" doesn't mean you should.
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Best: Dark lip
Berry lip colors have always been popular for fall, but this year raspberry tints got a vampy update. Starting with the Met Gala in May, A-list pouts were awash with deep plum hues and rich wine lip shades like these. True, cherry red will never go out of style, but it's refreshing to really dive in to a whole other color category ... at least until springtime.
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Worst: The pompadour
Volume is one thing, but these stars' updos were literally over-the-top. We thought the pouf would die out after even Snookie ditched her once-signature style, but it seems some A-listers still wanted to tease their hair to well beyond Elvis Presley-esque bouffant levels. C'mon, people: bigger isn't always better.
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Best: Specialty salons
Remember when the only thing on a salon menu was a wash, color, and a cut? How far we've come. Last year John Barrett opened up the very first braid bar in New York City. Now, Butterfly Salon thought up this genius bang bar; Miss Jessie's has opened a spot just for curly-haired gals; and L.A. salon The Broot is dedicated to all-natural hair masks and treatments. With all of these specialty salons popping up like Starbucks, you won't ever have to DIY again.
The year 2012 will definitely be remembered for a few things: The devastation from Hurricane Sandy, the re-election of President Obama, and the end of TomKat.
Much farther down the list for most people -- and embarrassingly higher on ours -- are the hair and makeup trends from the last 12 months. And for those of us obsessed with all things beauty, 2012 did not disappoint.
There was the fab, the drab, and the you-can't-be-serious. If this year's beauty trends were combined into an art piece, it would be a Jackson Pollock. Conceptual and avant garde are becoming mainstream, so much so that runway looks aren't even all that crazy anymore. Not when you've got red carpets filled with neon hair, vampy lipsticks, and diamond-encrusted nail polishes.
So, with only a few weeks left in 2012, we decided to take a look back at all of the top beauty trends that went viral this year. Keep reading to see which ones we're hoping will stick around a little while longer -- and which ones we hope die before the ball drops.
