Whether it’s a gym lip or a Yorkshire terrier-style ponytail, Love Island has given us some memorable beauty looks.
And when they entered the All Stars villa last month, it was clear that this year’s contestants would not be adopting the latest “clean girl” aesthetic, favoring minimal makeup and hairstyles.
Back at the villa, the beauties, including Demi Jones, showed off fake nails, golden tans and full faces of makeup.
The 25-year-old, who came third in the first winter series of Love Island in 2020, wowed viewers with her trademark all-out glamor on the red carpet.
However, she admits that she has to spend two hours a day on her makeup.
Demi, who was kicked out of the villa last week, says: “I’m a very glamorous person and I like to wear full makeup.
“I’m a bit stuck with my 2016 look: big, bold brows, contouring, and false eyelashes.
“But I don’t care. That’s the way I look and I like it.
“People say I wear too much makeup, but I enjoy the process of getting ready.”
And apparently she’s not the only one.
Research by beauty retailer Cosmetify.com found that half of British women have spent up to an hour longer on their make-up since Love Island first aired in 2015, and 60% have spent more time doing their make-up. She said she was buying makeup.
However, the full-face glam trend seems to be on the wane.
The clean-girl aesthetic became a trend on TikTok last year after stars like Hailey Bieber, Sofia Richie and Bella Hadid ditched heavy beauty looks in favor of “no makeup” makeup.
According to beauty brand Foreo, six in 10 women are now happy to go without makeup after lockdown, with the majority more concerned with skincare than slapping skin.
Never one to miss a new trend, Demi agreed to ditch her signature glamor style for a barely-there look.
But as we were getting ready for her make-under, she admitted she had some insecurities.
Demi, from Portsmouth, says:
“I also apply skin tint when I go to the gym.
“When I was recovering from thyroid cancer in 2021, getting the Gram definitely helped me regain my sense of self.”
However, she is still keen on embracing her natural beauty.
she says: “My body is completely natural, but I did have a little bit of stuffing in my lips.
“I was very nervous to appear on the show and show my natural body.
“I compared myself because I was next to a girl with beautiful fake boobs and a natural tan.
“As a redhead, I don’t get a natural tan and suffer from acne.
“When I first did Love Island, I was so self-conscious that I refused to even take my sarong off for the entire series.
“But with this series, I learned to take it off and embrace my body type.
“I would like to try to do more of that, especially with a lot of young girls who watch Love Island.
“If you’ve put on a lot of makeup and then suddenly take it off, that part of your body feels a little more vulnerable.
“But people always tell me I should try it, so I think it might be good for me to get naked.”
But Demi need not worry. Amy Adams, make-up artist to stars such as Tess Daly, Ranvir Singh and Binky Felstead, is on hand to create her new understated look.
To achieve natural, glowing skin, Amy suggests ditching heavy powder-based products in favor of lighter coverage products.
she says: “Start with a colored serum as a base. I like her Aimee HydraTint’s Sculpted (£23).
“Concealer is essential for a strong, natural base, so make sure you work it into your skin.
“I choose jelly highlighters to give my skin a dewy look, but avoid ones that are too pigmented so they blend easily into my skin tone.
“Apart from mascara and gel on my eyebrows, I keep my other products to a minimum.
“You can add some shimmer with a cream eyeshadow. I love Primark’s £2.50 Nude Metallic Eyeshadow.”
As for Demi’s hairstyle, celebrity stylist Jay Pinder, who has worked his magic on Demi’s fellow Love Islander Ekin-Su Curculoglu and former EastEnders actress Danielle Harrold, created a Yorkshire terrier updo. It offered a sophisticated yet simple alternative hairstyle. .
Jay says: “For a super simple dressed-down look, blow-dry your hair smoothly and give it a little brush.
“Then I add a smoothing cream.
“I love Color Wow One Minute Transformation which instantly removes split ends.
“Then I parted Demi and brushed her hair behind her ears and she was ready.”
Demi may not be ready to hang up her false eyelashes just yet, but we think she might be ready to keep some of her 2016 style behind.
she says: “I was really surprised at how much I liked this style.
“My makeup is very dewy, stripped-back and highlights my natural features.
“I’m really myself and I have nothing to hide and I feel very liberated.
“After seeing this, I will definitely try to accept myself more.
“That was the encouragement I needed.
“This will be the year of the clean girl for me so I encourage all the Love Island girls to give it a try when they leave the villa.”