In 2025, Dazed Beauty readers felt a pull towards stories that continued to probe the shifting landscape of contemporary beauty – a landscape that, this year, saw a backslide towards more conservative ideals. Conversely, many of the conversations that dominated our most-read pieces revolved around pubic hair: from guides to growing it out to analyses of bush-focused trends pushing back against that conservatism. And while last year’s top stories were preoccupied with tweakments and their permanence, this year’s favourites explore the long-term fallout of an industry addicted to optimisation. Here are eight of the most-viewed articles from this year.

FULL BUSH IN A BIKINI - TIKTOK TREND PUSHING PRO-PUBE POSITIVITY

This year’s pro-bush discourse mainly proliferated from an Etsy listing in which a seller posted a bikini for sale while sporting a full bush. The viral moment played into a larger discussion around pubic hair, which this piece unpicked, questioning the idealised version of (white) womanhood and femininity that society asks us to embody.

SO YOU WANT TO GROW OUT YOUR PUBES?

For those inspired by the previous article, another top piece this year was a guide to growing out the bush on your own terms – offering advice on styles, maintenance and products (if needed).

THE BEAUTY SIDE-EFFECT BOOM: WHEN TWEAKMENTS SPAWN MORE TWEAKMENTS

As tweakments multiply, so do their complications. This piece dives into beauty’s new “repair economy,” where dissolving filler, calming post-laser blowback and treating Botox knock-on effects have become more common, and more lucrative, than the original procedures. From migrated tear-trough filler to Ozempic hair and barrier damage, it explores how aftercare has overtaken enhancement, making corrections into one of the industry’s biggest growth sectors.

FULL BUSH FASHION IS HERE, BUT WILL IT GO MAINSTREAM?

As pro-pube positivity breaks into the mainstream, we saw the emergence of the bush within the fashion world. This piece looks at how designers and creators are using hair, fur and pubic-coded textures in their work, and asks whether bush-centric fashion is set to move from runway moments to the everyday.

FROM Y2K TO ANORA: HOW HAIR TINSEL BECAME 2025’S FIRST BIG BEAUTY TREND

Hair tinsel was one of the first trends of 2025, thanks in part to its role in Anora, which saw protagonist Mikey Maddison try the glitter-streaked hairstyle. This piece traces tinsel’s rise from Y2K nostalgia and Real Housewives references, to its New York street-style moment.

GOONING: WHAT HAPPENS WHEN A FETISH GOES MAINSTREAM?

As gooning explodes from niche fetish to viral buzzword, this piece digs into what happens when an online sexual subculture is thrust into the mainstream. Through conversations with gooners themselves, this piece explores the appeal, misconceptions, community tensions and cultural fallout of a kink suddenly under the spotlight.

‘CORTISOL FACE’ AND THE LIES ABOUT MUSCLY WOMEN

From TikTok trends to decades-old fitness myths, this piece explores the fear of becoming “swole, puffy, muscly” and the rise of “cortisol face.” Tracing the history of women’s exercise, it examines how cultural pressures and wellness influencer economy shape the way women approach high-intensity training. The piece questions why being strong is still treated like a problem and why myths surrounding stress, hormones, and femininity persist.

MIA VIOLET IS THE AIRBRUSH ARTIST CREATING FANTASY SKINS IRL

This year, our Dazed Beauty Community of creatives continued to bloom. One particular area of innovation was SFX, where mediums like airbrushing, prosthetics, and body painting pushed the boundaries of beauty. A particular piece that Dazed Beauty readers engaged with highlighted the work of London-based airbrush artist Mia Violet, showcasing her creation of airbrushed clothing and fantastical new skins.