Emma Roberts Clued Me in on the "Controversial" Beauty Trends She's Fully Embracing
This likely goes without saying, but just to cover my bases here: Beauty trends come and go at breakneck speed. What may seem cringey now will soon come back en vogue (frosted eye shadow, skinny brows, I'm looking at both of you!), so you should really follow whatever beauty regimen you damn please, as long as it makes you feel comfortable and beautiful. Emma Roberts wholeheartedly agrees. "There's no such thing as something being uncool, in my opinion," she says while lounging on a velvet couch at New York's timeless Bowery Hotel, the perfect setting to celebrate her equally iconic campaign with Italian beauty brand Kiko Milano. "I love seeing people doing different and 'weird' stuff that they feel confident in, [things] that maybe I don't get but love on them."
Now that being said, Roberts does endorse some "controversial" beauty tendencies of her own—trends that might have fallen out of favor but she predicts will be hot in the zeitgeist very soon. First up: a sharp, accentuated Cupid's bow.
"The 'thing' now is to erase it—people want a round-top lip—but I love a Cupid's bow," she shares. I agree! Using lip liner to soften the Cupid's bow has been a popular trick for the past few years, but I suspect the trend will flip on its head with people choosing to play up the curve.
And, trust, your lip color can still appear soft and diffused without erasing the natural divot. "I think there is something to be said about lining the lips—not making it look like you're wearing lip liner, but just shaping the lip, blending that in, and then putting lipstick over [it]," Roberts adds. Currently, she's donning Kiko Milano's Unlimited Double Touch in the shade 104 (a deep mauve), which absolutely nails a bright yet matte finish. "It doesn't move, which I love," she says. "In the summer, I hate when I look so good and then two hours into a barbecue, I look in the mirror and everything's melted."
As for other upcoming beauty trends she's excited about, Roberts is quick to bring up the (very heated) hair-part debate. "I'm glad that a side part is coming back because I was a major side-part girl, and then all of a sudden it was only middle parts," she notes (a jump scare for many millennials indeed). "I feel like side's coming back, so I'm slowly alternating between a middle and side part." She's definitely not wrong—chic side parts were all over the Oscars red carpet this past year.
No matter how she decides to style her locks, Roberts will apply Divi's Scalp Serum to maintain her lengths. "I'm always trying to get my hair to be longer," she shares. "My hair takes forever to grow, and especially after pregnancy, my hair was just such a mess. I use the scalp serum, and I'm really, really loving it."
Roberts has long been a beauty muse of mine, so of course I had to ask about her go-tos for glowing, summer skin. Keep scrolling for more of her beauty must-haves plus the skincare essentials she swears by for a long day on set.
Shop Emma Roberts's Favorite Beauty Products
"I love this because it looks good under makeup. It doesn't pill," says Roberts.
After curling her lashes, Roberts will coat her lashes with this inky black mascara.
"I'm big on under-eye patches in the morning and on the plane," Roberts shares, noting that these honey-infused patches are especially cooling. "I keep them in the fridge in my trailer at work," she adds.
Consider Roberts yet another fan of the celebrity-adored at-home laser. Celebrity facialist Iván Pol introduced her to the tool, and she's been using it ever since. "I just fell in love with it because it's something you can do at the end of the day when you're watching TV, before bed," she says.
Speaking of Pol, Roberts also loves his serum. "I absolutely love the sauce," she notes. (You know a product is good when it's known simply as "the sauce!")
"I always have an Evian mist in my bag," says Roberts. "When I'm on set all day, I need rejuvenation."
Roberts loves a good contour. "I'm really bad at doing it myself. So I still need to learn," she laughs. Right now, she loves Ogee's sculpting sticks, which are super creamy and buildable (great for contouring beginners!).
Jamie Schneider is Who What Wear’s senior beauty editor based in New York City. With over seven years in the industry, she has a penchant for trend forecasting, covering everything from innovative fragrance launches to need-to-know makeup tutorials to celebrity profiles. She graduated from the University of Michigan with a B.A. in Organizational Studies and English before moving to NYC, and her work has appeared in mindbodygreen, Coveteur, and more. When she’s not writing or testing the latest beauty finds, Jamie loves exploring vintage boutiques, reading mystery books (bonus points for an unexpected twist), and she’s always down for a park picnic in Brooklyn.
-
Gigi Hadid on Her Fave Fragrance, Her Earliest Beauty Memory, and Why She's a "Classic Taurus"
She's the new face of *this* new scent.
By Kaitlyn McLintock
-
Of All the Eyeliners in My Makeup Bag, These 12 Pencils and Pens Never Smudge
Fierce liner looks are in.
By Maya Thomas
-
Tender! Charming! Poetic! Chanel's Spring 2025 Makeup Collection Is a Breath of Fresh Air
It encapsulates the chic spirit of spring.
By Kaitlyn McLintock
-
Demi Moore Won a Golden Globe and the Award for Best Eye Makeup IMO—Here's the 411
It's so timeless.
By Kaitlyn McLintock
-
I'm a Pop Culture–Obsessed Beauty Editor—7 Icons Inspiring My 2025 Makeup Aesthetic
From Drew to Aaliyah.
By Marie Lodi
-
Megan Fox's Makeup Artist Uses This Genius Trick to Create the Glowiest Red Carpet Skin
I'm trying it ASAP.
By Kaitlyn McLintock
-
I Tested So Many Celeb Beauty Brands This Year—These 24 Items Earned My Stamp of Approval
I'm picky.
By Kaitlyn McLintock
-
You've Tried Red Light Therapy for Your Skin, But What About Burgundy Light? Here's What Experts Say
According to me, it's the next big thing.
By Shawna Hudson