There was a time in the world of beauty, not too long ago, when bigger and bolder was widely seen as better. Gone were the thin lips and slim hips of the Nineties, and in came injectables you could spot at 20 paces. The pouts. The cheeks (both on and off your face). Now, however, people in the public eye are – for the most part – looking decidedly more ‘natural’. Hollywood appears to be craving a new beauty ideal.
Over the past few years, it seems some celebrities have quietly dissolved, lifted and micro-needled their way into a new aesthetic: less Love Island, more 10 Years Younger. And don’t get me wrong, they look good. They look great, even. Lindsay Lohan is radiant, Kris Jenner looks like a Kardashian sister, and we want whatever products Emma Stone is using. Not to mention that the industry’s leading men also seem to be favouring a more youthful, and less rugged and chiselled, look.
No one owes us, or anyone, the secrets of their personal lives. But when they set the beauty standards of society, it’s hard not to ask, how attainable is this ‘natural’ look, really?
The real deal
While the new ‘pared-back’ aesthetic might look like just another social media sleight of hand, it’s not merely smoke, mirrors and soft lighting. Those behind the scalpel are also recognising the shift.
Maryam Zamani, oculoplastic surgeon and founder of MZ Skin, notes that while the number of aesthetic and cosmetic procedures has increased globally, the type of procedures that people are opting for is changing. ‘The mix is shifting towards more definitive surgical solutions (starting at a younger age), while non-surgical treatments remain extremely common,’ she explains.
A 2023 global survey by the International Society of Aesthetic Plastic Surgery reported similar findings. Roughly 35 million aesthetic procedures took place worldwide that year, with both surgical and non-surgical numbers rising, and a 40% increase in the past four years in overall activity. In the UK, Dr Zamani says she’s seen a noticeable rise in procedures such as blepharoplasty [tightening eye-lift surgery and removal of excess skin] and facelifts, ‘driven by demand for longer-lasting results that are dramatic yet subtle, social media influence and secondary effects such as rapid weight loss from GLP-1 drugs’.
Aesthetics doctor and co-host of On The Face Of It podcast Munir Somji and plastic and reconstructive surgeon Ash Soni have also witnessed this change in tide. ‘We’re seeing a rise in “subtle lift” procedures: deep-plane/SMAS facelifts (an aesthetic lift and repositioning of the face), neck refining and upper/lower blepharoplasty,’ says Dr Somji, and while these are big procedures, Dr Soni dubs it ‘the undetectable era’.
And the numbers speak for themselves. The British Association of Aesthetic Plastic Surgeons 2023–24 audit showed overall surgical numbers up 5%, with facial rejuvenation leading the rise; blepharoplasty is up 13% year-on-year, and facelift surgeries are also increasing.
‘Bio-stimulators like Sculptra and polynucleotides are also trending,’ Dr Somji adds. This is what the industry calls regenerative aesthetics. Think: less plumping, more priming. Instead of filling lines or freezing movement, many treatments now work by improving skin quality and elasticity from within – injectables such as Profhilo or polynucleotides that stimulate collagen, laser facials that resurface texture and exosome treatments that claim to restore cell health at a genetic level*.
It turns out, the new natural isn’t about doing less; it’s about doing everything, just differently. Discreetly. It’s a paradox: the less we want to look like we’ve had work done, the more work it often takes. ‘Surgery must be maintained with non-surgical treatments to keep optimal results,’ says Dr Zamani.
*All cosmetic procedures carry a degree of risk. Visit saveface.co.uk to get more info.
The beauty prologue
The problem lies in how we talk about facial aesthetics as a trend that simply ends. If you’ve already dabbled in treatments to suit the old ‘Instagram Face’ and you’re dealing with changes to a face that’s already been plumped or prodded, it’s another story altogether. How many tweakments are truly reversible? Revisions can be painful and often inconsistent in outcome. ‘Most cosmetic surgeries are not truly reversible in the sense of returning tissue to a preoperative state without consequence. Some procedures can be revised or partially reversed, but revisions carry additional risk, scarring and variable outcomes,’ says Dr Zamani.
Filler, on the other hand, is often seen as temporary, reversible even, but it’s no walk in the park. Long-term adverse effects from dermal fillers are relatively uncommon but recognised. ‘Reversal of [filler] with hyaluronidase is generally safe when performed by experienced clinicians, but repeated injections and revisions over many years can increase the risk of scarring or textural change in some patients,’ explains Dr Zamani.
The takeaway: once you start altering your face, you can’t really push a reset button and go back to your original. Every tweak – surgical or non-surgical – leaves a mark, and repeated corrections can make undoing changes more complicated than people realise. So, while trends can be cyclical, your face is not.
There’s a powerful counter-narrative bubbling up behind the glossy images: women, often in their early 20s, discussing regret, pain and the impossibility of undoing their once-desired plumped look for a more natural one.
Geordie Shore star-cum-social media influencer and entrepreneur Chloe Ferry has previously opened up to her more than 3 million followers online about undergoing numerous procedures to align with beauty standards, and has since embarked on a journey to reverse many of them. ‘I was ridiculed for my looks and my weight among numerous insults through social media and the press, which affected my mental health and confidence massively. The young woman I once loved being became self-conscious looking for perfection,’ Chloe wrote in an Instagram post in January 2025. ‘With this attention came offers of cosmetic surgery, which I thought would solve all my problems, give me back my spark and self-love.’
The permanency of surgery – especially in the context of ever-changing beauty standards – is not spoken about enough, and Chloe opening up about her own experiences highlights the topic’s importance.
The price of looking effortless
Reversals can often be a part of the new natural narrative, but for those with limitless credit cards, they’re one of reinvention rather than regret. It’s the A-list beauty equivalent of quietly swapping acrylic nails for builder gel and calling it minimalism. In the words of Gemma Collins, ‘They’ve got money!’
For the majority, however, here’s the uncomfortable truth: this ‘natural’ aesthetic is anything but democratic.
At Dr Soni’s clinic, The Soni Clinic, in London, a Profhilo treatment (or skin booster) can cost around £500 per session, an upper blepharoplasty from £8,500, dermal filler from £800 and revision from £700. Add in the maintenance, skincare and recovery, and your ‘natural’ glow is totalled upwards of £10,000.
It’s ironic. While the ‘natural’ ideal sounds freeing, it’s still rooted in perfectionism and privilege. We’ve simply replaced one unattainable beauty standard with another, and it’s one that pretends to be low-maintenance while requiring constant upkeep.
The natural myth
If we stripped back the serums, the lasers, the injectables, the surgeries and the PR shine, we’d be served natural faces that belong to real people.
But right now, we’re being sold a ‘natural’ lie, that tells us it’s achieved through rejecting aesthetic help when in reality it’s about getting more help than ever – for those who can afford it. We’re told it’s effortless, but it’s anything but.
As for the rest of us? We’re left managing the contradictions of the unnatural new natural, wanting to celebrate authenticity while still chasing that impossible glow.
Maybe that’s okay. Perhaps the lesson isn’t to stop caring, but to care differently – to remember that every face, no matter how filtered or filler-free, has its own story to tell.
Facing facts: What to consider
Lia Mappoura (she/her) is the Beauty Writer at Cosmopolitan UK, with over four years of experience reporting across the brand's print, social, video and digital platforms. Lia covers everything from emerging trend analysis to viral celebrity hair and makeup moments, making her an expert at spotting the season’s next big beauty look (before it takes over social media feeds).
In 2025, she was named The Rising Media Star at the Love Perfume Awards with The Perfume Shop, recognised for her outstanding digital fragrance content and for building genuine authority within the space. She is passionate about challenging outdated beauty stereotypes, championing inclusive representation in beauty, and educating readers on the trends, products and conversations shaping the industry today. Follow her on Instagram or find her on LinkedIn.
