LEIGH CAMPBELL: 'My personal list of 'ins' and 'outs' for beauty in 2025.'

It's a new year. And, if there's one thing you bet we love doing, it's breaking down all the best beauty 'ins' and 'outs' you need to know for the year ahead.

And luckily, we've got you sorted. Because on a recent episode of You Beauty podcast, hosts Leigh Campbell and Kelly McCarren shared their round-up of what they're predicting for the year ahead.

From trending ingredients to tips on how to shop beauty for the year ahead, there are some glorious little beauty nuggets you'll want to put to the test for yourself.

Watch: Speaking of beauty, here's You Beauty's Em Vernem trying the foundation hug test. Post continues below.

So, we decided to pull them all together in one very helpful list.

Below, we've rounded up Leigh Campbell's 'ins' and 'outs' for 2025 — from skincare to hair and makeup.

While we have you, want to get the full episode in your ears? Check it out below.

Ready to polish up your beauty routine for the year ahead? Let's get into it.

Leigh Campbell's beauty trends 2025.

In: Going 'natural'.

At the top of the list? Going natural. No, not like 'Mother Earth' natural, friends. We're talking natural-looking makeup. Natural hair. Not spending hours trying to 'cover up' everything in the morning.

"I think 2025 should be and will be more about embracing 'natural'," said Leigh. "What I mean by that is skincare-infused makeup that lets your freckles show through, your natural hair texture, perhaps your greys. And thankfully, the democratisation of the beauty industry, whereby we see creators with all different skin tones, hair types, skin textures and brow shapes encourages us to go with what we've got and embrace it."

"Let your freckles show through. You don't have to cover and mask and hide everything. And trust me, as a busy woman in the morning, you're going to save more time because you're not trying to always straighten your hair, which sometimes takes an hour. So I reckon it's just leaning back into a more natural look."

Look, as lazy girls ourselves, we are HERE for this trend.

In: Skin barrier care.

According to Leigh, skin barrier care is here to stay. And for good reason, really. With so many new products and ingredients on the market, you'd be forgiven for feeling like you need approximately all of the things on your face. But in the year ahead, we'll continue to focus on the importance of strengthening and protecting your skin's protective layer with barrier-repairing moisturisers (ceramides!), regenerating serums (peptides) and cleansers that won't strip the skin. Because burning doesn't = working. (If you're looking for some excellent skincare barrier care tips, head here).

"I think the industry, in itself, and we as consumers will continue to care for the skin barrier," said Leigh. "We're going to see so many more peptides and ceramides in skincare products, and there's just going to be more focus on really caring for our skin. And it's the same with scalp care."

Because in case you missed it, everything hair and scalp was HUGE in 2024 — and extending the same care we apply to our face will continue to extend to our scalps, with a focus on oils, serums, scrubs, masks and lotions specifically created for the health of your scalp. If you're looking how to care for your scalp in 2025, head here.

In: Mindful beauty purchases and decluttering.

If you still have a drawer full of Urban Decay Naked palettes you haven't used since 2016, it could be time to let go, friend.

"Clean out your skincare and makeup, do a bit of a stock take," suggested Leigh. "Check expiry dates, analyse what you use and what you don't use — I'm sure you're going to find winners at the back of your bathroom cabinet! So, shop your stash, but then get rid of what you don't use, because it's mental and physical clutter. And it's a waste of money."

Of course, this doesn't mean you've got to chuck hundreds of dollars worth of products into a bin. Nah. If products aren't expired, spread the love! "Give it to your sister, to your friends, or recycle or re-purpose mindfully," shared Leigh, recommending you aim to do it once a quarter.

Because, seriously, who else has 74 hyaluronic acid serums that are half empty? Friend, you don't need another one. Instead of buying products you don't need, Leigh recommended writing any products you'd like to try/buy in the 'Notes' app on your phone, so you can revisit them when you've actually run out, rather than buying more of the same thing. Which makes a lot of sense, really.

"Check out what you've got, what you use, get rid of what you don't, and just kind of be a bit more mindful of your purchases and what you use."

Out: Inconsistency.

Hands up if you've ever stopped using a serum after a couple of weeks because it looks like it's giving you… nothing… in terms of results. Because same.

The truth is, when it comes to skincare results, consistency is the name of the game.

"My 'out' is impatient people, because I'm one of them," said Leigh. "Results take time. So if you're using actives, particularly if you are using vitamin A or a hydroquinone, which is going to help fade pigmentation — it's not going to work in a week, even if marketing says it will."

Sneaky marketing.

"We're in the age of immediacy where everything's one minute. Skincare takes time, and caring for your skin takes time. It takes patience and also diligence. So you can't just do good skincare for a week and then think you're set. We're going to stick to it, and we're going to just ride it out."

So, in 2025, here's to patience in skincare routines for better results.

Out: Being scared of beauty.

Terrified of applying false lashes? Can't curl your hair? Don't know where to start when it comes to skincare?

"Everyone starts somewhere, and they only get good through practice. No one can put false lashes on for the first time in the first minute. No one can curl their hair with a straighter if they've never done it before. I still can't. You know why? Because I've never sat down for long enough and practised right," Leight said.

"If you want to get better at makeup or get better at doing your hair, set aside some time to practice."

Soooo… who wants to come and teach me how to curl my hair properly??

What are your ins and out for beauty in 2025? Share your thoughts below.

Feature image: Supplied.