Whether you’re a chic and sophisticated-looking Libra, or an experimental Sagittarius, many of us are aware of our inherent zodiac traits, notably our sun signs which provide the overall framework in our astrological skies, but how deep does it go? Well, deep. In fact, your star sign might have more to do with your beauty choices than you imagined. Aliza Kelly, celebrity astrologer and author of 'This Is Your Destiny: Using Astrology To Manifest Your Best Life', says, ‘When it comes to beauty, I look to Venus — the planet that governs values, taste, and aesthetic preferences. Venus reveals your fashion sensibility, as well as what you consider attractive.’
London-based astrologer and DJ, Marissa Malik adds, ‘I know plenty of watery Cancers and Pisces who love a bold red lip look, and it often boils down to their fire Venus placements.' Despite Venus’ whereabouts ruling the roost when it comes to our aesthetic taste and beauty choices, there are other factors at play. Malik, a tenth house Pisces, expands, ‘I feel that my personal look and beauty choices are often more influenced by the way my sun sign interacts with other placements in my sky. For example, my Gemini Rising infuses a multifaceted approach to what I’m willing to do and experiment with when it comes to my appearance.
‘I’m not afraid to extend way beyond my usual style and I love when other people take the reins and work their stylist and make-up artistry magic on me. My Aries Venus provides a love of extreme, femme fatale vibes.’
Conversely, Kelly is a Leo sun sign whose Venus is in the sign of Libra, the zodiac sign associated with balance and harmony. ‘Interestingly, Libra is governed by Venus, so this placement is known to be extremely interested in art, design, and high-quality elegance,' explains Kelly. ‘Some of my fellow Venus Libras include Freddie Mercury, Grace Kelly, Pablo Picasso, and Beyoncé. Prior to becoming a professional astrologer, I studied Art History and worked in sales at a contemporary gallery, so my personal look and beauty choices have always been inspired by timeless sophistication.'
We're all susceptible to what is going on in the skies, from the moon phases, to planetary alignments and times of retrograde. Malik speaks to how our physical appearance can be influenced by these subtleties. ‘I’m Mercury ruled and feel that little trickster planet’s retrograde quite viscerally in my body. Often it’s hard for me to resist a haircut even though that’s quite literally the opposite of what I should be doing.’ Interpreting your star sign’s traits can run deep, so cracking our individual zodiac codes isn’t always an easy task. Malik adds, ‘Analysing your own style can be difficult. I find Pisces sun folks tend to have dreamier, softer taste than me. It’s unsurprising to find me in harsh, bold eyeliner looks, in your face lip colours that contrast a LBD, or an Azalea Telfar at any given time.'
Leo Season Is Here
Leo season is on the horizon, which brings a bolder energy compared to its watery Cancerian predecessor. Malik expands: ‘Sun ingresses set a tone for the vibe everything is situated in, so of course we strut, instead of walk, into Leo season and find ourselves primping and priming in front of a mirror more than, say, Cancer season.
‘Overall we'll start to see bolder beauty choices taking over, a spark in selfies, and generally some real hot girl s**t popping on the timeline. People with heavy placements in those signs are likely to be at the forefront of it all!’
AW21 Beauty Looks For Each Star Sign
Aries
The Star Sign: An adventurous, assertive fire sign full of energy.
The Look: Effortless and minimal, Aries is ready for anything. Versatile indoor and outdoor light coverage make-up that stays all day.
Spotted At: Laura Biagiotti
Taurus
The Star Sign: Sensually luxurious pouty and plush.
The Look: It’s all about the matte lip liner and burlesque-esque smoky lash pop to create a dramatic yet fresh look that oozes an early 1990s mood.
Spotted At: Schiaparelli
Gemini
The Star Sign: Playful and youthful that knows no limits.
The Look: Experimenting with the shades of the sky, this air sign’s personality will love a show-stopping blue. Worn all over the lid or as a winged-shadow, brown-eyed Geminis in particular should experiment with this look.
Spotted At: David Koma
Cancer
The Star Sign: Natural, effortless clean beauty.
The Look: Fresh hydrated dewy skin for a clean beauty look to contrast deep mauve eyes. Show off bright skin and primed lips, sans mask and bring a full-face look back to the fore.
Spotted At: Elisabetta Franchi
Leo
The Star Sign: Theatrical, expansive, big statement make-up.
The Look: Go bold, or go home. Leos should push the theatrical boundary with accentuated cheeks for a fresh take on a once aristocratic staple look.
Spotted At: Vivienne Westwood
Virgo
The Star Sign: Forever organised and always pristine.
The Look: Brightened and highlighted skin with a classic long-lasting lip. Looking smart and elegant in this easy to maintain look is so perfectly practical for forever busy Virgos.
Spotted At: Erdem
Libra
The Star Sign: Chic, sexy and sophisticated.
The Look: A double hitting dramatic winged-eye and lip combo to create the ultimate unmissable drama.
Spotted At: RVNG
Scorpio
The Star Sign: Mysterious, deeply unpredictable shape-shifters.
The Look: Heavy black kohl eyes that emulate teen spirit and the anti-establishment movements of late.
Spotted At: Chanel
Sagittarius
The Star Sign: Adventurous and authentically you.
The Look: Colouring outside of the lines as always, a fun statement look for experimental Saggis that shows no boundaries and lots to be explored.
Spotted At: Andreas Kronthaler for Vivienne Westwood
Capricorn
The Star Sign: Powerful, timeless and strong.
The Look: A timeless classic that Capricorns shouldn’t shy away from, but with a bold twist: the statement lip in either matte or gloss, is the ultimate look. Go for a classic red or push the boundaries with a purple or blue.
Spotted At: Bibhu Mohapatra
Aquarius
The Star Sign: Innovative, eclectic and otherworldly.
The Look: Colour and metallics.
Spotted At: Prada
Pisces
The Star Sign: Dreamy, floaty realness.
The Look: Take a modern twist on your ultimate whimsical fantasies and experiment with all tones to build dream-like eyes.
Spotted At: Giambattista Valli
According to this astrological insight, sisters Emily Wood, a make-up artist, and Aimee Lou Wood, of Sex Education fame, are both primed to feel the impact of Leo season. Taurean Emily often works with her Aquarian BAFTA-winning sister on her make-up looks. Despite having different zodiac signs, albeit both Fixed signs, the sisters’ beauty-led personalities work harmoniously together. ‘Working with Aimee offers creative freedom,' Emily tells ELLE. 'Her unique perspective and style, emotional intelligence and endless empathy are truly earth shifting.
‘Aimee is allergic to trends and has always been a nonconformist. Aquarius’ like to keep people guessing, which in this case means there is a lot of room for independent thinking and space to be playful, which as a Taurus is ideal. I believe my sign says a lot about my approach to beauty work. Knowing I’m not stuck in a confined routine is very important to me.'
Why Our Beauty Choices Are Written In The Stars
Self-expression and individualism affect our internal beauty dials, hair and make-up artist Emily Wood continues, ‘As a Taurus, comfort is primary. I know that this leaks into my style of beauty and make-up application. I need organic, earthy ingredients. I want to see my client rested and relaxed. My Venus-ruled is always soothed by greenery and the closest I can be to nature at whilst on-set is through my products. The lived-in textures and flushed skin is my calling. Make-up for me is about being playful and self-expression, rather than concealing and hiding “imperfections”.’
A notion that more and more brands are taking on board. Co-Founder of Milk Makeup, Georgie Greville, tells ELLE, ‘We cater to all of the signs and there’s something to appease the personality traits behind each sign, since everything is made to be multi-use, easy to apply, and created with ingredients you'll feel good about.' When it comes to beauty product development, many different star signs can come together to make something truly magical. This star-led dynamism is reflected behind the scenes to create choices that appeal to all. ‘Our internal Milk Makeup family represents a wide mix of astrological signs,' Greville continues. 'What unites everyone—regardless of whether they work on product development, finance, marketing, or creative—is that everyone has a deep creative spirit, energy, and passion for what they do and how they live their look. It’s not just about how you create your look; it’s what you do in it that matters. I am a Gemini, which means I am adaptive, intelligent and spontaneous. These traits definitely influence how I select and apply my make-up.’ Our make-up and skincare choices are reflective of our astral DNA, not just when it comes to what to wear but how we wear it and wish to apply it.
Marissa Malik’s Top Three Astrological Beauty Tips
1. Tune into your astral houses
Be sure to pay attention to when you’re going through transits that strongly impact your physical self. These include your first, sixth and twelfth house.
2. Be open to change during your birthday season
When it’s your season, the sun sign around your birth, use it as a major check-in for your beauty desires and needs.
3. Keep an eye on Venus
Watch out for what Venus is doing overall. When you’re experiencing through your Venus return (when your natal Venus matches what sign Venus is transiting currently), expect major beauty and style revelations to occur.
