The 8 Biggest Beauty Trends at New York Fashion Week

There’s nothing like the theater of New York Fashion Week. This is especially true on the beauty front, with visionary artists crafting hair and makeup looks that help animate the clothes on the runway.

What’s extraordinary about this season is that the drama is only being amplified above the neck, from bold lashes to teased-to-the-high-heavens hair. “There’s more makeup and playfulness,” says makeup artist Diane Kendal, who worked on the major doll-inspired lashes at Marc Jacobs. “People are looking for ideas outside of the usual pretty makeup.”

What’s more, these looks will translate to the real world. “I feel like people are ready to really go there a bit more,” said hairstylist Jawara, while crafting the slicked-hair looks backstage at Jason Wu. “I feel like we’ve been doing natural for a while, so I can’t wait to see the interpretations of it, hopefully in the streets.”

To get inspired, see eight of the biggest beauty trends of the week below:

Gilded Touches

Gold is emerging as the ultimate embellishment, from gilded updos to ornamental nails.

Hairstylist Lacy Redway kicked things off at Christian Siriano, adorning center parts in gold leaf and speckling “celestial box buns” in the shimmering stuff. “I wanted to mirror the reflectiveness of the designs,” said Redway, who used  TRESemmé Keratin Smooth Weightless Silky Shine Spray to bolster luster and set all of the styles into place. 

Then, at Jason Wu, makeup artist Diane Kendal built on the show’s theme of “deconstruction” and varnished two models' gazes in burnished gold, the diffused, feathered edges evoking a set of ethereal angel wings. Finally, at Luar, there was a lineup of sculptural, gold-lacquered nails that were equal parts ornamental and baroque-feeling.

Doll-Like Lashes

There was no shortage of lash drama this season. Leading the pack was the Marc Jacobs show, which served up an extreme interpretation of ‘60s-era Diana Ross, including doll-worthy lashes. “We actually coated the lashes with black nail polish to give that really ‘cloggy’ look, so they’re a bit spidery,” explains Kendal. “The best way to remove all the stubborn eye makeup? A range of cleansing accouterments from Cetaphil (including their Gentle Cleansing Cloths), who sponsored the show's look.

A more pared-back riff on Swinging Sixties lashes came by way of Alice and Olivia. “The eyes are a nod to the ’60s — think Twiggy meets [Too Faced’s] Better Than Sex Mascara,” says Elyse Reneau, the executive director of global beauty at Too Faced. But it wasn’t just gobs of mascara layered onto lashes; the pro also washed lids in powder blue (a combo of Bless Your Tart and Milk It from the Better Than Chocolate Palette) and used the Better Than Sex eyeliner to draw on exaggerated fake lashes for a pop art effect.

Grungy Glamour

This season, jet-black pigments supplied endless possibilities for a grunge-inflected look. 

“It’s lived in, it’s the day after,” said MAC’s director of makeup artistry Romero Jennings backstage at Prabal Gurung, where he smoked and smudged out Paint Stick in Black Black with a wet-shine finish. “It’s dark, it’s smoky, it’s sort of oily; there’s movement and life.”

At Area, Kanako Takase drew inspiration from a cartoon drawn by fashion illustrator René Gruau, first bleaching brows, then heavily rimming eyes in Addiction Tokyo’s The Eyeshadow Cream in Black Beach and The Eyeshadow Matte in Bad Car in a unique oblong shape.

But it wasn’t just eye makeup getting an edge. For the Anna Sui show, hair legend Garren used his R+Co styling products to turn out an array of ‘90s-inspired “chic grunge” looks, including a nod to Linda Evangelista’s famous crop with side bangs tactfully sheared and blunted. “We’re leaning back towards the early ’90s, but we’re putting a grunge feeling on it and then turning it around and making it chic,” he said backstage.

Va-Va-Voom Hair

Call it the Mob Wife effect — or just the eternal appeal of larger-than-life beauty on the catwalks — but there was lots of gravity-defying hair.

It began with the XXL bouffant updos created by hairstylist Duffy at Marc Jacobs, which were hyperbolized ode to Diana Ross.

Then, at Christian Cowan, midcentury housewife hair reached new levels of height and volume thanks to hairstylist Justin Marian, who created a “polished, coiffed, and structured [style] with a classic set and then brushed [it] out,” she says, name-checking TRESemmé Extra Hold Mousse as one of her key styling products. Finally, it was a similar scene at Son Jung Wan, with updos teased all the way up at the crown and brushed sleek at the sides for a pompadour-like shape.

Statement Braids

Knots, loops, and extreme length. Throughout the week, there were many fierce and imaginative takes on braided styles. At Lapointe, hairstylist Joey George prepped hair with Oribe products — including Gel Sérum Radiance and Rough Luxury Molding Wax — and wove lengths into reverse braided buns.

And who could miss the “whip-like,” hip-grazing plaits that hairstylist Guido Palau braided on an army of models at Tory Burch, or the plaited, crisscrossed loops at Luar, which were serving up major Princess Leia vibes.

But the most out-of-this-world of all: The pigtail braids that defied the laws of physics at Thom Browne, where they did a total 180, floating upside down in the air above model heads.

Glass Skin

The beauty world is far from over the lustrous, porcelain-like skin that Pat McGrath created for the Margiela couture show. So, naturally, there were lots of juicy, high-gloss complexions in the mix.

One show that centered skincare in glaring (yes, pun very much intended) fashion was Collina Strada who, quite literally, made models look like they just left the sauna. “There’s sweat going on for everyone,” said makeup artist Emi Kaneko, who prepped skin using Dieux skincare and then proceeded to use a special glycerin-based product for supernatural shine. 

Then, at Kim Shui, model complexions were similarly pampered with backstage flash facials featuring the Kate Somerville ExfoliKate liner and then doused in MAC’s Hyper Real Serumizer for a supercharged finish.

Moody Burgundy Lips

If it’s statement lips you desire, reach for a moody burgundy. Drawing inspiration from British literary greats like Virginia Woolf and the ’30s club scene in London, makeup visionary Pat McGrath reached for a pitch-perfect, universally flattering deep crimson via the Pat McGrath Labs MatteTrance lipstick in Guinevere for the Ana Sui show. Paired with dark expresso smoky eyes, it was a dreamy, dark romantic combination.

Burgundy lips also made their way onto the Prabal Gurung runway, with Jennings intensifying the makeup’s sultry vibe with MAC’s cult-favorite Sin lipstick, a matte, cool-toned hue that’s a classic in many a makeup artist’s kit.

Side-Swept Drama

Whether you prefer a hyper-slicked look or something with a bit more texture and volume, there’s a chic side-swept style for you this season. Backstage at Prabal Gurung, hairstylist Jawara gave models deep side parts and smoothed hair before going in with Wella’s EIMI Glam Mist for a “super wet, lacquered look.” Wisps were carefully sculpted around the face for a just-stepped-out-of-the-thunderstorm effect.

Showcasing one style on a variety of different textures and lengths, at Diotima, hairstylist Joey George swept hair to one side and rolled it almost like a victory roll — but in a 1940s-meets-2020s shape. The results were nothing short of stunning.