The name may not suggest so, but New York Fashion Week is (almost) just as much about beauty as it is about the clothes. Just like with the music and the set that accompanies the presentation of a new collection, designers and makeup artists use makeup (or the lack thereof) and hair on the runway to tell a story. It’s the piece that ties everything together, the same way your daily or special occasion beauty routine likely completes your full looks. That said, the New York Fashion Week runways don’t just serve as a reference for building your closet, but you can point to some of the most popular beauty trends on the runway as inspiration for what to grab next for your vanity drawer as well.
The overall beauty consensus on the runway mimics that of one of the overarching fashion trends of the season as well — skin is in. Within that, designers went about different ways of painting the picture, but all with a pretty light hand to the base and most often leaving other areas of the face bright, crisp, and clean as well. In other cases, there was a stark contrast with vampy lips or smokey lids. All in all, nothing was too complicated to be adapted at home with your own personal touch. Ahead, we rounded up some of the beauty trends that hit the runway this New York Fashion Week, along with where to get the tools you need to do it yourself.
1. Whole Lotta Blush
As far as makeup goes, perhaps there’s nothing that says spring like rosy cheeks. Blush was front and center on the runway, with models at brands such as No Sesso donning an almost avant-garde look. If you’ve ever wanted an excuse to pile on the pigment or give cream blushes a try, now’s your chance.
2. Daytime Dew
There were many shows where eyes and lips were not a key focus, and instead, designers let the skin do the talking. In this case, it was hardly with looks with mattified finishes but instead with glistening, hyper-dewy skin. Some came with an almost bare your-skin-but-better look while others were enhanced with highlighter, but the general consensus was fresh-faced and bedewed.
3. High Gloss
Nostalgia isn’t just happening in the fashion arena. According to brands such as Victor Glemaud at New York Fashion Week, plain clear gloss is back. Think the exact high-shine look you used to get from a tube gloss during childhood, but better (options on the market now are often less thick and sticky). The runways suggest keeping the rest of the face simple with light or no eye makeup.
4. Smokey Shadows
Just as an emphasis on skin dominated the runway at the Spring 2023 shows, as did its polar opposite. Smokey eyes, like at Sergio Hudson, for spring offer an off-kilter option for what you typically go for during the season, perfect for trying out with edgier outfits or nighttime occasions.
5. Spring Red-y
Collectively, we’ve been in our neutral era, especially when it comes to lips. But according to brands such as Studio 189 where nearly every model donned a bright red lip for its Spring show, the most debated, albeit classic lipstick color makes its return. Though bright, red lipstick continues to prove itself as one that can be worn with anything from prints to neutrals and meshes well with a number of eye looks, also.
