These are the definitive SS26 beauty trends, according to the runway

While we may be in the icy plumes of winter, spring is just around the corner, and with it comes an invitation to be more experimental with our beauty regimens.

During the Spring/Summer 26 shows, I spent days backstage amid the hustle and bustle while makeup artists, hair stylists, and session manicurists created veritable works of art on their models. And this season really was an invocation to do that bit more; to push our self-imposed “limits” on beauty.

For so long, summertime make-up has revolved around a simple swipe of colour, but the season possessed a certain je ne sais quoi. There were neon brights, chromes, and even lettering on models’ lips. Hair was loose and unfussy, and even when it was done up, it carried a certain ease. There was a sense that “imperfection” reigned; everything felt a little messy around the edges, and skin didn’t need to be “perfect” either—I spotted dozens of Starface stickers artfully accentuating so-called “imperfections”.

Let your lips do the talking

At Roksanda, inspiration came from modernist sculptor Barbara Hepworth. Models walked the runway sporting red, lacquered mouths, lined with what appeared to be black kohl. Chopova Lowena also dialled up the drama, with make-up artist Lauren Reynolds painting lips a cool-toned grey and then outlining them with a smattering of expertly-placed silver gems.

Connor Ives’ homage to the Noughties brought back the pastels, neons and golden chromes that are so synonymous with the era, with make-up artist Lucy Bridge using MAC’s Paintsticks and Chromalines to block out the lips in dramatic tones.

But at Simone Rocha, the lips really did the talking. MUA Thomas de Kluyver crafted three intricate, high-shine designs—a bright pink flower placed at the centre of the mouth, lettering that read “sweet dream,” and a glassy black lip—each finished with a slick of Byredo’s Liquid Lipstick in Vinyl Fantôme.

Skin acceptance

This season wasn’t solely about the pursuit of impossibly glassy skin. Cult skincare brand Starface partnered with Ashley Williams to debut its Tiny Star patch on the runway. Styled by make-up artist Ana Takahashi, the designer explored ideas of “systems of care and contentment”—and Starface, true to form, made everyone feel cute and confident.

Backstage, though, innovation was at the fore. As I’ve reported time and time again, the line between cutting-edge tech and the beauty industry is increasingly blurred. At Tove, 111Skin treated models to express exosome facials, incorporating touch therapy as part of the ritual. A similar focus on skin health was seen at Emilia Wickstead, where master facialist Jon Rummins centred his mini treatments on barrier repair, using Eve Lom’s Time Retreat Restorative Skin Essence. Powered by a botanical alternative to retinol, alongside microbiome-supporting prebiotics and collagen-boosting actives, the formula delivered a dewy, hydrated glow that lasted under the lights.

More mess

For SS26, mess (and literal muck) is very much in. And at Dilara Findikoğlu, it was highly symbolic. Make-up artist Yadim Carranza adorned models’ faces with patches of mud, a gesture intended to represent breaking free from gender norms. The result was as if the models had rolled around in dirt, in the best possible way.

A similar sensibility played out at Di Petsa and Labrum: at the former, models were smothered in clay, while for the latter, key make-up artist Joey Choy pressed the sides of models’ faces into trays of coloured sand.

Dolly eyes

The Sixties eye made its presence known across the season. At Rixo, make-up artists pressed pastel purples onto models’ lids, and finished with thick eyeliner to create wide, doe-like eyes.

Over at Richard Quinn, M.A.C’s Terry Barber looked to old Hollywood glamour, carving out eye sockets in shades of grey, brown, and champagne. “It’s sculpted and, if you like a little ‘supermodel-y’, everything is lifted—a ski-slope cheekbone, a lengthened eye, a pushed-up brow and a contoured lip. It’s timeless and elevated but effortless beauty,” he explained backstage.

Meanwhile, Harris Reed leaned into his love of XXL lashes. For the SS26 collection, titled The Aviary, lead make-up artist Sofia Tilbury played with false lashes cut on a gradient and elongated at the outer corners for a fan-like effect. Extra drama came courtesy of lashings of Charlotte Tilbury’s Exagger-Eyes Volume Mascara.

Sculptural updos

At Roksanda, hair was led by Anna Cofone, with stylists drawing on the collection’s curves, abstract shapes, and dynamic lines. There were slicked-back buns, long, glossy lengths, and sculpted pixie partings that caught the light beautifully, thanks to Authentic Beauty Concept’s Cosmic Blow-Dry Jelly. “We wanted the hair to reflect Roksanda’s exploration of form—high-gloss shapes with curves and graphic lines that felt both modern and timeless,” she said backstage.

Over at Richard Quinn, Sam McKnight looked to the inherent glamour of the designer’s sartorial creations. He created classic sweeping updos with a masculine structure, describing them backstage as a cross between Hitchcock’s Hollywood heroines and David Bowie in the 80s.

Finally, at Connor Ives, hairstylist Claire Gretch turned to Bumble and Bumble to craft fluffy, voluminous coiled updos, alongside flicky, bombshell blowdries, which gave the hair a playful, tactile energy.