I’ve Just Returned From Paris—These Are the Beauty Trends Coming Home With Me

French women have long mastered the art of looking chic, and the effortlessly cool look of Parisian women is up there with one of my favourite things about Paris. In my opinion, there is nothing more chic than the Parisian woman. The French do it best. Not only do they have the best beauty brands and the most iconic fashion houses, but they also boast the longest, and best, fashion week in the calendar.

Paris Fashion week has already delivered standout beauty looks that we will be taking with us into the year, and it's always my favourite time of the year. Whenever I’m in Paris, I can’t help but absorb the styling tips and the beauty notes both on and off the runway to bring back with me to London. Having returned from the streets of Paris and the iconic Victoria Beckham show, I discovered the three major trends that I simply could not ignore, and nor should you.

Serious side parting

The 90’s are back whether we like it or not, and alongside the return of the thin eyebrow, skinny jeans and ballet slipper lip, is the side parting… and we’re talking a serious side part. I first spotted it at the Victoria Beckham show, and then the look continued to reappear at the following highly-anticipated shows. From backstage at Dior to Zendaya at Louis Vuitton, the side part is having a major, major moment.

This is one look that has already made its way off the runway and onto the streets of Paris with the street style set already showing us how to make it wearable. At every street corner I turned, someone would appear sporting a side part, and while I’ve always been loyal to my middle part, it's clearly time to let that go. The side part is well and truly back in as one of the biggest French hair trends.

At the Victoria Beckham show, the side part was paired with a ponytail for an effortlessly undone style that you could wear to work through to the evening. Hair Lead Anthony Turner said, "For 2026, French-girl hair is all about effortless luxury - hair that feels easy and undone, yet still has that unmistakable salon-quality finish. It shouldn’t look overworked or overly ‘done’, just naturally expensive. I rely on Schwarzkopf Fibre Sealer to achieve that polished texture while keeping the hair soft and authentic." Turner also remarked that he wanted “There’s a strong side parting which gives the look structure, but the overall feeling is relaxed and slightly undone – almost like the girls have already been to the after-show party. It’s simple, elegant hair with a little bit of personality and ease”.

Speaking on the choice of hair styling at her show, Victoria Beckham said: “For the Autumn/Winter 2026 show, we wanted the hair to feel effortless, feminine and slightly undone — reflecting the collection’s balance of strength and softness. Working with Anthony Turner, we created a side parting and a low ponytail with smooth, natural texture using Schwarzkopf products. Simple, yet elegant.”

Missing Mascara

I’ve seen mascara disappear from the models backstage at fashion months the past couple of seasons, but never on a scale like this. This fashion month, it proved hard to find a model wearing any mascara at all. While the overall theme screams ditch the mascara, the look was balanced out in different ways: in some cases a dark smokey eyeliner, a bright eyeliner moment, a curled eyelash, or no eye make up paired with a bright red lip.

While I noticed this rising trend across all the runway imagery, being in Paris meant that I started to notice that barely any of the Parisian women I encountered were wearing mascara either. At first I assumed this was a day time situation but as the evening unfolded, I realised that in Paris, mascara seems to be a take-it-or-leave-it step in your make-up routine. Is this a continuation of the clean girl? Or is this an opportunity to go all out with eyeshadow and a bold eyeliner colour? However you decide to embrace the trend, I for one will be stepping up my eye make-up game by curling my lashes more, not being shy about purple eyeliner, and bringing that little part of Paris home with me to London.

Minimal Mani

One crucial thing about me is that I am a self-proclaimed nail addict. It’s no secret that I have more than 300 nail designs saved across my instagram folder, on Pinterest, and even more screenshots. It’s one of the first things I notice about anyone, because I'm always looking for new nail inspo. So to me, the most notable trend I observed in Paris - both backstage and in my day-to-day interactions - is the minimal mani. Possibly the most chic thing someone could do? Embrace that less really is more. While I was there with my zebra print nail art, I realised it was more rare to see a Parisian with gel nails than without. The barely-there manicure is the only way the Parisians are doing their nails, and I want in.

Witnessed at Chanel, Dior, Bottega Venetta and so, so, so many more shows across Paris Fashion Week, it’s clear that this manicure style is the only way to go when in the city of love. Despite my nail art addiction, the more I saw this natural look, the more I noticed just how understated and elegant it was to have a short, pared back nail. What I believe makes it super put together is a clear gloss. Don’t be fooled in thinking that this is just an excuse not to put time into your nails; rather, this is a chance to get them looking healthy, glossy and minimal.