These Are the Key Beauty Trends We Spotted Backstage at London Fashion Week

And that’s a wrap on London Fashion Week—and its excellent beauty looks. Bold, dramatic, and anything but boring, this season gave us beauty editors plenty to get excited about. Sure, you might not want lettering on your lips every day, but the runways were full of inspiration; it’s just about how you want to channel it. Ahead, Marie Claire UK’s lowdown.

1. Let your lips do the talking

This season, Roksanda was inspired by modernist sculptor Barbara Hepworth, and this trickled down to the beauty looks, where the make-up artists and hairstylists made masterful use of lines, contours and curves. The two-toned lips, in particular, were a revelation and saw models walk down the runway with red, lacquered mouths, which were outlined in what looked like black kohl.

Chopova Lowena dialled up the drama a notch, too. Make-up artist Lauren Reynolds painted models' lips a cool-toned grey and outlined them precisely with a series of silver gems.

Then, at Simone Rocha, the make-up artists let the lips really do the talking. MUA Thomas de Kluyver created three incredibly intricate and shiny designs: a bright pink flower right in the centre, lettering that read "sweet dream" and lastly, a glassy black lip. Each look was finished with lashings of Byredo's Liquid Lipstick in Vinyl Fantôme.

Connor Ives' homage to the Noughties brought back the pastels and neons that were so reminiscent of the era, and saw make-up artist Lucy Bridge use MAC's Paintsticks and Chromalines to block out the lips in these dramatic tones.

2. Updos and a homage to Bowie

Sam McKnight led the hair at Richard Quinn, and he was inspired by the inherent glamour in the designer's sartorial creations. The stylist created classic sweeping updos, which had a masculine structure to them. He put it best backstage, describing the looks as a mix between Hitchcock's Hollywood heroines and David Bowie in the 80s.

Over at Conner Ives, stylist Claire Gretch used Bumble and Bumble to create fluffy, voluminous and coiled updos, as well as flicky, bombshell blowdries.

And then at Roksanda, which was presided over by Anna Cofone, hairstylists took inspiration from the collection's curves, abstract shapes and dynamic lines, and translated that to the hair. There were slicked back buns, long, glossy lengths and sculpted pixie partings that caught the light. "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. "Using Authentic Beauty Concept’s Cosmic Blow-Dry Jelly, we created looks that were fluid yet structured."

3. Bid adieu to the clean girl

For SS26, mess and (literal) muck are in. At Dilara Findikoğlu, make-up artist Yadim Carranza adorned models' faces with patches of mud to represent breaking free from gender norms. It looked like they'd rolled around in dirt, in the best possible way.

It was a similar story at Di Petsa and Labrum. The former saw models smothered in clay, and for the latter, key make-up artist Joey Choy pressed the side of models' faces into trays of coloured sand.

4. Doll eyes

Harris Reed has a penchant for XXL lashes, and this season was no different. The collection, titled The Aviary, saw lead make-up artist Sofia Tilbury play with false lashes that were cut on a gradient, elongating right at the end for a wide-eyed "fan-like" look. Extra volume was achieved through layers upon layers of Charlotte Tilbury's Exagger-Eyes Volume Mascara.

In a similar vein, over at Richard Quinn, M.A.C's make-up artist Terry Barber took inspiration from old Hollywood glamour, as well as the classic 60's eye; carving out models' eye sockets in hues of grey, brown, and champagne. "It’s sculpted and I guess if you like a little ‘supermodel-y’, everything is lifted with a ski slope cheekbone, a lengthened eye and a pushed up brow with a contoured lip. It’s timeless and elevated but effortless beauty," said the MUA.

At Rixo, the 60s "doll-eye" reference was more overt. MUA's pressed models' eyelids with pastel purples and applied thick eyeliner to create huge, doe-like eyes.

5. Skin reigns supreme

I've said it before and I'll say it again; the intersection between skin tech and the beauty industry writ large is ever narrowing. Backstage at Tove, 111Skin gave models their exosome express facials, which utilised touch therapy.

Likewise at Emilia Wickstead, master facialist Jon Rummins focused on models' barrier health. He centred the mini treatments around Eve Lom's new Time Retreat Restorative Skin Essence, which features a botanical retinol alternative, microbiome-balancing prebiotics, and collagen-boosting actives to deliver ample hydration.

But it's not all about "perfect" skin. Cult skincare brand, Starface, partnered with Ashley Williams to debut their Tiny Star patch on the runway. Styled by make-up artist Ana Takahashi, the designer sought to explore "systems of care and contentment", and indeed, Starface certainly makes everyone feel cute and confident—no matter what their skin looks like.