This is the one make-up trend that really stood out backstage at London Fashion Week

And it's actually really wearable

Dionne Brighton's avatar
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Published In Features
backstage Erdem London fashion week nars
(Image credit: Shannon Lawlor)

London Fashion Week Autumn/Winter 2023 is officially over, and team Marie Claire has been busy covering all of the fashion and beauty looks over on our Instagram account. And besides covering all of the fabulous fashion looks and trends, we've also spent the past few days running between different backstage areas and refreshing our image banks in a bid to dissect the biggest make-up trends of the upcoming season.

As a beauty writer and a self-confessed beauty obsessive, as much as the clothes were a delight, I’m always the person staring up at the models' faces as they take to the catwalk—and I want to know everything about the beauty looks.

And if there's one thing I can say for certain, it's that heavy make-up is back for Autumn/Winter 2023. While we've already been seeing fuller make-up looks trending on TikTok, if London Fashion Week has confirmed anything, it's that heavy eyes, teamed with glowing skin is set to be the beauty trend of 2023.

More specifically, the trend we saw in every backstage beauty room was dark everything. From dark lips to heavily kohled eyes, we're dubbing this make-up look 'goth glow'.

A trend for gothic make-up started bubbling away last year when Wednesday Addams' gothic make-up went viral for all of the right reasons. This season at London Fashion Week, it was clear that the Wednesday effect was in full force.

In fact, goth glow was seen pretty much everywhere at London Fashion Week, and it couldn't be ignored. Unlike gothic make-up looks of yesteryear, this season it's all about making the trend as wearable as possible by teaming bold, dark and heavy eyes with beautifully radiant and glowing skin.

Not yet sold? Keep scrolling for all of the goth glow make-up inspiration that I'm absolutely sure will convince you otherwise from backstage at London Fashion Week. 

Paul Costelloe

Model walking Paul Costello London Fashion Week runway

(Image credit: Getty Images / Victor VIRGILE)

"Grungy makeup is back across the board”, says Paul Costelloe's lead make-up artist, Michelle Webb. From New York Fashion Week to London shows, the goth glow look saw make-up artists adorning their models with a Wednesday-esque gothic and grungy, bold eye and glowing, glass skin.

Webb created the perfect glow by mixing Huda Beauty #FauxFilter Skin Finish Foundation Stick with OLEHENRIKSEN Hydrabarrier Nourishing Face Oil. 

Erdem

Nars makeup

Backstage at Erdem.

(Image credit: Shannon Lawlor)

For autumn/winter 2023, Erdem Moralıoğlu teamed up with Nars make-up artist, Jane Richardson, to create the ultimate melancholic make-up look to accompany his collection. After discovering his London townhouse was once inhabited by 'friendless' women seeking refuge in the 1800s, Moralıoğlu reimagines the historic story of one particular night that saw two of the women locked out beyond curfew, causing them to wreak havoc in Bloomsbury square. The heavily kohled eyes were softly diffused at the edges and teamed with lit-from-within skin to create an impressively wearable look.

Harris Reed

Harris Reed London Fashion Week backstage with Charlotte Tilbury

(Image credit: Shannon Lawlor)

Proving that gothic looks don't have to be all black liner and deep purples, Charlotte Tilbury make-up artist, Sofia Tilbury, created this look for Harris Reed. With supercharged highlight and popping red lip, it remains gothic without feeding into any of the more obvious tropes.

Fashion East

Model walking Fashion East London Fashion Week runway

(Image credit: Getty Images / Joe Maher / BFC)

Goth glow was in full force at Fashion East. Here, glowy skin is paired with a dark lip or a very heavy dark eyeliner. By the time it gets to winter, I'm pretty sure I'll be combining the two looks together. 

Nensi Dojaka

Model backstage at Nensi Dojaka London Fashion Week show

(Image credit: Getty Images/Francisco Gomez de Villaboa)

The epitome of goth glow, a softer, more wearable look on the eye and an unmatched glow was showcased at Nensi Dojaka. It looks like we will all be ditching the powder when it comes to autumn.

Roksanda

Model backstage at Roksanda London Fashion Week

(Image credit: Getty Images /Nicky Sims/BFC)

This served some serious lip inspo. The deep-red, ombré lip is throwing things back to the '90s. 

Bora Aksu

model backstage at Bora Aksu London Fashion Week

(Image credit: Getty Images/Jeff Spicer/BFC)

Bora Aksu's AW23 show was inspired by Wednesday Addams, and it shows not only in his designs but also in the black lipstick choice.

Mark Fast

Model backstage at the Mark Fast London Fashion Week show

(Image credit: Getty Images/Tristan Fewings/BFC)

I tried the KVD black lipstick back when Wednesday first came onto Netflix, and it was surprisingly not as bold as I thought. Another show full of black lipstick was Mark Fast, and I'm kind of excited to try it again this winter. 

Feben

Model on Feben London Fashion Week runway

(Image credit: Getty Images/Victor VIRGILE)

At Feben, all the models wore heavily waterlined eyeliner, creating a winged look that went down from the inner eye too. This is bold, and I love it. 

Chet Lo

Model walking Chet Lo London Fashion Week runway

(Image credit: Getty Images / Victor VIRGILE)

I'm kind of obsessed with these false lower lashes. The lip has a just-bitten, purple stand, keeping in with the goth trend.

Dionne Brighton
Dionne Brighton
Social Media Editor

Dionne Brighton is the Social Media Editor at Marie Claire UK. After writing about everything from nail trends to celebrity style moments for Marie Claire UK, Glamour UK and Woman & Home, she now leads the brand’s social strategy. Her work transforming Marie Claire UK’s social platforms earned her a BSME Talent Award nomination.