From Windswept Hair to Watercolor Eyes—Fashion Month Set 7 Major Beauty Trends in Motion for 2026

Fashion month is a whirlwind, but it's a creative, inspiring, and era-defining whirlwind. The four weeks of fashion-and-beauty madness began with New York Fashion Week, followed directly by London, Milan, and Paris (in that order). Who What Wear's intrepid team of editors covered hundreds of shows, delved into new and old designer collections, and boldly stationed ourselves amid backstage chaos. At the end of it, we were exhausted, but more importantly, we knew all the major trends that are heading our way come 2026.

This year, it seems we'll see a mix of old and new trends collide. There are wearable looks, like windswept hair and winged eyeliner, that are making their way back to peak relevancy. Then, there are the new, bold, and editorial looks that demand attention. Think statement-making lipstick (I mean that quite literally) and next-level, doll-like lashes. Ahead, see the seven most major beauty trends from spring/summer 2026 fashion month.

The first trend is all about rebuking the minimalist, "clean-girl" makeup look that's been almost omnipresent on social media over the last couple of years, and swapping it with bold, look-at-me lashes. Backstage at Ulla Johnson's NYFW show, models wore gold-dipped lashes (created by combining gold eye shadow with a mixing medium). At Mossi's PFW presentation, models were spotted with impossibly long, doll-like ones (a validation that we're smack-dab in the middle of baby-doll fall). Similarly, at Harris Reed's LFW presentation, models wore feathery, avant-garde falsies that reached well past their brows. Meanwhile, at Collina Strada, clusters of bright-pink lashes were placed on the outer corners of the models' eyes.

While colorful mascara is an easy way to re-create this trend, you can also opt for colorful and/or bejeweled falsies—anything that demands attention and makes your eyes the focal point of your look. Do as the designers did, and embrace this rather whimsical, otherworldly element in your makeup routine.

Shop the Trend

Watercolor eye shadow was a major trend during NYFW, and it continued on to be a major trend throughout the rest of fashion month, too. First, there was Collina Strada, where models wore a wash of unrestrained pink eye shadow all over their eyelids, outer corners, and under-eyes. Then, there was Ashish, with a messy and striking brushstroke of cobalt blue. At LDW, Toga's models wore a wash of canary-yellow eye shadow, and at PFW, Gabriela Hearst's models wore a subtle powder-blue shadow just on the inner corners of their eyes. It's a blink-and-you-might-miss-it makeup element that feels right in line with French-girl fashion.

In 2026, fashion people aren't putting up with basic lip combos. They're branching out and testing bold new looks. Chloé's S/S 26 show featured models wearing bright, powdery-pink lipstick. At Sportmax, models wore bitten-berry lipstick. At Roksanda, models wore a black-to-red lip color that was topped with a vinyl-like finish for good measure. Simone Rocha took the trend to another level by sending models down the runway with sayings and phrases painted on their lips. Talk about a statement-making lip (literally). Take this as your sign to dust off the bolder lip colors in your collection, whether that's a vampy berry shade, crimson red, or punchy pink. And don't be afraid to doctor it up, either. Try blotting it out for a blurred effect, layering a high-shine gloss over top, or blending two shades for an ombré effect.

We've seen all sorts of skin-focused trends over the last couple of years. There was "glazed donut" skin, spearheaded by Hailey Bieber and her trusty Rhode skincare line. There was "glass skin," which made its way Stateside from South Korea. There's also been "dewy dumpling" skin, created by celebrity makeup artist Nam Vo. According to S/S 26 runways, the internet's obsession with glowing skin won't slow down in 2026. Instead, it will ever so slightly evolve.

It seems we'll see a more restrained take on super-dewy, highly reflective skin finishes. Instead of an allover glow, makeup artists send models down the runway with softly radiant skin. Some complexions were velvety matte. Others had a precise, shimmer-free highlighter placed on the cheekbones, nose, brow bone, and Cupid's bow. Regardless, it's all about creating a healthy-looking, lit-from-within radiance.

For this look, skin prep is everything. The softer, smoother, and more hydrated the skin is before makeup, the better. (Yes, that means glow-boosting masks, essences, and primers.) Then again, a touch of some expertly formulated, well-placed highlighter doesn't hurt either. Shop our top picks below.

As makeup looks become louder and bolder, hairstyles seem to be going the opposite direction. Throughout fashion month, designers debuted their new collections with models who wore natural-looking, windswept hair; the list includes Valentino, Stella McCartney, Roberto Cavalli, Erdem, Dior, and more. It seemed as if hairstylists embraced or at the very most highlighted the models' natural texture, and it gave them the effect of walking down a city street on a breezy day. Think slightly ruffled, tousled hair that could have just been revealed from under a scarf or a hat. We love when high-fashion embraces a wearable, effortless trend, and this is it. So put down your heat tools because 2026 is going to be big on natural-looking, lived-in hair.

Here's another beauty trend that kicked off in a big way during NYFW: nail embellishments. At Grace Ling, models wore a single chunky gem on each long, claw-tipped nail. At Kim Shui, models wore what we can only describe as bold, silver nail brooches. At Di Petsa, models wore minimalist mermaid-esque opals atop their silvery manicures. Last but certainly not least, at Christian Cowan, models wore silver-studded, translucent nails. It seems that, in 2026, the best manicures will be unique, creative, and feature 3D elements. Prepare by picking up a set of studded press-ons or a pack of individual nail gems.

If winged liner feels rather… 2016 to you, you're not alone. Blame it on the "clean girl" trend that's dominated social media over the last couple of years, but eye makeup has been on the decline (until now). People have abandoned their eyeliners, eye shadows, and even mascaras. (The no-mascara trend was major this year.)

According to a set of high-fashion houses, though, that's changing for 2026. At Sandy Liang, models wore a subtle brown flick. At Attico, models wore a smoky version of the same look. Meanwhile, some models walked the Fendi runway wearing a bold black wing with red lipstick (an utterly classic look). Dolce & Gabbana also embraced a classic black wing. So, yeah, it's official: Whether it's black or brown, smoky or sharply cut, winged eyeliner is back, baby.