Spring’s Hottest Makeup Trends Evoke Fresh Air, Sun, and a Bit of Sweat—7 Looks to Have on Your Radar
Predicted to sweep within weeks.
As the grass turns green and the sky trades its dreary winter gray for cornflower blue, the fashion set also sheds its skin—opting for fresh spring wardrobes and lighter, softer makeup looks. Though there are some spring beauty trends that never change (pastels for spring, groundbreaking), celebrity makeup artists told Who What Wear that there are a few standout movements worth noting in our seasonal State of the Union.
“The biggest influence on beauty right now is individuality,” says Chantel Miller, Global Director of Makeup Artistry at MAC Cosmetics. Between ever-changing complexion trends (hi, dewy skin and natural matte), the resurgence of aughts glam, and the race to coin the next viral makeup trend, it seems that beauty has reached a sort of burnout after a year of high-intensity trends. Celebrity makeup artist Kelli Anne Sewell describes yesteryear’s makeup as very It girl-coded and designed to look “hot or sexy.” This spring, MUAs everywhere are stripping things back. “It feels softer, more adventurous, and an expression of true creativity,” she elaborates.
While all makeup boils down to personal preference, the pros have a few callouts for those who want to stay ahead of the curve. Below, the seven makeup trends inspiring us to inject cool-girl pastel pigments into our everyday routines this season.
7 Spring Makeup Trends to Try in 2026
Ingénue Blush
Per every makeup artist we’ve spoken to recently, blush is the main event this spring. However, they’re not referencing blush blindness or the “cold girl” flush that consumed the trend cycle in yesteryear—but a minimalistic, historically inspired look that’s been reinterpreted through a modern lens. Sewell credits Margot Robbie’s themed glam for the Wuthering Heights press tour as a direct influence (crafted by celebrity makeup artist Pati Dubroff), though Miller and celebrity makeup artist Loftjet sense its a response to past color overload.
“It’s as if you’ve stepped out of a page of a romance novel as the ingénue,” muses Loftjet. He describes this romantically flushed look as “very painterly, almost like the perfect sunburn.” The celebrity MUA attributes this shift from bright blush to “emotional and dreamy” whispers of color as a widespread trend across the board. “It’s less about high-voltage pigment and more about structuring the face in a way that feels undetectable,” he elaborates.
We call this structural approach to blush as “blush blocking,” which is poised to be an overarching theme of 2026. “We’re seeing [that] placement shapes tell the story,” says Miller. From C-shape blush, which channels ‘80s intensity and acts as a chiseling contour, to “doll-like” blush in saccharine pinks (Miller says this tight, apple-centered pop of color is “new for spring and beyond”), placement plays just as much of a role as the product itself this season. “[It] emphasizes youthfulness and innocence, and pairs perfectly with juicy glossed lips and cloud-like skin,” she adds.
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Party Girl Eyes
One of the earliest indicators of spring beauty trends typically occurs in the fall during September fashion week. We clocked the tousled, windswept hair and statement lipstick trend immediately last season, but one of the most influential drivers of spring makeup ended up being the messy, “party girl” eyes from 7 For All Mankind’s F/W 26 show. Loftjet singles out this trend as the one that will make (albeit, divisive) waves this year, departing from the classic “clean girl” aesthetic of most spring looks for an intentionally grungier one.
“She’s not afraid of eyeliner, she’s not afraid of it creasing, and she’s definitely not afraid of a little sweat from dancing until sunrise,” he elaborates. Sewell agrees that “undone” eyeliner (and “fun makeup,” in general) is on its way back after a wave of watercolor eyes and bare lids in 2025. “It almost sits in contrast to the romantic softness we’re also seeing emerge,” Loftjet adds.
To achieve this look, Sewell recommends pairing fresh, velvet skin with foiled eye shadow (celebrity makeup artist Ash K. Holm suggests Hung Vanngo’s pigmented options), and Miller is sensing a trend of “galactic metallics” in unexpected places. Think: a touch on the brow bones, scattered over the cheekbones, or dabbed onto the lip. “I have a strong feeling we’re about to witness a return of that early-internet It-girl energy which, personally, makes me so giddy,” Loftjet closes.
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Lived-In Lips
Emphasized lips have been the makeup through line that we’ve observed from 2025 to present day. During the fall and winter, we saw celebrities and models on the runway forego eye makeup entirely when a statement lip was involved—drawing all eyes to the pout. Though the idea of a bold lip stays in 2026, Holm sees the style set taking a different approach in spring.
“I’m really into a softer, blurred lip look for the spring,” she muses. Though the artist does feel that color will be a sweet spot for experimentation this season, she sees application being a buzzier topic. (We’ve already seen this trend alive and well in the case of Nina Park lips—ahem, the blurred, subtly contoured lip method that just went viral on TikTok.) “It gives you this lived-in, effortless look, which I think we’ll be seeing a lot more of for spring,” Holm adds.
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Y2K Pastel
We simply can’t discuss spring makeup trends without mentioning pastels. Though more commonly spotted in our fair-weather wardrobes, Loftjet sees pastels making an aughts-inspired return in the coming weeks. However, this isn’t your typical preppy pop of color—the makeup artist notes that in order to nail this look, there has to be a slight edge. Think: diffused, hazy washes of color “contrasted with intentional liner moments,” he explains.
Take Toler Coker’s most recent runway, where models sauntered down the catwalk in busy plaids, vintage kiss curls, and baby blue smoky eyes with cool-toned pouts. “It gives that early-2000s internet It-girl energy, but polished through a more sophisticated, contemporary lens,” he adds. If you’d rather incorporate this Y2K trend another way, try a frosted pastel lipstick instead.
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Sunburnt Skin
Dare we say that (gasp!) we’re already moving away from cool tones? One of the overarching themes of 2026 beauty that Loftjet predicts is the return of “emotional, believable beauty.” Think: realistically flushed color, sun-kissed skin, and redness likened to a delicate sunburn after a day spent lounging on the beach, not the viral, punchy pink blush you purchase from TikTok Shop after hours of doomscrolling. (There’s a reason we’re all fawning over Sarah Pidgeon’s—aka Carolyn Bessette Kennedy from FX’s Love Story—recent campaign for Rhode’s cherry red blush.) “There’s an honesty to it,” he explains. “It feels more human, more lived-in, and less performatively perfected than the cool-pink blush moment we saw dominate last year.” Just don’t take this as a free pass to skip sunscreen—daily SPF is non-negotiable.
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Multi-Purpose Monochrome
The thing about spring is that no one wants to be cooped up indoors for a minute longer. Once the first trails of fair-weather air crack through winter’s icy exterior, people everywhere spare no time before hitting the streets—which requires makeup that multitasks. “Use your lip liner on the eyes, use your blush as lipstick,” Sewell suggests. Not only because this will get you out of the door faster, but because this instantly creates facial harmony.
Holm agrees that multi-tasking with products is a sure way to make your makeup feel fresh. “I love an all-over bronzed look for the spring—think golden and brown tones on eyes, lips, and cheeks,” she illustrates. To achieve this look, make sure you stock up on eye-safe products and formulas made for cross-functionality, like our picks below.
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Pilates Glow
Call us gross if you want, but all signs point to dewy—yes, even slightly sweaty—skin being the style du jour this season. Loftjet and Holm predict the return of luminous skin, whether the byproduct of a great moisturizer or a finely milled highlighter, because of how alive it makes the skin look in an AI-smoothed world. “The pendulum keeps swinging back and forth between matte and dewy, glazed skin,” Holm observes, spotlighting the dewy, post-Pilates look as the one worth trying this season.
“Think softer, more ethereal finishes with less obvious shine and more of a diffused glow,” adds Loftjet. The secret to keeping things glowy over greasy? Proper hydration. Shop our experts’ personal picks below.
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