If I See You Wearing Any of These Early-Trend Beauty Looks, I'll Think You Frequent NYFW

This New York Fashion Week was a fashion feast of earthy elegance, coastal glamour, sensual minimalism, and cool-girl sophistication, but the buffet of beauty looks is not to be overlooked. Similarly, we were absolutely fed. As I sit here scrolling through my notes and the many (oh so many) backstage clips in my camera roll, I'm still reeling from the avant-garde glam moments that literally took my breath away, including the gilded lashes at Ulla Johnson, the pierced nails at Kim Shui, and the literal takes on hat hair at Collina Strada. (Suddenly, I need a Mustafa Yanazified baseball cap wig in my closet.)

The inspiration will linger long after the runway shows come to an end, so take a gander through my NYFW trend report and familiarize yourself with these looks sooner rather than later. The collections themselves may be geared toward spring/summer 2026, but beauty trends cycle in and out of the spotlight at breakneck speed. I'd wager these 10 will be on your feeds in a blink. Adopt them early on, and I'll know you have impeccable, influential taste.

Colorful Lashes

Put down the black mascara! According to the spring/summer 2026 runways, lashes won't look inky. They'll be neon pink, translucent white, and aquamarine. Consider Collina Strada, where lead artist Isamaya Ffrench used colorful lash clusters to create an extra-fluttery effect. "Everybody has a beautiful little piece of colored wing at the end of their lash that looks great with the [eye shadow] combination or is a bit of a contrast," she says backstage. At Eckhaus Latta, however, the iconic MUA opted for white, semitransparent lashes for a more ethereal aesthetic. "They catch the light in a way that feels delicate and dreamlike," Ffrench says.

Anna Sui also featured some otherworldly lashes (and swirls of eye shadow that looked straight out of a watercolor painting—more on that later), and models' wisps at Ulla Johnson appeared coated in liquid gold. No gold mascara? No problem. "I'm crushing gold [eye shadow] with mixing medium, and we're painting the lashes—top and bottom—and leaving whatever haphazard little mistakes that come on the lash line," lead makeup artist Romy Soleimani tells me backstage.

Seen Backstage

Boho Waves

The term "undone waves" is somewhat of an oxymoron (it often takes just as much, if not more, effort to make them appear effortless), but leave it to Cynthia Rowley, Simkhai, and Anna Sui to host a master class on lived-in bends. At the latter, Garren, celebrity hairstylist and cofounder of R+Co, styled those loose boho waves with '20s-inspired victory rolls at the crown—think haphazard texture combined with a bit of structure. Whimsical waves were the main event at Cynthia Rowley, where models' strands twirled in the breeze at the outdoor show in Wagner Park. "We're not using any curling irons," lead stylist Justine Marjan tells me about how the stylists kept the bends from looking too uniform. "We're either using a diffuser or a flat iron to enhance the wave pattern."

"You just want to mess it up a little bit but not in a grungy way or the surfer, ocean-y wave that we've seen," Simkhai lead Holli Smith says regarding the show's "pool hair" inspiration. Mousse and texturizing spray will be your hero products here. Just make sure to break up any lingering cast to keep the style from looking too done.

Seen Backstage

Nail Jewelry

Three-dimensional nail art isn't going anywhere, but rather than sticking gemstones on top of your nail plate, level up the trend and have them dangling off the tips—you know, like teeny piercings. These elements can't help but be a statement, whether you opt for edgy chain details like Coca Michelle at Grace Ling or dainty initial charms like Sojin Oh at Kim Shui. (No, it doesn't hurt, assuming your nails extend far enough from the base of your fingertips.) Feel free to pierce every nail for a bold teardrop effect, or stick to one or two tips to keep it minimalist chic.

Seen Backstage

Watercolor Finishes

Watercolor blush took center stage this past spring and summer, but looking ahead, we can expect painterly applications all over the eyes. Take it from Anna Sui's show, dubbed Desert Blooms, where models donned layers of creamy blue-purple eye shadow (plus sky-blue mascara!) courtesy of Dame Pat McGrath. At Collina Strada, Ffrench also chose "lovely, sort of soft" shades in varying watercolor hues, adding a wash of shimmer to further desaturate the tones before models walked the runways.

Cloudy eyes and lips were the theme at Ulla Johnson and Sandy Liang, which were meant to look lucid, blurred, and transparent—as if models had just woken up from a dream. Charlie Riddle, lead artist at Sandy Liang, specifically committed to the "sleepy girl" look, using a wash of mauve liquid eye shadow to "give it this very hazy, diffused [effect]."

Seen Backstage

Luxe Brown

Chocolate brown is one of the top color trends of the entire year, and lo and behold, it's showing no signs of slowing down once we hit 2026. Even the grungy eyes at Kim Shui, Grace Ling, and Cucculelli Shaheen were awash with cool brown tones over traditional gray and black—a departure that adds "depth without harsh lines," according to Diane Kendal, lead artist at Grace Ling. At Cucculelli Shaheen, makeup artist Baltasar González even smudged a bit of ash brown on models' cheekbones to create subtle shadow. "No blush—just sculpture," he says backstage.

"It's all about the baby brown wing," Riddle tells me at Sandy Liang. Rather than drawing a dramatic stroke of liner, he opted for a blurred, soft-focus flick that "gives an aura on the runway but still feels natural and fresh." Even lips will be dressed in brownie tones, according to Ffrench, who created strong, statement-making pouts at the Off-White show. "Those richer shades just feel right," she says.

Seen Backstage

Princess Buns

From sleek chignons at Wiederhoeft to heavenly bows at Prabal Gurung to jewel-encrusted updos at Alice + Olivia, intriguing and elegant buns seemed to be everywhere this season. Said buns are certainly slicked back into place, but the effect is somehow less edgy, more angelic. "It's a more modern snatch—playful and youthful," Glen "Coco" Oropeza, lead stylist at Alice + Olivia, says about the style. "We wanted to create something that felt soft and romantic," iconic hairstylist Lady Redway says of the structural updos at Prabal Gurung. If you really want to lean into the fairytale, opt for decorative feathers and beads, like Sonny Molina at Luar. Be warned: Your bun will immediately appear in bloom.

Seen Backstage

Solo Tendrils

Make no mistake. A single tendril can dramatically impact your 'do. Take it from Redway, who added liquid waves around models' hairlines at Christian Siriano. "There's this piece at the end that flips backward and lifts away from the face," she describes backstage. At Sandy Liang, lead stylist Evanie Frausto opted for big, bouncy blowouts with a single polished curl dangling in the front of models' faces. Two tendrils might lean Y2K, but one perfect curl feels at once soft and refined. "I see it as a '90s supermodel meets clean girl," he tells me.

Seen Backstage

Fine Lines

Also on the docket for nail looks? Lots and lots of fine-line details. Micro-French manis reigned supreme at Sandy Liang—led by celebrity manicurist Holly Falcone using her soon-to-be-launched polish brand, Celisse. Off-White and Alice + Olivia opted for double-lined stripes for more of a modern edge. "I think this nail trend will carry on through the next year," declares Michelle, as it provides a playful twist to French tips while still looking chic and classic. Oh went a little more intricate at Kim Shui, where the nail artist created sleek-white fishnet patterns on square tips that were clean, delicate, and undeniably eye-catching.

Fine-line details made an appearance on makeup mood boards too—namely at Christian Siriano, where lead artist Gilbert Soliz opted for razor-thin floating eyeliner. "With Christian, it's always the perfect balance of drama with a little bit of freshness," Soliz says of the Old Hollywood glam inspiration. "That floating eyeliner makes it a bit current."

Seen Backstage

Hat Hair

As I alluded to up top, I can't get Yanaz's hat wigs from Collina Strada out of my brain. The beanies and baseball caps themselves were the main event (it could take a full day to create just one beanie, Yanaz tells me), but he added intentional static energy and grungy grit to the hair underneath the hats—as if models had been living in them all day long. The intention is clear: Lean into hat hair. With a little styling oil and texture spray, even flat, slightly oily roots and flyaways can look intentionally chic. If you have a shorter cut, flip the ends of your strands to match the brim of your hat, like models at Aknvas. Essentially, the goal here is to make the hat an extension of your hairstyle, even if you (sadly) don't have one of those coveted Collina Strada hat wigs.

Seen Backstage

Side Parts

I honestly forget where we've officially landed on the Gen Z versus millennial hair-part debate, but according to this season's runways, side parts are definitely in. The deeper and more windswept, the better. Tory Burch certainly understood the assignment, as models (including Emily Ratajkowski) sported piecey, blown-out side bangs. Curly side parts were a mood-board highlight at Jason Wu, and at Cucculelli Shaheen, cool concert hair was the goal. "It's a little sweaty in the front. We just swept everything to the [side] of their faces," lead stylist Mandee Tauber tells me backstage. With elegant gold embellishments scattered across the strands, the overall look presents a stunning juxtaposition between romance and rock and roll.

Seen Backstage