NYFW Is in T-Minus 9 Days—9 Beauty Trends Editors Predict Will Dominate the Runways

We beauty editors pride ourselves on being trend savants (forecasters, if we’re feeling fancy). New York Fashion Week is one of our favorite places to track existing trends and spot emerging ones, and it happens to kick off in just nine days on September 11. By the power vested in us by our backstage passes, we’re often the first to see what’s going down the runway—hair, makeup, collections, and all—giving us an early look at the finished ensembles before even the star-studded crowds can catch a glimpse.

Though the mazes of runway shows and traffic-stopping street style fashion are undoubtedly the main event, the backstage flurry of powder, hair spray, and glitter eye shadow is an opulent feast for the eyes that we can’t digest fast enough. But before we enter a week of show-hopping, we peered into our collective crystal ball (ahem, the beauty Slack channel) to guesstimate which makeup, hair, and nail trends we predict will take over the fashion scene this September—and consequently influence how beauty will evolve for S/S 26.

Below, nine beauty trends we’ll be pleased, but not surprised, to see sweeping the fashionable faces of NYFW in a little over a week.

Grown-Up Grunge

“Autumn is synonymous with darker, more matte-ified makeup looks in the same way it's synonymous with falling leaves and pumpkin spice lattes. It's the natural way. After a summer spent focusing on sheer, bright, and glowing looks, the pendulum is sure to swing the opposite way—espresso-brown eye shadow, burgundy nails, crimson lips… You name it. However, unlike the 'quiet luxury' looks that have ruled the runways in recent years (and focused on a polished and perfected aesthetic), I think we'll see a return to grunge makeup at NYFW.

“I'm not talking about the bold grunge makeup of the '90s, though. I'm talking about a softer, smokier, and more modern take on it. Think a color palette that emphasizes soft gray, cool plum, and neutral brown shades rather than straight-up obsidian and onyx. This 'grown-up grunge' aesthetic, as I'm calling it, is no doubt right in line with Jenna Ortega's incredible Wednesday press tour looks.” — Kaitlyn McLintock, beauty editor

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My Hair's the Outfit

"There's no debate that hair jewelry has been around for quite some time, but I'm expecting a creative reinvention of runway hairstyles involving fashion elements. With the rise of maximalist, hyperpersonal RTW style, we've seen more fashionable liberties taken with hair in general—like cuffs decorating ponytails and gold-buttoned bubble braids à la Blazé Milano's F/W 25 show. Take the comb-necklace trend popularized by The Row, for example: Hair is taking center stage, and I'm not mad about it. I hope to see embroidery thread woven into braids, belted ponytails, and so many more 'clothing' details that truly do make the hair the outfit." — Alyssa Brascia, associate beauty editor

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The Return to "Real" Lipstick

“So far, 2025 has been all about sheer, glossy, and glow-boosting lip colors. I've been thinking a lot about where we go from here. What's next? No lip color at all? I'm betting my bottom dollar that we'll see a return to ‘real’ lipstick. In other words, we'll see more full-coverage formulas in either matte or satin finishes (aka, the formulas many of us left behind pre-2020). Perhaps it will encourage the fashion crowd to dust off their old, tried-and-true bullets of MAC, Revlon, and Charlotte Tilbury. I can't help but think this is the way forward, especially after Louis Vuitton just launched luxe, pigmented lipsticks, and Kylie Jenner recently resurrected her iconic Lip Kits. I'm not mad about it. I have a whole bag of full-coverage formulas on standby.” — McLintock

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Spider Lashes

“I think the pendulum is going to swing from barely there 'ghost' lashes' to spiky, sky-high, intentionally clumpy mascara. I can’t stop thinking about the clustered lash looks from Cucculelli Shaheen and Thom Browne last season, and I expect to see some fun iterations for S/S 26. Bring on the doe-eyed drama.” — Jamie Schneider, senior beauty editor

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Anti-Neutral Nails

“With the choke hold that butter yellow and then limoncello had on the internet this year, I'm guessing designers will continue to embrace and experiment with monochromatic color themes in their NYFW collections. I think those colors will trickle down to the beauty accompaniments—specifically the manicures. I expect to see non-neutral colors like mustard yellow, blood orange, and deep aubergine come down the runway. Maybe even overtly '90s and Y2K references, like 'deep '90s' French tips or snakeskin print. As a nail maximalist, I certainly hope my prediction is correct; I'm dying to embrace these trends myself.” — McLintock

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Subversive Blush

"Blush has continued to be a buzzy category this year, but a few reimagined approaches have my trend radar. Seemingly every brand has launched new iterations of blushes this year, from liquids to creams and (gasp!) powders, so I think makeup artists will put these formulas to good use backstage. Inspired by 'exhaustion blush' at last season's Meruert Tolegen show, the pigment is strategically (and very nontraditionally) placed, making it look very tired-girl cool while still keeping one foot in the future. For the more mainstream, I expect ultra-shimmery 'disco blush' to be the talk of the town." — Brascia

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Woven Details

“All the woven details at Copenhagen Fashion Week are also currently living rent-free in my brain, and I hope we see some similar beauty takes here in NYC—whether it’s intricate braids, textured appliqués, or even a basket weave–inspired nail look.” — Schneider

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Playing Favorites

“I’m not saying ‘pretty’ makeup is out; I’m just saying that designers (and their beauty partners) have no interest in it. Lip overlining tutorials and liner-gloss lip combos still snake onto my TikTok FYP, but I predict the fashion scene will dial up one of the face’s most prominent features and wash away the rest when creating looks that sate their latest collections. With the extremes of eye and lip trends taking off this year—ghost lashes and subversive grunge, concealer lips and peptide treatments—there seems to be a civil unrest within beauty. To glam or not glam is the question.

“I believe that many key makeup artists will play favorites, accentuating the eyes with bold pigment, distinctive eyeliner, and absolutely no lip products at all (perhaps even a quick powder to give them a skin-like effect), or go the no-mascara route before painting the pout in an ultra-pigmented lacquer or an intrepid lipstick—extra points for bleached brows.” — Brascia

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Wild Card

“This might be a cop out, but there's always at least one unexpected beauty trend at NYFW that truly demands attention. Last season, it was Thom Browne's delightfully extra ‘feather lashes’ and Collina Strada's ‘cheetah makeup’. I can't wait to see what conversation-starting looks this season brings.” — Emma Hughes, beauty social editor

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