Embracing the Avant-Garde: NYFW's Captivating Beauty Trends for 2025
As the fashion world eagerly awaits the arrival of each New York Fashion Week, beauty editors and enthusiasts alike silently pray for a season that will push the boundaries of creativity. While a simple, elegant look can beautifully complement a striking garment or silhouette, it's the boundary-pushing hair, makeup, and nail artistry that truly captivates the senses and transports us into the artist's imaginative realm.Unlock the Whimsical, Wabi-Sabi, Retro Wonderland of S/S 25
In the Garden
The runways this season have embraced a fresh and playful take on floral-inspired beauty, moving beyond the expected and into a realm of enchantment. At Alice + Olivia, lead hairstylist Matthew Curtis crafted voluminous buns adorned with delicate blooms, evoking the romantic ambiance of a stroll through the Gardens of Versailles. Complementing the lush hairstyles, models sported floral-adorned nails, courtesy of Salon Perfect's intricate nail art stickers. Collina Strada's stylists took the garden theme a step further, creating floor-length extensions in a custom "touch grass" green hue.Ulla Johnson's show offered a softer, more subtle interpretation of the floral trend, with celebrity makeup artist Romy Soleimani creating a "blooming lips" look. By dabbing a vibrant fuchsia lipstick in the center of the lips and diffusing it with her fingertips, Soleimani captured the essence of a flower in full bloom. The result is a captivating, natural-looking pout that effortlessly channels the season's botanical inspiration.
Fairy-Dusted Glam
Transitioning from the lush greenery of the garden, we enter the enchanting realm of fairy-inspired glamour. At Christian Siriano, lead hairstylist Lacy Redway and lead artist Vincent Oquendo collaborated to bring the "dark fairytale" vision to life. Redway's "1920s meets enchanted forest" hairstyle, featuring shimmering finger waves, was complemented by Oquendo's captivating eye makeup. Blending depth and danger with a touch of ethereal flair, the eyes were adorned with shimmery copper liner and a hint of silver at the inner corners, creating a jewelry-like effect.The fairy-dusted theme continued at LaQuan Smith, where inner-corner glitter made a striking appearance, and at Diotima, where stark white lashes and finger-painted daisies on the lids were inspired by the Jamaican Pocomania folklore, meaning "a little madness."
Y3K Accents
As the fashion world looks towards the future, futuristic and out-of-this-world beauty trends are on the rise. This season's artists embraced the celestial and sci-fi elements, particularly in the details.At Nanushka, models sported clean, glowing skin with pared-back makeup, allowing delicate silver accents on the lips, across the nose, and on the eyes to take center stage. Kim Shui and Christian Cowan explored the nail art realm, featuring silver charms, cutouts, and sleek chrome designs adorned with yellow half-moons. Lead nail artist Julie Kandalec of the Christian Cowan show explains the team's approach, "We thought, 'Okay, let's do some cutouts. Let's make it really 3D,'" resulting in intricate, star-shaped details that elevate the traditional chrome manicure.
Minimal Blush
Blush has undoubtedly been the star of the makeup world this year, with a variety of trends emerging, from "boyfriend blush" to "sunset blush." However, the fashion set predicts a more minimal approach to blush application for the year ahead.At Monse, Patrick Ta opted for a "tomboy flush," creating a luminous, fresh complexion with just a hint of color on the cheeks. Similarly, at Jason Wu, lead makeup artist Diane Kendal foresees a shift from bold blush to a more subtle, transformative touch of color. "If you just have that hint of color on the cheeks, it's amazing how it transforms the whole face," she shares.The trend towards minimal blush was also evident at Rachel Comey and Ulla Johnson, where the focus shifted to berry and fuchsia lips, respectively. "It's not about a cheek," lead makeup artist Romy Soleimani explains backstage at Ulla Johnson.
Bobs, Baby
The bob haircut is undoubtedly here to stay, and this season's runways showcased a variety of modern interpretations. At L'Agence, lead hairstylist Liz Rim opted for a "modern Parisian look with fringe," featuring wavy, eyebrow-skimming brunette wigs. Christian Cowan's models sported 1920s-inspired sleek, banged bobs, which Redway describes as a "le contoured bob" that sits at the cheekbone for a chic, contemporary feel.Sandy Liang also featured bouncy, slightly inverted, chin-length bobs, adding a fresh, youthful touch to the classic style.
Tickled Pink
Pinks of all shades made a strong statement on the NYFW runways, from the soft, rosy lids at Tibi to the shimmering, bubblegum pouts at Sandy Liang (also courtesy of Soleimani) to the lilac under-eye halo at Phillip Lim to the "smoky quartz" nails at Prabal Gurung. Soleimani, the lead makeup artist at Ulla Johnson, notes, "I'm feeling a lot of pinks for spring," reflecting the season's embrace of this vibrant and versatile hue.
Naked Pedis
The "naked nails" trend has been a staple, but this season, the fashion set is taking it a step further with "naked pedis." Barely-there, sheer glosses and simple buffed finishes were spotted on the runways of Brandon Maxwell, Monse, and Jason Wu, creating a chic, demure look. Jin Soon Choi, the nail artist behind the looks at Monse and Jason Wu, describes the trend as "very demure," with a polish named Demure in her own collection.
Beguiling Buns
The classic ballerina bun has long been a model favorite, but this season, we've seen a variety of intriguing interpretations. Diotima's whimsical chignons featured "spidery bits" at the hairline, while Tibi's stylists played with texture, crafting curly buns. Phillip Lim and PatBo also showcased piecey, abstract twists.At Rachel Comey and Ulla Johnson, buns took on even more avant-garde forms. Stylists at Rachel Comey used elastic cords to section low chignons into knots, tying into the raw materials of Comey's collection. Ulla Johnson's bun was inspired by the swirls and eyelets of a Lee Krasner painting, with lead stylist Joey George creating a mesmerizing, "acid-trippy" effect.
Retro Grunge
Grungy glam makeup, including dark lips, smoky liner, and matte complexions, is making a strong comeback, particularly at shows like Kim Shui. Lead makeup artist Romero Jennings describes the "wabi-sabi '90s nudes" look, featuring sheer brown and butterscotch hues, as "lived-in" and "imperfect, but at the same time, that in itself is perfection."Palomo Spain and Area also embraced the dark lip trend, with lead artist Marcelo Gutierrez dressing models' lips in an intense burgundy shade and an inky black pigment, respectively.
Mirror Shine
While glass-like skin may not be the most groundbreaking trend, the fashion set has taken it to new heights. At Prabal Gurung and Simkhai, lead makeup artists Sil Bruinsma and Romero Jennings opted to forgo concealer and foundation altogether, instead focusing on layering skin-drenching moisture to create a naturally luminous, mirror-like complexion.The shine didn't stop at the skin, as seen in Luar's sculptural hairstyles. Lead stylist Evanie Frausto describes the overall look as "glass," with everything polished to a high-gloss finish. He recommends using ample heat protection to achieve the desired glassy effect.
