The Biggest Beauty Trends From Fashion Month Fall 2025

Last month, New York Fashion Week kicked off fashion month, and its emerging beauty trends set the tone for the season ahead. And let’s just say the leopard print faces at Collina Strada and lush feathered lashes at Thom Browne were just the beginning of experimentation. If it wasn’t the next-level ‘90s makeup at Luar and Kim Shui, it was the high-to-the-heavens hair statements at Marc Jacobs and Meruert Tolegen.

In London, blush got reimagined with a look toward the past at Bora Aksu, while Simone Rocha put her unmistakable stamp on the barely-there brow trend, serving up pin-thin beaded arches. Then in Milan, moody lips in venomous shades at Versace served up gothic glamour, while Antonio Marras went full fantasy with deconstructed foil lips and fairy-tale worthy looped braids. Finally, in Paris, the grand finale, the eyes had it: From Dior and Miu Miu’s abstract accents to Chanel’s continuation of the season’s feather fixation with a plume-stamped smoky eye.

Below, dive into all the can’t-miss moments and trends of the fall 2025 season.

Into the Wild

From spotted to feathery, many unforgettable moments were wild at heart. It all started at Collina Strada, where makeup artist Dick Page drew inspiration from the collection’s bold prints. Using Ilia’s Clean Line Gel Liner in jet-black Twilight, he freehanded leopard spots along the forehead and jawline. “It’s just playing around with the idea of decoration,” he said backstage. Also not to be missed: The crimped hair horns that came down the runway.

Animal-inspired adornment also appeared at nail level on the Luar runway, where nail artist Naomi Yasuda riffed on the show’s duck theme with fluffy faux feather press-ons painted in OPI’s Black Onyx, Alpine Snow, and Livin’ la Vida Mocha. Plumes also got play at Thom Browne, where Isamaya Ffrench fastened emerald green feathers onto lashes for a high-drama fringed look and at Chanel, where inky black feathers were traced onto model gazes like fanned-out lashes using the Signature De Chanel eyeliner pen.

Unexpected Shimmer

Shimmer came in many unexpected forms, ranging from pop art to just a hint of gleam. In a “deconstruction of classic beauty” for Marc Jacobs, Pat McGrath created precision beauty spots using a mixture of velvet and glittering materials to stamp paper doll-like red lips and cheeks. Back to reality, at Eckhaus Latta, Fara Homidi paired “après ski goggled-sunkiss” skin with ever-so-slightly iridescent “eye glint” on the inner corners. And then were Christopher John Rogers’ “galactic lips,” which saw makeup artist Alex Levy layering MAC’s Dazzleshadow Extreme and Clear Lipglass for foil-like shimmer with a glass finish. In Milan, Antonio Marras brought shine by pressing lips with shards of red foil, while in Paris, Cecilie Bahnsen silver glitter was brushed under the eyes to ethereal effect.

Swoop Appeal

Many of this season’s standout hair looks were dramatically swooped into shape. Inspired by Christian Siriano’s race-car-themed show, hairstylist Lacy Redway sculpted “trackside twists”—slicked-back knots with 3D, ribbon-like details. At Collina Strada, Mustafa Yanaz crafted braided styles with artfully looped shapes around the face. At the same time, at Christopher John Rogers, Sonny Mollina created heavy side-swept bangs and deep parts for a Veronica Lake-inspired peek-a-boo effect. And, of course, you couldn’t miss the Bettie Page and Dita Von Teese-inspired bumper bangs at Anna Sui, which Garren set in place using R+Co BLEU Cult Classic Flexible Hairspray.

‘90s Matte-itude 

The hazy, soft-focus finish that the ‘90s gave rise to was everywhere. Sometimes, it was just the skin, as seen at Ulla Johnson, where a velvety finish took center stage with Sisley’s new Blur Expert 1 Beige powder. At Khaite, complexions were supercharged with Monastery’s Aloe gel serum before makeup artist Diane Kendal used NARS Light Reflecting powders to create a smooth, soft finish. Backstage at Kim Shui, MAC makeup artist Romero Jennings took inspiration from Gabbriette to craft a “cool-toned sculpted face” with frosty matte eyes (using MAC eyeshadow in White Frost and Cozy Grey). Meanwhile, at Luar, Terry Barber’s “late-‘80s-supermodel-glam-meets-DIY-club-drag” look brought chalky cut-crease smoky eyes and nude lips, courtesy of MACximal Silky Matte Lipstick in nude beige Act Natural.

Soaring Styles

Leave it to Marc Jacobs to take hair to extravagant new heights–and set the stage for what’s to come. The paper doll-inspired beauty for his show saw hairstylist Guido Palau brushing curls into tall, undulating shapes that evoked old-world romance. Meanwhile, at Meruert Tolegen, Laurent Philippon opted for more structured, intricate styles, piling winding twists and braids into gravity-defying hair sculptures. Finally, Thom Browne’s show saw hair molded into elaborate, fascinator-like bow-tied shapes, creating truly otherworldly designs.

Fantastical Braids

Backstage at Collina Strada in New York, hairstylist Mustafa Yanaz molded braids into bangs around the face. “I wanted to create styles that feel organic to the world the clothes live in, balancing structure with spontaneity,” says the pro. Then in London at Dilara Findikoglu, hairstyles inspired by the Roman goddess Venus–think: Botticelli-esque brushed-out waves and intricate, lived-in braided styles–delivered dark romance, while at Annie’s Ibiza, hairstylist Sam McKnight served up “a nod to Renaissance beauty with long lengths, as if they have been braided and let loose and adorned with more braids.” In Milan at Antonio Marras, which drew inspiration from 1892 opera La Bella d’Alghero, sleek updos with an array of braided loops were nothing short of stunning.

Vampy Lips

Call it the Nosferatu effect—Gothic-inspired lips in bold, dramatic shades of crimson and purple dominated the runways this season. At Versace, legendary makeup artist Pat McGrath painted lips in “deep, venomous shades” using her Pat McGrath Labs MatteTrance Lipstick in a rich, dark burgundy McMenamy, topped with a slick of clear gloss for a vinyl finish. Then, in Paris, Haider Ackermann’s debut collection for Tom Ford introduced a bold twist on the classic red lip, with Tom Ford Beauty Lip Color in the dark crimson hue of Scarlet Rouge taking center stage.

Abstract Eyes

There was an abundance of beauty in the playful abstraction at eye level. “I styled a simple, subtle look with a touch of black on the eyes,” said Peter Philips, Dior’s creative and image director, backstage at the French house’s show. He blended Diorshow On Stage Crayon in 099 Black on the inner corners, adding, “This single, strong but discreet accent completes a pure, luminous complexion.” At Miu Miu, false lashes took on a more conceptual, almost cartoonish style, with short, spiky lashes placed at the outer corners to create a playful, kittenish effect.

Blush Reimagined

While blush fabric appliques adorned the models’ cheeks at Marc Jacobs, traditional blush was reimagined using lipstick, with striking and high-impact results. In London at Bora Aksu, the cherry on top of the old-world makeup was the “pink dappled cheeks” crafted by makeup artist Janeen Witherspoon Cove, who used Lisa Eldridge True Velvet Lip Colour lipstick in Velvet Pompadour, Velvet Jazz, and Velvet Ribbon. At Valentino, makeup artist Yadim brought the drama with soft-focus fuchsia -raped cheeks, repurposing Valentino Beauty’s Spike Valentino Buttery Matte Lipstick in shade 302R Pink is Punk. “The interplay of bold pigment and delicate glow was designed to mirror the Maison’s exploration of light and shadow,” explains Yadim. “It’s about beauty as emotion, as theater.”

Laissez-Fair Hair

Undone texture was more free-spirited than ever. Backstage at Prada, hair was artfully mussed and fuzzy, creating a real-life, lived-in feel. Meanwhile, traditional boho waves made an appearance everywhere—from Max Mara’s lush, romantic styles to Paco Rabanne’s relaxed bends, and of course, Chloe, where hair was worn loose or tucked into the collar of a shaggy jacket, à la The Olsens.