The Most Exciting Beauty Looks To Come Out Of NYFW

New York Fashion Week is six days of time-traveling. Each season, both top and emerging designers offer a glimpse into the future with their latest collections, sending looks down the runway that will inevitably become It-pieces in the next few months. So yes, the focus is mainly on the clothes, but it’s worth noting the makeup and hairstyles that are created to really bring the brands’ visions to life. Not only are you treating your eyes to a visual feast, you’re also getting inspiration on how to refresh your own looks. And better yet, you don’t have to wait until next season to try whatever stands out to you. New York Fashion Week’s Spring/Summer 2025 beauty looks are all about incorporating unexpected details to tried-and-true techniques.

Just what does this entail? Take the touch of metallic liner added to smoky eyes at Christian Siriano or the iridescent lavender under-eye shadow at 3.1 Phillip Lim as two examples on the makeup front. For hair, elevate a bun with floral or lace accents as seen at Alice + Olivia or give your low ponytail the NYC cool-girl finish a la Lim’s undone updos. And those are just a few highlights from an exciting season of beauty looks.

Ahead, all of the hair and makeup looks from the NYFW S/S ‘25 runways. Odds are a handful of them will make it on your Pinterest boards.

Monse’s Tom Boy Blush

Monse’s lead makeup artist Patrick Ta sees your boyfriend blush on TikTok and raises you tom boy blush. For the American brand’s latest collection, Ta used his luminous Major Skin Foundation to enhance the models’ complexions then accented their cheeks with a healthy glow care of various shades of the Major Headlines Double-Take Crème & Powder Blush Duo. “It’s all about capturing that healthy, lit-from-within glow that looks as stunning on the runway as it does in real life,” Ta said in an email statement of the look.

Ulla Johnson’s Artistic Touches

An ode to blossoming flowers and the nature-inspired Comet painting by Lee Krasner, lead makeup artist Romy Soleimani created two colorful looks at Ulla Johnson. Using Sisley Paris’ Lip Twist Matte in Kiss, she applied the fuchsia hue on the center of the lips and feathered it out, layering the Phyto-Lèvres Perfect lip liner in Fuchsia on top at the center. On some models, a combination of Phyto-Khol Star Waterproof Eyeliner in Matte Jungle and Eye Twist in Emerald lined the lower waterline as a nod to flower stems.

The intricate updos Joey George crafted with Oribe products referenced Krasner’s work, too. After prepping hair, he created two fishtail plaits and twisted them into an S shape. On models with natural textures, cornrows were done in similar geometric patterns.

Christian Siriano’s Mystical Fairies

The combination of 1920s flapper and fairy references resulted in the etherial yet edgy beauty look at Christian Siriano. Leading hair, Lacy Redway gave models a sleek blowout and deep side part, then used TRESemmé Extra Hold Gel to add a slick face-framing S-wave that was dusted with glitter as a final touch. Armed with Revlon products, makeup artist Vincent Oquendo went with a mystical smoky eye to tie the show’s theme together. After creating a base with dark brown tones, he lined the eyes with black and/or copper liner for a hint of shimmer. A swipe of the soon-to-be-released Super Lustrous Glass Shine Lipstick in a neutral shade on the lips kept the focus on the eyes.

Area’s Punk Rock Glamour

Punk was alive and well on the Area S/S ‘25 runway. Lead makeup artist Yadim Carranza paid homage to the ‘70s and ‘80s subculture but added a futuristic touch. This manifested itself in greige smoky eyes, rich chestnut lips, and glossy black lips, all achieved with MAC cosmetics (the MACximal Matte Lipstick in Antique Velvet and Silk Caviar are the exact shades).

Lead hairstylist Mustafa Yanaz was also inspired by powerful women and the line’s rebellious spirit when deciding on the show’s hairstyles. Some models had slicked-back looks with wet-ish waves while others had gravity-defying pixies. TRESemmé’s Extra Hold Mousse played a key role in executing both.

Tory Burch’s Pool Day Beauty

Tory Burch made a splash at fashion week with a fresh take on the clean girl aesthetic. Leaning into the show’s pool-inspired set, lead hairstylist Guido Palau slicked models’ hair back and added subtle bends, mimicking ocean waves. Using an arsenal of Laura Mercier products, lead makeup artist Diane Kendal enhanced models’ complexions for a natural, slightly sculpted look and made the brows the focus. She used a pencil to create an exaggerated block shape.

Alice + Olivia’s Romantic Lips & Updos

Tarte, Ardell lashes, Briogeo, and Sola Salons collaborated to create the most romantic spring beauty look for Alice + Olivia. Makeup artist Michela Wariebi channeled the season’s blooming florals with three different looks: bold red lips, rich berry lips, and flushed rose cheeks with a matching lip. For hair, stylist Matthew Curtis transformed models braided buns into bouquets with mini flowers, hair jewels, jumbo scrunchies, and lace.

Collina Strada’s Grass-Grazing Waves

A new meaning to “go touch grass,” the ground-grazing waves conjured up by lead hairstylist Charlie Le Mindu at Collina Strada were dip-dyed brat green, sewn into crinoline, and braided to create an undone wavy texture ahead of the show. Once undone, Bumble and bumble’s Hairdresser’s Invisible Oil was run through them for added softness and shine, while some wigs also had Brilliantine run through them for added separation and texture.

Diotima’s Dramatic Lashes

Instead of swiping on a matte red lip or a drawing sharp cat eye, why not bring the drama with a set of over-the-top fluttery colorful lashes? If you’re not clear where to start, take Addiction Tokyo Creative Director Kanako Takase’s Diotima lashes are sure to inspire you. For the red look, she used the The Mascara Intense Lashes in Black River and The Mascara Color Nuance in Pure Scarlet with a pair of false lashes. To achieve the white look, she used The Mascara Intense Lashes in Honey Brunette and a set of false lashes.

3.1 Phillip Lim’s Lavender Under-Eye Shadow & Loose Ponys

Maximalism and quiet luxury met on the NYFW S/S ‘25 runways via makeup looks featuring soft, unexpected pops of color. One such example is the iridescent under-eye shadow from 3.1 Phillip Lim. “Our goal with the makeup was to achieve a fresh, dewy base while incorporating modern pops of color that compliment the spring collection,” key makeup artist Fara Homidi said. “We embraced a ‘less is more’ philosophy, crafting a distinctive look with a subtle lavender halo around the eyes.” Once the models’ dewy bases were set with SHEGLAM products, Homidi used the brand’s Insta-Ready Face & Under Eye Setting Powder in Taro to create a “halo effect” around the eyes.

With the help of Dyson’s Supersonic r Hair Dryer and Corrale, lead hairstylist Benjamin Muller leaned into the ease of the makeup look (and the approach to beauty New Yorkers are known for) by enhancing models’ natural textures and giving some of them very loose, undone ponytails.

Sandy Liang’s Metallic Bubblegum Pink Lips

Season after season, Sandy Liang encourages you to embrace what you loved in girlhood. For S/S ‘25, it’s Y2K frosted lipstick. Lead makeup artist Romy Soleimani custom blended Estée Lauder’s Pure Color Whipped Matte Lip Color in Air Kiss and Social Whirl with white pigment to get the right shade of bubblegum pink, then topped it off with the silver shade from the brand’s Pure Color Envy Luxe Eyeshadow Quad in Grey Haze for the metallic finish.

Alaïa’s Sculpted Eyes

A new way to do nude makeup, Dame Pat McGrath used concealer to sculpt the eyes at Alaï’s first-ever NYFW show. “It’s like color-blocking, but done entirely in nudes, with the graphic shape giving a modern edge to these classic tones,” the legendary makeup artist said in an email statement. After perfecting the models’ complexions with products from her namesake brand, McGrath used the Skin Fetish: Divine Bronzer or Skin Fetish: Sublime Perfection Concealer in either two shades lighter or two shades darker than their skin tones to paint a color block across each eye.

Jason Wu’s Floral Blush

After a year of heavily flushed cheeks, blush will continue to be a main character next spring, but the application is a little more subdue. Take Jason Wu’s soft, floral-inspired makeup, for example. After prepping the skin with Kate Somerville products, key makeup artist Diane Kendal sculpted the cheekbones with Jason Wu Beauty’s Cream Bronzer and dusted the soon-to-launch Powder Blush in Peony over the cheeks. A touch of the Opal Powder highlighter mimicked the spring morning dew on flower petals.

Coach’s Rebellious Liner

Coach’s S/S ‘25 show was inspired by the youthful energy of new New York, so naturally Dame Pat McGrath created a slightly rebellious take on classic eyeliner styles to compliment the brand’s latest collection. The first consisted of a soft smoky eye done with her Mothership I: Subliminal Palette and PermaGel Ultra Glide Eye Pencil, while the other featured hand-drawn hearts on the inner corners of the eyes. “Placing the hearts at the inner corners feels unexpected and slightly rebellious,” McGrath via email statement of the unexpected detail.

Carolina Herrera’s Winged Liner

Cat-eye liner has been a decades long staple for a reason — it draws attention to the eyes when combined with even the most minimal makeup looks. At Carolina Herrera’s S/S ‘25 show, that’s the exact approach key makeup artist Sam Visser took, using the brand’s Fabulous Eyeliner to create elongated wings and pairing it with the sheer plum Good Girl Gloss on the lips for the subtlest hint of color.