The Bold LFW Beauty Looks Point To A Very Edgy Year Ahead

Beyond the royal family’s fascinators, Savile Row tailoring, and rain-friendly trench coats, London has a rebellious reputation. The city has been home to a number of decade-defining subcultures that transformed fashion and beauty looks at the time, but still have an influence on current trends today. In the early ‘80s, London became a goth mecca, and the dark and brooding music, fashion, and beauty looks associated with the lifestyle were born at iconic venues like the Batcave and Kit-Kat Club. So it’s only fitting the London Fashion Week Fall/Winter 2025 beauty looks are a sign of a modern goth resurgence.

One reoccurring theme among British designers this season was infusing a dark feminine energy into their collections via the runway makeup and hairstyles. At Annie’s Ibiza, Renaissance waves were paired with contoured vampy lips for a mysteriously romantic look. Meanwhile at Mark Fast, models wore glossy black and red smoky eyes and cherry lips. What’s more, even if the look didn’t completely fall in line with the goth aesthetic, it was still bold and edgy. Harris Reed’s dramatic lashes and Dilara Findikoglu’s otherworldly glowing complexions are just two examples.

Read on for TZR’s guide to all of the maximalist beauty looks that defined the LFW F/W ‘25 season.

Simone Rocha’s Ribbon Brows

Simone Rocha lead makeup artist Thomas de Kluyver put a coquettish spin on the skinny brow trend by creating thin arches made from red, black, or pink ribbon. The models’ natural hair textures were enhanced for an effortless feel, while lead hairstylist Holli Smith added pearl or bejeweled headbands to some of their looks.

Bora Aksu’s Victorian Doll Blush

Dappled flushed cheeks were the focal point of the dark romantic makeup by Janeen Witherspoon Cove with Lisa Eldridge products for Boka Aksu. She used the True Velvet Lip Colour Velvet Pompadour, Velvet Jazz, or Velvet Ribbon as blush and the Elevated Glow Highlighter to achieve the bold yet dewy finish. Lead hairstylist David Barbieri followed suit by creating low curly ponytails adorned with black hair bows.

KEBURIA’s Dip-Dyed Bangs

What will follow the Y2K side bang resurgence? Dip-dyed fringe as seen at KEBURIA. The models’ bleach blonde windswept bangs created a cool contrast against their dark low ponytails. To fully drive the edgy look home, their lips were painted matte black, one of the many gothic beauty motifs seen at LFW this season.

Dilara Findikoglu’s Otherworldly Skin

The past and future collided at Dilara Findikoglu where models had hyper-shiny, otherworldly iridescent skin and undone renaissance braided pigtails.

Annie’s Ibiza

When the temperatures first dip below 70 degrees in the fall, you likely have the irresistible urge to break out your oxblood lipsticks. This year, take a cue from the bruised berry lip MAC Cosmetics Creative Director Dominic Skinner created for the Annie’s Ibiza runway and give your seasonal lip some edge. Lead hairstylist Sam McKnight added renaissance-era romance to the runway beauty look by styling the models’ extra-long hair in waves that mimicked undone braids. He added some accent plaits back in for good measure.

Chet Lo’s Peek-A-Boo Crimped Hair

Is the return of crimped hair imminent? If Chet Lo’s runway is any indication, the answer is a resounding “yes.” Lead hairstylist Anna Cofone with Authentic Beauty Concept took a modern approach to the Y2K trend by adding random crimped sections to the models’ strands rather than creating the texture from root to tip.

Richard Quinn’s ‘80s Updos

These chic and glamorous updos by lead hairstylist Sam McKnight were inspired by Catherine Deneuve’s hair in the ‘80s vampire film, The Hunger. When styling the French twists, he used the Cool Girl Superlift Root Lift Spray for volume and Easy Up Do Texture Mist from his namesake line for added volume and grit to sculpt the hair. Using MAC Cosmetics, lead makeup artist Terry Barber created a soft, ‘60s-inspired pastel eyes with complementary MAC Nudes lipstick.

Mark Fast’s Dewy Goth Glam

According to Mark Fast, even modern-day goths can’t resist the dewy donut skin look. Makeup lead Sharon Dowsett added a touch of sheen to the smudgy black and red eye makeup and contoured crimson lip using Weleda’s Skin Food collection.

Harris Reed’s Spider Lashes

The extra-long spiky lashes at Harris Reed set the tone for all of the maximalist LFW beauty looks to come, and doubles as a sign that bold eye makeup is going to have a moment in 2025. So if you’re in the mood to give your statement lipsticks a break, the show’s lead makeup artist Sofia Tilbury created the perfect foundation for giving dramatic false lashes a spin. Her lineup included the Charlotte Tilbury Palette of Beautifying Eye Trends in Super Neutral, Cat Flick Liner in Panther, Exagger-Eyes Liner Duo, and Exagger-Eyes Volume Mascara.