The Coolest NYFW Beauty Trends Are All About Color & Maximalism

In a puff of neon eyeshadow, glitter, and hairspray clouds, New York Fashion Week has made its triumphant return for Spring/Summer ‘22, and the beauty looks very much matched the jubilant energy of the designers’ collections. From day one at Collina Strada — where models quite literally galloped down the rooftop runway in lime green hair extensions and paint-smeared fingertips — to Tom Ford closing out the week with his signature smoky eye (this time in a burnished, shimmery bronze), there was no shortage of makeup, hair, or nails inspiration on the catwalks this season.

After nearly a year and a half stuck indoors and out of sight, the new glimmer of optimism shone brightest in an array of colorful makeup looks. Whether at the extreme end — meaning face paint inspired by aliens tripping on mushrooms at Rodarte — or the more subtle splash of silver liner at Peter Do, there was plenty of eye candy to translate into a fresh new look for fall.

For hair, still-trending accessories like barrettes and ribbons appeared at a handful of shows, but none more artfully than at Alice + Olivia, where Justine Marjan and her team bedecked models with an entire head of clips to match the manicures. The more editorial wet hair look proved it will forever be a designer favorite, while the braided ponytail also staked its claim as the go-to updo for the season ahead (and conveniently showed up on the Met Gala red carpet as well).

Below, the full breakdown of the most popular beauty trends you can expect to see over the next few months.

Bold, Colorful Eyes

Finally, makeup feels fun again, and the most obvious display of that was in the myriad of colorful eyeshadow and liner looks at NYFW. Whether you want to keep it to one vibrant blue, as seen at Monse courtesy of Charlie Riddle, or would rather layer electric orange, peach, and silver glitter like Pat McGrath did at Anna Sui, there’s no limit to what’s possible when you have a shadow palette within arm’s reach.

Wet, Shower-And-Go Hair

Designers often request a slicked back wet look for their models at fashion week, but this season took it to a whole new level. The sleek ‘do makes a tailored jacket and trousers feel especially cool and modern (take a page out of Peter Do’s book for that one), and can work on any hair texture, provided your cut can hit your ears and you have plenty of oil, gel, or both. No matter how extreme you choose to take it, there’s a wet look with your name on it for fall.

A Touch Of Flush

Who needs to run a mile in the morning when you have a pot of cream blush at your disposal to brighten up your cheeks? A rosy visage appeared on runways from makeup artist Kabuki at Moshchino to lead artist Andrew Colvin-Medina at Bevza in various shades of flushed. The placement, however, was all nearly uniform from show to show: high on the cheekbones, sweeping back towards the temples, giving a subtly sculpted effect without the need for an additional contouring product.

The Best Part Is... No Part At All

Gen Z has had a lot to say about the death of the side part this year, but according to the S/S ‘22 shows, the new must-have look is all about a pushed back, barely discernible hair part. It’s the kind of look that says I-just-run-my-fingers-through-my-hair-and-walk-out-the-door (if you’re in possession of hair that can handle that type of low-maintenance treatment). It’s a cool, breezy, gal-on-the-go energy that pairs perfectly with the peek-a-boo, maximal, and fringe-bedecked fashion trends that came down the runways.