Minimalist Beauty Is Finally Dethroned at New York Fashion Week
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The past few seasons of New York Fashion Week beauty have been subdued to say the least. Bare or monochromatic, bubble bath nails were the set standard in manicures. Hair fastened into dainty chignons—occasionally adorned with a ribbon or two—marked the buzziest moments. But this September, designers are ready to bring maximalist beauty trends back.
The Spring 2025 season is fully underway and signaling a shift away from subtlety while it's at it. Midnight blue eyeshadow and metallic liners have replaced the soft washes of glitter and light brown mascara from seasons past. Look to the "woodland fairy"-inspired glam at Christian Siriano, “punk rock” hairstyles complete with gravity-defying strands at Area, or the six-foot-long extensions with “touch grass” green tips at Collina Strada for proof. Colorful mascara is poised to be a big trend too, with cobalt blue hues making an appearance LaQuan Smith, red pigments across lashes at Diotima, and stark white coatings at Libertine.
Notable shows like Michael Kors and Kallmeyer are still to come, so there's sure to be a steady stream of standout beauty looks. (And from what I'm seeing, more votes in favor of a maximalist beauty trends revival.) To get the scoop—on the must-have products, biggest trends, and application tips—I'm running from backstage to backstage to get an inside peek at what goes down behind the scenes.
Read on for the best hair and makeup moments from New York Fashion Week's Spring 2025 season.
Punk Rock Resurgence at Area
Tresemme and MAC collaborated on the most “punk rock” look to hit the runways so far, celebrity stylist Mustafa Yanaz exclusively told me. “Imagine a girl that was partying hard and she comes home and doesn’t wash her hair. A lot of Area is spikes and leather—I wanted to bring that element into the beauty look as well.”
Makeup, which was under the direction MAC, focused on bold “caviar” lips (a blend of an un-released Root For Me Lip Liner and MACximal Antique Velvet Matte Lipstick) and high-shine smoky eyes. ”There’s a juxtaposition between high incredible glam and raw skin,” a global senior artist for the brand shared.
Mythical Moments at Christian Siriano
With keynote hairstylist Lacy Redway and celebrity makeup artist Vincent Oquendo commanding the backstage at Christian Siriano, it’s no surprise the beauty was something special. Specifically, a fusion of vintage 1920s and enchanted forest influences that Oquendo said "bring back the magic of fashion week."
“When I started thinking about a magical fantasy, I started thinking about a woodland nymph or menacing fairy. I wanted the power to come from the eyes—for it to be beautiful and dangerous,” Oquendo exclusively told me. “It’s no secret I love a bold eye, but I also think berry lips are going to be huge this season.”
Hair was equally as bold, with Redway creating glitter-infused finger waves on nearly every model's head. “We did deep side parts—tell Gen Z—and pre-sectioned a triangle of hair for a fairy dust accent,” Redway explains. “We mix in glitter and dab it onto the hair, dry it into place, and lock it in with hairspray.”
Six-Foot-Long Extensions at Collina Strada
A “touch grass” theme meant it was only appropriate that Bumble and Bumble’s key artist, Charlie Le Mindu, made models’ dip-dyed green hair do the same. “The grass of the collection inspired me, so we used stains of green on the hair tips,” he said. “We put everything in braids, flat-ironed them, and took them out to create the wave.” With the show taking place in a graveyard, Mindu wanted the hair to be “heavy.”
The Whole Garden at Alice and Olivia
For the past three seasons, the hair and nails at Alice & Olivia have been fairly similar—inspiration is drawn from designer Stacey Bendet's classic look, with ballerina buns and black cut-crease eyeshadow. This year marked a big departure from the fashion week status quo, with an overwhelming floral influence.
"We wanted to keep it youthful. There are a lot of floral prints in the collection, but we wanted to keep with the Stacey classic bun. We created some texture and tried to channel the Garden of Versailles. The inspiration was Parisian chic, so we kept flowers on the vine to keep this romantic energy," lead hairstylist Matthew Curtis exclusively told me.
Models' manicures took a similarly ethereal approach, with a range of floral-inspired press-ons. "The collection is so dreamy and we wanted to do something similar. We also painted the lace fresh by hand, but Salon Perfect is great for approachable design," celebrity nail artist Miss Pop says. "I used their Glazed Donut French and press floral stickers to create this puffed blue floral edge to give dimension. I like a flat-tip tweezer, and I just scoop the sticker off and plop it down."
Extreme Shine at Prabal Gurung
Typically, a no-makeup runway look leaves little excitement. But Prabal Gurung lead makeup artist Sil Bruinsma was determined to infuse a bit of drama into a pared-back look. Rather than playing with barely-there makeup, he loaded up on high-shine enhancers, creating a mirrored, reflective quality on the skin. “We wanted the look to focus on glass skin, exuding freshness and pureness,” Bruinsma told me.
Colorful Mascara and Baby Bangs at Diotima
Diotima's Spring 2025 Collection was inspired by a Jamaican folktale called "Pocomania," which translates to "little madness." That said, it was only natural that the beauty look was infused with over-the-top, out-of-the-box theatrical elements. A mix of whimsy and drama united in the makeup look, which Addiction Tokyo artist Kanako Takase keyed. "This makeup look pairs minimal, natural skin with bold, ombre eyes," the expert told me. "The colorful eyelashes reflect red and white accents for drama and definition."
The hair for the show was equal parts quirky and playful. Models somehow made hair nets and baby bangs look chic, with help from Sola Salons stylist Joey George. While I don't know if you'll actually find me roaming around NYC with a crocheted net wrapped around my low-hanging bun, I'm considering it.
Skinny Brows at Christian Cowan
When I learned that the makeup at Christian Cowan was inspired by the 1972 movie Madame Sin, the skinny brows instantly made sense. "She's this criminal mastermind, so the makeup look is very much focused on this bold yet elegant look with arched eyebrows, bold lip liner, and bright eyeshadow," makeup artist Kanako Takase, who used La-Roche Posay product to prep models' skin, told me backstage. "It screams boldness and glamour." Eyebrows were glued down (yes, with a glue stick) and re-drawn in a hyper-arched fashion. Yellow eyeshadow was also packed onto the lid, reminiscent of Bette Midler's character in the film.
As for nails? Nail artist Julie Kandelac partnered with CND to draw attention to the label's most iconic emblem. “We drew inspiration from one of our principal house codes—the star. We’re known for our exciting and playful use of the star, so it made sense to see how we translated this into nails," states Cowan.
Glitter Inner Corners at LaQuan Smith
LaQuan Smith and Lanc?me continued their New York Fashion Week partnership once again this year, with Sheika Dailey (she's Rihanna's makeup artist, FYI) at the helm. Colored mascara continued to be a big runway trend, with cobalt blue making its way onto select models' lashes. Perhaps the most surprising element of the beauty look, however, is the resurgence of inner corner accents. Metallic hints (which also appeared at Siriano courtesy of Revlon) reached peak popularity in the 2010s, but it appears the eye-opening accent is poised for a comeback.
