From “Exhaustion Blush” to “Party Lips,” NYFW’s Best Beauty Trends Are Delightfully Unexpected

Just when I was finding myself in a beauty lull (frigid, snowy weather will do that to you), New York Fashion Week arrived with a flood of inspiration. This time around, I was pleasantly surprised to see beauty looks that leaned way more eccentric than seasons past. In fact, I kept furiously typing into my Notes app as I dashed between shows, lest I forget a single detail of the XL feather lashes at Thom Browne or the shimmering “party lips” at Christopher John Rogers.

Now that I’ve gotten up close and personal with all the jaw-dropping looks from the fall 2025 runways, the time has come to compile these notes and predict how we’ll wear them in the months ahead. If there’s one thing I can say for sure, it’s that subversive, “imperfect” beauty will take the cake. From the “grease paint” eyes at Khaite to the “exhaustion blush” at Meruert Tolegen to the whimsical, “devil horn hair” at Collina Strada, F/W25 beauty is a lesson in seizing the unexpected.

Behold, our NYFW beauty trend report. Take inspiration, bookmark your faves, and watch this space—all 12 looks are sure to stick around this year.

Here Come the Cowlicks

Gone are the days of wrestling with stubborn cowlicks to achieve a “flawless” shape. According to this season’s runways, it’s time to embrace those swirly bends! Take it from Prabal Gurung, where models leaned into the “morning cowlick” look with swoopy side parts and intentional static. “I’m bringing bedhead back, and we’re making it runway ready,” celebrity hairstylist Lacy Redway tells Who What Wear backstage. At Altuzarra, models had similar side-parted swoops, and some even sported a soft, “cowlick fringe” (a term that’s also gaining traction on TikTok, BTW).

Collina Strada had a more artistic take on the trend with crimped “devil horns” at the crown. “You know that Instagram filter? I wanted that in real life,” says lead stylist Mustafa Yanaz. Still, the tresses had a lived-in, bedhead feel. “It’s wrong, but it’s good,” he adds.

Seen Backstage

Galactic Hues

No, metallic shades aren’t going anywhere in 2025, but they are leaning celestial. Iridescent, out-of-this-world hues certainly made their mark this season—even on the lips, as seen at Christopher John Rogers. To create these galactic “party lips,” lead artist Alex Levy actually used layers of shimmery eye shadow to build up the intensity. Then to ground the look, he traced the lips with a soft brown liner. “We started layering colors to get the effect we wanted, and now we’re bringing it back into harmony with the colors that are on the face,” he demonstrates backstage.

At Collina Strada, all that shimmer was focused on the eyes; makeup artist Dick Page drew a flash of color at the inner corners using Ilia’s Eye Stylus Shadow Stick (launching February 19!). “It’s decoration. It’s really like taking the sense of play and the colors and textures out of the collection,” he says in a release.

Of course, iridescent nails also made an appearance. At Lapointe, models sported semi-sheer, pearl tips that perfectly catch the light (and complement any ensemble, Sundays founder Amy Ling Lin tells me backstage).

Seen Backstage

Double Eyeliner

Grungy, lived-in eyeliner isn’t going anywhere, but a razor-sharp wing is also very much en vogue—and this season, artists are having double the fun. Both Christian Siriano and The Blonds had models sporting geometric, double-liner looks using rich burgundy and jet black shades. “I wanted to really push the angular shape of the eye and that complexity,” celebrity makeup artist Vincent Oquendo tells me at Christian Siriano. A double wing quite literally frames the eye shape, so it instantly adds a touch of drama.

Seen Backstage

Winding Twists

Yanaz personally adores a structured, detailed braid. “It always looks like there’s a lot of craftmanship,” he says of the fishtail twists at Ulla Johnson. “We also have some beautiful cornrows, but we don’t do straight backs.” Instead, models had wavy, winding braids to emulate the flowing silhouettes of the collection.

Alice + Olivia and Meruert Tolegen similarly understood the assignment with romantic, Rapunzel-like plaits. At the latter, a select few models sauntered down the runway with sculptural, windy updos (providing a literal definition to the term “hair bow”). Christian Siriano also featured ribbon-like twists, meant to emulate a windy road. “You know, like a racetrack” Redway says, alluding to the collection’s automotive motifs.

Seen Backstage

Pewter Dreams

Call it the “Gabriette” effect, but grungy pewter tones were all the rage this season. In fact, Kim Shui’s makeup looks were inspired by the It girl herself (plus Julia Fox, duh) with cool-toned eyes and “greige” lips. “It’s just a really cool-girl look… very urban and very chic,” lead artist Romero Jennings tells Who What Wear backstage. The show also featured “cat-eye storm” nails, fashioned by celebrity nail artist Coca Michelle, using sheer black polish and magnetic pigment to create a “wave of silver reflection.” Imagine a darker, grungier take on a chrome set of tips.

At Altuzarra and Tory Burch, eyes were awash with grey shadow but had more of a hazy, diffused finish. “It’s a little bit destroyed, almost like makeup at the end of the night,” key makeup artist Hannah Murray notes backstage at Altuzarra.

Seen Backstage

In the Dollhouse

This season was brimming with doll-like references, from the clustered, spiky lashes at Thom Browne and Cuccculelli Shaheen to the “rubber lips” at Gabe Gordon to the fabric applique “blush” at Marc Jacobs. Sure, you might not fasten red dots to your face á la Pat McGrath, but you can emulate the look with a bright pop of color directly on the apples of your cheeks. Or, you could apply in a dramatic, downward draping motion, as seen on models’ bright pink cheeks at Selkie.

Many hair looks also had quite the doll-like vibe. Christian Cowan, for instance, might have been inspired by Mars Attacks for his ’60s beehive wigs, but I’d be lying if I said the ‘do didn’t remind me of a retro, alien Barbie.

Seen Backstage

Velvety Matte

Dewy, “glass skin” makeup typically dominates the runways, so I was very surprised to discover an emphasis on soft-matte skin during the week. “For a change, we’re not going for glowy… we’re going for a velvet finish,” celebrity makeup artist Romy Soleimani says at Ulla Johnson. Note, that doesn’t mean you must layer on tons of powder. Simply use a mattifying moisturizer or primer in the T-zone to eliminate shine without fear of looking too cakey. “Skincare can help you achieve the finish that you want,” Soleimani adds. She also recommends tapping on a velvety lipstick to tie the look together; a rich raisin or mulberry confection looks gorgeous on every skin tone.

Similarly, at Brandon Maxwell, natural, pillowy skin was the name of the game. Think “perfect skin without glow,” lead makeup artist Fulvia Farolfi tells me backstage. Even the nail looks alluded to the velvet-matte theme, as tips were kept minimal with just a swipe of clear base coat and JinSoon’s Matte Maker. “A lot of people are now into a matte finish with short nails,” editorial manicurist Jin Soon Choi says. You heard the expert!

Bangs, Bangs, Bangs

Forget wispy, low-maintenance curtain bangs—bold, full-on fringe is on-trend. See: Diotima’s “deconstructed roller set,” wigs, Anna Sui’s 1940s bumper bangs, and Christopher John Rogers’s structural, chopped fringe. “People are being a little bit more bold with their hairstyles as far as colors and cuts… it’s definitely something that is very New York at the moment,” Sonny Molina, lead artist for Christopher John Rogers, says regarding the move towards sleek, strong bangs.

Seen Backstage

Highlighter Eyes

(Image credit: Launchmetrics)

The fall/winter color story tends to involve muted greys, browns, and vampy purples—but not if Sandy Liang has anything to say about it. The runway was riddled with bright blues, greens, and (of course) Sandy pinks reminiscent of a pack of highlighters. Models at Christian Cowan also sported bright pops of color on the eyes, as did those at Melke for the brand’s joyful presentation (in collaboration with Hidden Valley Ranch—fun!). The message is clear: Amid icy temperatures, you can still have fun with hot, neon hues.

Seen Backstage

Face Paint

Rather than focusing on intricate, painstaking lines, artists resorted to splashes of pigment across the face and eyes. “It’s kind of a grown-up kid’s face paint party,” Page says at Collina Strada, where models donned a smattering of cheetah-like spots. At Diotima, makeup artist Kanako Takase, global creative director of Addiction Tokyo, doodled black rose petals on the eyes using gel liner; and similarly, at Khaite, legendary makeup artist Diane Kendal bestowed select models with a swipe of inky eye pigment akin to grease paint. The beauty here lies in the imperfection—no need to color inside the lines.

Seen Backstage

No Concealer, Thanks

From “exhaustion blush” (iconic) at Meruert Tolegen to the minimal beats at Monse, a slew of artists have decided to eschew the concealer in favor of naturally—or amplified—hollowed under-eyes. It begs the question: Are dark circles… chic? Rather than disguise those half-moons, Takase recommends embracing them by draping a reddish-brown blush across your lids and temples, all the way around to your under-eyes. You could even accent the inner corners of your eyes with gel liner to create a bit of intentional shadow, just like the models at Collina Strada.

Seen Backstage

Concert Hair

Undone, textured hair is nothing new, but I just can’t ignore all the “cool girl at a concert” mentions I heard backstage. Take the mood boards at Prabal Gurung, which featured a slew of “rockstar hair” looks, or the “downtown girl” aesthetic at Lingua Franca.

Cuccculelli Shaheen went more of a ’60s route, inspired by a “bohemian traveler dancing in the desert at midnight.” And at Sandy Liang, claw-clipped styles appeared “a little sweaty” at the hairline and temples—you know, as if you had spent the whole night dancing. The verdict? Tousled, teased, punk-rock hair has never been cooler for 2025.

Seen Backstage