A model walks the runway during the Antonio Marras collection show at the Spring/Summer 2025 Milan's Fashion Week. Photo: AFP
We’re three months away from the New Year but makeup trends, as seen on major fashion runways are already setting the tone for aesthetic beauty in 2025.
The currently ongoing Spring/Summer 2025 shows feature stunning style ensembles from New York, London and Milan, but no collection runway would be complete without beauty looks to go with the designers’ creations.
New York brought out strong makeup while London went natural and Milan presented a combination of bold and nude trends.
All about the eyes
New York Fashion Week (NYFW) runways were filled with buffed-out, smokey waterlines, all thanks to eyeliner making a comeback mid-2024.
Models in the Christian Siriano show had eyeliner drawn heavily on the bottom lid of their eyes, while at Jonathan Cohen, they were given pointed, winged eyeliner as well as a buffed-out waterline.
New York Fashion Week runways are filled with buffed-out, smokey waterlines. Photo: ReutersOther shows had models sporting eyeliner blurred out to give it a smoky effect.
Creative use of colours was another trends spotted at NYFW, with pink tins and violets leading the way.
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Models at Phillip Lim’s show had on a sheer lavender tint that was placed under the eyes, a mix of two differently-coloured cream products: one lavender and one fuschia.
The look gave the models an almost translucent appearance, with the sheer tint starting with the eyes, all the way out to the cheekbones.
It was all about the eyeshadow on the Naeem Khan runway, with models sporting gunmetal metallic green hues blending with layers of grey and silver designed by makeup artist Georgi Sandev.
Complementing overall makeup were face jewels for the more “extra” designers.
At London Fashion Week (LFW), Chopova Lowena’s runway saw bejewelled eyeliner captivating the audience and photographers.
Decorating models’ with bling along the eyelid as well as below the lash line, these were complemented by two-toned lips.
Lots of lippie
At the Prada runway during Milan Fashion Week (MFW), Prada Beauty’s global creative makeup artist Lynsey Alexander used lip primer to moisturise and enhance the natural look of models’ lips, before applying balm in Astral Pink for a unique, glowy finish.
To flatter different skin tones, the makeup artist utilised monochrome nude lipstick for a hydrating, soft-matte finish, resulting in a uniform, diffused lip that perfectly complements a modern nude face.
Striking lips were everywhere, one particularly bold look standing out at the Prada runway – the daring lip was created using an ultraviolet shade with a balm as a final touch for a shiny effect.
Even bolder were the lips at New York, with designers from Area to Kim Shui having their models wear black lipstick.
This bold lip style is created using an ultraviolet shade with a balm as a final touch for a shiny effect. Photo: Prada BeautyLondon also brought on the lippie drama, with makeup artist Aoife Cullen working her magic at the Sinead Gorey show with various eye-catching ideas.
One look that stood out was a clean face with minimal eyeliner and lips decorated with colourful sprinkles.
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Keeping it clean
One of the catch phrases surrounding the LFW runways was “tomboy chic”, as models strutted out with clean and natural-looking hair and androgynous make-up.
Referred to as the “older cousin of the clean girl aesthetic” by Vogue UK, the tomboy look stays away from glaring, Barbie-pink blusher, and in its place is a hydrated glow.
At JW Anderson, eyebrows were styled up for a bold finish, complemented with a pale pink lip.
Similarly, at Erdem, a lot of skin prep went into creating the natural look seen on each model, with lymphatic drainage movements and cryotherapy treatment playing a big part in their all-natural glow.
Minimalist makeup and glowing skin were also the highlight at the Monse show at NYFW, with celebrity makeup artist Patrick Ta keeping it super fresh and clean by enhancing the models’ own natural beauty.
The same could be seen at Max Mara at MFW, where only a hint of natural coloured eyeshadow and mostly nude lipsticks could be seen on most models.
