As the spring-summer 2026 shows kicked off in New York, the beauty felt as fresh as the energy surrounding fashion’s newest female creative directors, from Rachel Scott at Proenza Schouler to Veronica Leoni at Calvin Klein. Colorful eye looks swept runways in the form of pastel lids and chromatic lashes, and blurry, diffused pops of berry added a softness (and sweetness!) to models’ visible skin-care routines. No time for a blowout? The hair kerchiefs that swept Copenhagen’s street style scene made their way to the Big Apple alongside countless designer-approved hair accessories (sometimes made of actual hair). That thrill of finding a quick yet chic way to get out the door in the morning is alive and well in collections full of key baubles and wearable coin purses—not to mention hair hacks: if you really only have a minute, the new version of the classic Olsen tuck requires simply tying hair to the neck with a scarf. Below, the six biggest beauty trends from New York Fashion Week worth a try.
Pretty Pastel Eyes
A bouquet of colorful pastel lids on New York’s runways surprised and delighted. There were orchid hints at both Maria McManus and Collina Strada, pretty pink clouds at Area, mossy green tones at House of Aama, lavender glitter at Zankov, icy periwinkle lids at Private Policy, and, of course, Pat McGrath’s sky blue gazes at Anna Sui. McGrath described her inspiration for Sui as “windswept romance,” not unlike a desert sky at twilight (with matching pale blue lashes, another trend below). After seasons of no-makeup makeup, McGrath declared that it’s time for “unapologetic makeup maximalism for a new era.”
All Hair Accessories Welcome
“We’ll play with the really cute accessories, of course, which y’all will see on the runway,” Evanie Frausto told Vogue as he prepped models in Velcro rollers backstage at Sandy Liang. As promised, the season’s favorite hair scarves (which appeared on countless runways, from Calvin Klein to Christian Cowan) made a debut alongside chunky plastic barrettes dotted with rhinestones for what Frausto called “a little Clueless vibe.” Some runway accessories leaned romantic, like a regal tiara at Tanner Fletcher and hair wrapped with strips of lace (as if to prepare for morning ringlets!) at Who Decides War. Some were over-the-top in the right way, like floating mirror headbands at Area and hats made of hair at Collina Strada. Some were demure, like a scarf-tied pony at Toteme and a jaunty beret at Ralph Lauren.
Charming Statement Nails
At Batsheva’s brunch presentation at Jean’s on Lafayette, Francelle Daly found herself “literally staring at Miss America with her polka-dot nails done by Pika,” the makeup artist told Vogue of @theguythatdoesnails on Instagram. “He’s amazing, he does everything with Rihanna, and I wanted him to do a polka-dot scenario,” she said of curating a statement nail tuned to fashion’s favorite print, which also appeared via Essie polish dotted onto models’ nails at Tanner Fletcher. At Kim Shui, Sojin Oh delivered Kijibae tips layered with charms, and Coca Michelle designed “lynx-shaped” claws for Grace Ling. “Some of them have piercings, then we have chrome, nails, screws, studs, spikes,” she said of welcoming an industrial edge.
Colorful (and Faux!) Lashes
Not interested in mascara? Consider a wispy faux lash instead. At Eckhaus Latta, “we created these ethereal, semi-transparent white lashes,” said makeup artist Isamaya Ffrench of working with Lashify on the look for a “soft and magical” effect. “When you see them on the models, they catch the light in a way that feels delicate and dreamlike,” Ffrench said. “It’s almost as if the lashes disappear, leaving behind just a subtle whisper of shape and shimmer that gives the look an otherworldly quality.” Similarly, Jane Wade went for white lashes that looked coated with chalky paint, Pat McGrath matched her aforementioned sky-colored lids to baby blue lashes at Anna Sui, and Ulla Johnson gilded gazes with golden faux lashes.
Blurry Berry
“The makeup is soft and gentle, like the sound of fuzz,” said makeup artist Fara Homidi backstage at Proenza Schouler, where she tapped shades of red onto lips for an “ombré volumized look where you can’t really see where it starts or ends but there is definition.” It’s a similar attitude that Charlie Riddle mentioned at Sandy Liang, where he used berry pink cream blush all over the face. “Everything’s diffused,” Riddle explained. “The cheeks, the eyes, the lips—everyone wants these soft-focus edges, and that’s what I feel like my clients keep asking for.” It’s a perfect technique for skin-care-forward makeup, like Taylor Hill’s dewy, flushed cheeks, eyes, and lips as she walked at Prabal Gurung, and on Bach Mai’s runway, where the subtlest berry-tapped lip was just enough for a collection the CFDA/Vogue Fashion Fund finalist called “a really grounded sense of glamour.”
The New Hair Tuck
Last season, the Olsen tuck made its way from Khaite at NYFW to Paris’s Dior runway. This season the new hair tuck doesn’t rely on a high collar, rolled turtleneck, or XXL hair length. Instead? Simply tie your hair to your neck with a little scarf. We saw it first on Alex Consani at Calvin Klein, where Guido Palau’s chilled-out waves were wrapped securely to her neck with silky white fabric. For Brandon Maxwell’s 10-year anniversary show, the designer used the arms of fluffy sweaters to secure hair lengths, and at Maria McManus, Aveda SVP of global artistry Antoinette Beenders wrapped one model’s tousled texture with a fringed satin scarf. Then at Coach silk scarves and cut-up cotton tees made the look appear as attainable as it did urgent: Whatever the cool girl has on hand, grab it, tie it up, and go.
