This week in Paris, there was beauty in dichotomy. The range of standout hair and makeup looks—from slicked, sculptural hair, to high-wattage gazes and retina-burning dye jobs—demonstrated that to each their own isn t a passing trend, but the new status quo. And in times of uncertainty, there s comfort in that.
It s only natural for undercurrents of French bourgeois beauty to run through the City of Light, and this season saw many iterations, from the two-toned, metallic ombré wings and low chignons at Altuzarra to the shaggy waves and graphic 60s liner at Celine. More androgynous were the series of seemingly bare complexions paired with slicked, side-swept updos seen at Balmain, Saint Laurent, and Valentino. From the abstract, razor-thin ticks at Stella McCartney to the perfectly drawn embellished wings at Valentino and Miu Miu, jet-black eyeliner continued to prove itself as the ultimate tool of self-expression. Then there was a certain glam-meets-goth-punk mood catalyzed by the midnight black claws at Balenciaga and bold scarlet-streaking updos at Alexander McQueen. Here, take note of the biggest beauty trends that emerged during the final stretch of fashion month.
French Bourgeois Has Many Interpretations
“I wanted to create something that was bourgeois—and a little bit crazy," said makeup artist Tom Pecheux backstage at Altuzarra, where his dual-colored metallic ombré wings veered elegant paired with cool, austere hair dos. Think: Flipped bobs and polished low chignons. At Saint Laurent s haute bourgeois showing, it was a deep red lip (slightly blurred for an air of nonchalance), that did the trick, while Celine showed off an array of graphic, 60s-inflected liner looks beneath shaggy fringe and wide-brimmed felt hats. At Chloe and Miu Miu, hairstylist Guido Palau took cues from the 70s, pairing sculptural waves with raw texture.
It s a Bow or a Hair Scarf—Take Your Pick For This Season s It Accessory
Dior ushered in the beginning of the week with a major hair accessory statement, topping off every look of the show with a printed hair scarf tied over lengths. Worn one of two ways—back in a bandana, or wrapped across the center of the forehead—it evoked a different attitude for each individual. Then, at both Chanel and Giambattista Valli, it was black ribbon-tied bow headbands that evoked a sense of elegant kitsch.
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Slicked Is a Strong Hair Strategy
Backstage at Balmain, Sam McKnight referenced vintage photos of Princess Caroline of Monaco who, in the early 80s, had a proclivity for sculpted slick-backs. "It s slick, controlled—very couture," said McKnight of the effect. In the same spirit, there were the "strict, super-graphic" one-length ponytails crafted by Duffy at Saint Laurent and, underneath the bow headbands at Giambattista Valli, Paul Hanlon sought to create contrast by yanking knots back and saturating them in gel to androgynous effect.
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From Abstract to Extreme, Eyeliner Gets Get Elevated
With encasings in all shapes, sizes, and finishes, there s a head-swiveling eyeliner design worth stealing no matter your style. Minimalists, look no further than the delicate floating flicks that accented eyes at Stella McCartney. A bit bolder were the rounded rimmings of kohl at Dior, as well as the smudged streaks along the upper and lower lash lines at Celine. The latest take on punkish wings came courtesy of Miu Miu, where the parade of extended black swooshes saw some with a single slash, and others with a more dramatic double flick.
A Dose of Neon Is the Ultimate Pick-Me-Up
Proving that a Day-Glo pop of color can be wearable, makeup artist Fara Homidi swiped select sets of lashes in a fluorescent pink at Off-White. To take it a step further, look no further than the winged eyes punctuated by washes of eyeshadow in saturated shades of lime, tangerine, cerulean, or fuchsia at Miu Miu. On the avant-garde end of the spectrum, there was Margiela, where bleached brows made for an ideal canvas as shocks of color were blocked along the lids and arches. And it wasn t just the makeup that got the Technicolor treatment. At Dries Van Noten, hairstylist Sam McKnight applied vivid marabou feathers along side-partings of hair for unexpected jolts at the roots.
Goth-Punk Glamour Rules From Fingertips to Lids
At Valentino, the moody milieu gave way to soft take on gothic with 60s-style negative-space eye encasings framed by teeny dark gems, as well as short, jet-black varnished digits. It was a much more extreme story at Balenciaga, where nail artist Mei Kawajiri accessorized long black-tipped acrylics with charms she playfully referred to as “dominatrix belly piercings." For Alexander McQueen, hairstylist Guido Palau whipped up a parade of sculptural, crimson-streaked updos that read as 50s-femme-fatale-goes-through-a-punk-phase.
