New York Fashion Week is well underway and we are, of course, keeping a close eye on beauty for the sake of reporting back to you. Skin, makeup, and hair all play important roles in the overall storytelling of a runway show. They work together with the clothes, as well as the music, setting, and general direction, to create a thematic moment that leaves the audience with a clear understanding of the collection that was just presented to them—and with a lasting impact and feeling that remains. Luckily, team Coveteur has opportunities to witness this process up close—sometimes as it’s all coming together backstage, and sometimes as it finally unfolds on the runway.
The week isn’t over yet and we have already spotted some consistencies worth noting. In general, we’ve loved that beauty is shifting towards being more lived-in and natural and that now, runway beauty is reflective of that.
Ahead, the New York Fashion Week Fall/Winter 2026 beauty trends we’ve spotted so far.
Trend #1: Frizzy & Free
Coach Fall/Winter 2026
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Collina Strada Fall/Winter 2026
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We’ve seen beauty lean towards a more lived-in look, and now runways are embracing it too. At Coach, models walked the runway with hair by Guido Palau that was frizzy, with noticeable flyways—the way the average person’s hair would look a few hours into a day out and about. At Collina Strada, where Mustafa Yanaz’s masterful wigs were once again the talk of the town, quieter looks were also in the mix. What caught my eye were the teased styles that felt expressive. “It is about embracing texture and seeing how the hair wants to move, so the result feels instinctive rather than overworked,” Yanaz said backstage.
Trend #2: Get In Line
Ashlyn Fall/Winter 2026
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Proenza Schouler Fall/Winter 2026
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Pamella Roland Fall/Winter 2026
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We’re witnessing a late ’90s/early 2000s makeup resurgence before our eyes—and, literally, underneath our eyes. After showings at Ashlyn, Proenza Schouler, and Pamella Roland, it’s safe to say under-eye liner is trending. At Rachel Scott’s debut show for Proenza Schouler, models sported eyeliner under just one eye, creating an intentionally unbalanced and a lived-in feeling reflective of a working woman on the go. At Pamella Roland, the liner was thick and bold, paired with dramatic full lashes and dark smoky eyeshadow. At ASHLYN, liner wrapped around the entire eye as the sole statement makeup with the rest of the face bare.
3. Two-Tone Lips
Collina Strada Fall/Winter 2026
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Proenza Schouler Fall/Winter 2026
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At NYFW’s Fall/Winter 2026 runways, unevenly-distributed lip product became a trend. At Collina Strada, a key makeup detail for artist Dick Page were the bow lips: a little silver that accentuated only the curvature of the cupid’s bow. At Proenza Schouler show, the messy girl makeup trend lived on through with work of makeup artist Thomas de Kluyverm, who artfully smudged bright red pigment across models’ lips like brushstrokes.
