The fashion week runways might dictate what you’re going to want to wear next season, but you don’t have to wait several months to try the beauty looks. Yes, as you watch the next hair and makeup trends unfold in real time, you can also instantly incorporate them into your current style rotation. So if you’re still in the process of mapping out your fall vibe as we approach the official end of summer, you’re in luck because the Spring/Summer 2026 season kicks off in just a few days.
With many new creative directors at major fashion houses presenting the first womenswear collections this season (Dior and Chanel are two high-anticipated shows), the runway hair and makeup moments are anyone’s guess. However, the recent looks from Haute Couture Week Fall/Winter 2025 in July and Copenhagen Fashion Week Spring/Summer 2026 in August can serve as a glimpse into the emerging makeup and hairstyles that will be all over your feeds in the coming weeks. In the need for a hair color refresh or your current go-to lipstick shade is starting to feel a bit stale? You’re about to feel inspired.
Read on for five hair and makeup trends you can bet you’ll spot on the S/S ‘26 runways and fashion week street style stars.
Retro Head Scarves
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Raimonda Kulikauskiene/Getty Images
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Edward Berthelot/Getty Images
There may not have been a distinct song of the summer this year, but the biggest hair trend of the season was clear. Seen on Gracie Abrams, Euro summer snapshots on your Instagram feed, and the streets of Copenhagen Fashion Week, retro head scarves were everywhere the past few months. And if the stylish Danes are any indication, they’ll be spotted throughout fashion month, too. It’s easy to understand why — the accessory can top any hairstyle and adds extra personal flair to your overall look.
Gothic Lipstick
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Pat McGrath Labs
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Stephane Cardinale – Corbis/Corbis Entertainment/Getty Images
Blame it on the recent drop of Wednesday Season 2 or the increasingly crisp temps, you might find that your makeup has been getting moodier – and so has the fashion crowd. Seen on the Schiaparelli runway at Haute Couture Fall/Winter 2025 in July, along with the stylish attendees outside of the shows, black lipstick in particular is having a moment. If a full-on inky matte lip, like the one Dame Pat McGrath created for Daniel Roseberry’s latest collection, is a little too intense for you, opt for a deep bruised plum stain for a more subued take on the trend.
Manic Panic Dream Girl
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Edward Berthelot/Getty Images
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Christian Vierig/Getty Images
A surefire way to stand out in a sea of very stylish fashion show attendees? Dyeing your hair a vibrant neon hue. While cotton candy pink strands have become a street style staple over the past few years, expect to spot various other colors of the rainbow (like tangerine, seen above) while perusing through street style highlights this month.
Velvet Skin
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Merit Beauty
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WWD/Getty Images
No-makeup makeup isn’t a revolutionary runway makeup look, however, there was a noticeable shift in how designers were presenting it on the runway. In lieu of glass skin, models at Fall/Winter 2025 shows like Brandon Maxwell and Balmain had soft, velvety complexions with just a hint of blush. Arguably, the moderately matte alternative is a more realistic look than glazed donut skin, and that’s exactly why you’re seeing less highlighter.
Fluffy Curls
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Matt Jelonek/Getty Images
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Peter White/Getty Images
Despite summer winding down, the humidity is still out in full force, which is exactly why fluffy, cloud-like curls will be popular among the street style scene as they dash from show to show. You can also expect to spot the style on more runways (it was seen at Chloé Fall/Winter 2025 and Munthe Spring/Summer 2026). With more and more designers opting to tailor the collection’s beauty look to each model, what better way to do so than embracing and enhancing their natural textures?
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