When it comes to beauty and fashion month, pretty much anything goes. And, as self-professed hair and makeup obsessees, we pretty much live for it. (In our eyes, the weirder and more outlandish, the better.) The sparkling shows in New York, London, Milan, and Paris have come and gone, but the artistic visions of designers (and the leagues of über-talented makeup artists and hairstylists) are still swirling in our inspiration-starved brains.
We’ve taken a beat to ingest everything we saw—from glitter-crusted earlobes and limbs to bumblebee-stamped complexions—and put together a comprehensive list of the most notable (and actually try-able) beauty looks we spotted repeatedly in each and every city. Y2K inspirations continued to pull their weight via glitter, center parts, crimps, and bite-sized braids, as did futuristic nods towards galactic facial embellishments, rainbow-striped eyelids, and chrome-finished everything—an elite assortment of beauty fodder if we’ve ever seen it. To give you a taste of the magic we saw on the runways, we’re sharing 13 of the most prominent trends of the spring/summer 2022 season below, plus, the easy-to-use products to help you channel each aesthetic on your own. Keep scrolling, you’re in for a treat.
Spotted at: Coperni, Ludovic De Saint Sernin, Altuzarra
Aka—a pin-straight center-part. Of course, middle parts have always been a thing—despite Gen-Z’s outspoken bias for the style—but according to the majority of runways across New York, Paris, Milan, and London, the center part is officially It for the foreseeable future. (Nary a side part did we see!) What’s more, switching up your part is probably the most effortless way to transform the look of your strands in seconds, and people will probably ask if you did something way more drastic.
Spotted at: Lanvin, Chanel, Jonathan Simkhai
Say hello to yet another overwhelming hair trend we spotted across all four cities—the classic (and sometimes not-so-classic) slick back. Whether models wore their hair in sleek chignons, wet, glitter lacquered waves, or back-grazing length, the look of glossy strands pulled back and away from the face was unanimouslyy favored.
Spotted at: Drome, Bora Aksu, Anna Sui
Pink and russet-flushed eyes have remained an unwavering trend in the last few years, but spring/summer 2022’s take is lighter, brighter, and a bit more whimsical via complexion-popping shades of coral and peach. Try the shade as an eyeliner or all-over shadow, you really can’t go wrong.
Spotted at: Tom Ford, Simone Rocha, Victor Glemaud
It’s hardly surprising that statement-making headpieces and hair accessories have always been an important part of a designer’s artistic vision when it comes to showcasing a new collection. 2022’s displays were no different, with tiaras, chunky, stackable barrettes, and bubble ponytail holders all making head-turning appearances.
Spotted at: Saint Laurent, Michael Kors, Naeem Khan
Red lips never go out of style per se, but their fever-pitch popularity does come in waves. And, we foresee an inevitable surge if this fall’s runways have anything to say about it. Try it shiny, try it matte, or if you’d rather dip your toe in versus plunging headfirst, try a tinted lip oil, like Merit’s in Cara-Cara, for a subdued yet still-on-trend take on the look.
Spotted at: Mark Fast, Acne Studios, Duncan
Disco-purple, gothic black, and sequin studs aren’t, perhaps, the most wearable of lip aesthetics to try day-to-day, but hey, there are absolutely no rules when it comes to beauty, and we deeply enjoyed the transportive, fantasy-like quality of the celestial inspirations above.
Spotted at: Ottolinger,Patbo, Altuzarra
Fashion week isn’t always about Mars-transported makeup looks. We took note of plenty of shows that displayed models’ fresh-faced, barely made-up complexions. To really help your skin sing next spring and summer (or, you know, now), opt for an airy tinted moisturizer or a light, creamy foundation—if you want a little more coverage—that will look invisible the second it melts into your skin.
Spotted at: LaQuan Smith, Simone Rocha, Etro
From the not-so-subtle embellishments freckling models’ faces at Etro to crystallized cat-eyes at LaQuan Smith in shades of ruby, sapphire, and turquoise, gleaming metallic accents could be spotted across countless runways. Usually, to accentuate an otherwise bare complexion. For luminous lips, pop on Zara’s Holo Balm—trust, it’s like mood lighting for your pout.
Spotted at: Paul & Joe, Rodarte,
Whimsical designs à la flowers, clouds, rainbows, and other galactic extraterrestrial made nostalgic appearances at shows like Rodarte and Paul & Joe. Think of the face paint of your childhood, but so much cooler.
Spotted at: Collina Strada, Simone Rocha, Blumarine
Glittering hair and skin practically dripped off the fashion month runways, and we couldn’t help but make the comparison to the Cullens’ infamously sparkling skin. Body glitter (as seen at Blumarine) has been on our radar for a while now as one of our favorite re-emerging Y2K beauty trends, and we love seeing the spread to strands, eyes, and even ears. Try it if you dare.
Spotted at: Prabal Gurung, Kim Shui, Versace
We’re used to seeing smoldering smokey eyes and dramatic inky liner grace the faces of fashion week models, but spring/summer’s 2022 take was noticeably more technicolor, dare we say Rainbow Brite-inspired than the traditional black. The multi-colored strokes at Versace were our personal favorite, but the vibrant looks at Prabal Gurung and Kim Shui were close followers.
Spotted at: Francesca Liberatore, John Richmond, Yohji Yamamoto
Nothing makes a statement like allover white (be it on the lips, eyes, lashes, or cheeks) which lends stunning contrast to rich skin tones and an icy finish to lighter complexions. For a more wearable take on the looks we saw on the runways, try a dash of white liner on your lids or an icier hit of highlighter to add some gleam to your cheekbones and Cupid’s bow.
Spotted at: Altuzarra, Brandon Maxwell, Blumarine
Last, but certainly not least, blush. But not just any kind of blush, a warm, borderline feverish flush that feels reminiscent of the natural rosiness you get after sitting a tad too close to the campfire, drinking a glass (or three) of wine, or even just going for a brisk walk in the cold. Depending on your coloring you can go more orange or pink, just add an extra layer than you normally might to really give your at-home version runway-inspired legs.
