5 eye-catching beauty trends from Fashion Week Spring 2023
Decorated brows, painted hair, and very wet skin are among the looks to consider next season!
There's no question about it: full glam squads were back in action at fashion week. Yet many of the beauty looks on Spring 2023 runways erred on the conservative side. Some makeup, hair and nail teams veered toward classics (matte red lips, natural makeup and sleek, glossy tresses won't ever go out of style!), while others offered subtle tweaks to trends from recent seasons, Prada lashes and Valentino's logo-painted faces notwithstanding.
Still, there were interesting applications and trending colours to be found — enough to inspire experimentation at home. Keep an eye out for tips and videos online from industry pros on exactly how to recreate these looks.
Ahead, five of the freshest beauty trends from Fashion Week Spring 2023.
Decorated brows
We've seen bleached brows at recent fashion weeks, used to de-emphasize the eye area or create an otherworldly effect. That trend continued this season: at the Thom Browne and Andreas Kronthaler for Vivienne Westwood shows, makeup artist Isamaya Ffrench had lines drawn on bleached or lightened brows. It's one way to get the pencil-thin brows of the '90s without permanently sacrificing fullness.
On the other end of the spectrum, however, there were embellishments — glitter, beads and rhinestones — spotted on brows at Peter Do, Junya Watanabe and Johnathan Hayden's shows. It's a look that works on anyone and will guarantee double takes.
Sculpted hairlines
Hairstylist Sam McKnight oversaw the hair at the Richard Quinn show in London and described the styles as "elegant, yet strict and in complete control." While not a new look, there's something nice about the idea of exercising control right now and about a bold, intentional hairstyle that stays in place — and that's about as far as you can get from the air-dried looks and loose ponytails so many of us wear day to day.
Similar sculpted hairlines were on display at the Spring 2023 shows for Luar, Giambattista Valli and, to a less dramatic degree, Christian Siriano. At the Siriano show, stylist Lacy Redway used hair gel to style swooping locks in place, a tail comb to create defined sections, and plenty of hairspray to set it all.
Glass skin
"Wet" skin at Proenza Schouler, "glassy feels" at Eckhaus Latta, and "crystal" skin at Burberry — whatever you call it, designers and makeup artists are going for a glowing look that goes far beyond dewy.
The high-shine look, which is K-beauty inspired and has been virally replicated on TikTok and other social media, takes no-makeup skin care up a notch. Add in a "wet hair" style, and you'll look supremely quenched for spring.
Elongated nails
We saw an emphasis on nails on the Fall 2022 runways, and the trend continued through the spring shows. Some designers opted for a decidedly minimalist look — round, short and simple — but more dramatic almond and stiletto shapes ruled at the Trussardi, Rebecca Minkoff, Rochas and Off-White shows.
Some nail artists matched their creations to the jewelry and fabrics in the collections, while others experimented with metallics and embellishments. Either way, the key to pulling off these looks is to go extra long.
Painted hair
The "highlighter hair" we've been seeing on the runways continues, notably seen at Prabal Gurung in New York and Blumarine at Milan Fashion Week.
Although just as impactful, what felt newer, even more punk and very DIY were the thickly painted-on hair colours at the Daniela Gregis, Knwls and Collina Strada shows. At the Chet Lo show in London, hairstylist Anna Cofone hand-painted and stencilled colourful wigs and "veils" to coordinate with garments in the collection.
Truc Nguyen is a Toronto-based writer, editor and stylist. Follow her at @trucnguyen.
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