The must-know beauty trends of Fashion Week Spring 2022

The beauty looks at Fashion Week Spring 2022 ranged from minimal to surreal, offering both everyday inspiration and "How did they do it?" moments of creative expression. (We're talking, of course, about the silicone deer ears at Burberry.) 

Some other changes were notable. There were few if any masks shown on the runways this season, and more beauty creatives returned backstage. After several seasons that mostly stuck to no-makeup makeup and low-maintenance hairstyles, there was a renewed emphasis on bold colours for both hair and makeup, and looks that pushed the envelope. 

Ahead, five must-see beauty trends from Fashion Week Spring 2022. 

Highlighter hair

If you've been considering a change when it comes to your hair — and are feeling brave — the vibrant colours from Fashion Week will serve as a hit of inspiration. The ombré and colourblocked locks at Dries Van Noten were simply sublime, and there were also highlighter-bright hairstyles spotted at Coach, Valentino and Loewe. 

Not looking for a commitment? Many of these attention-grabbing styles can be recreated using wigs or clip-on hair extensions. It's a look that is intended to be less than natural. 

Washes of glitter 

This season, glitter appeared in both concentrated, can't-miss applications, as well as more subtly. At Acne Studios and LaQuan Smith, there were thick, bold layers applied on lips and eyelids. At Blumarine, Lanvin and Del Core, the shimmer applied around the eyes and on the body was more refined, but no less impactful. 

No-show brows

A longtime favourite effect for editorial photo shoots, bleached (or powdered out) brows were seen (barely!) at a few shows this season. 

At Valentino, lightened brows worked to emphasize dark lips, adding contrast and a sense of drama. For the Richard Quinn show at London Fashion Week, makeup artist Miranda Joyce paired bleached brows with nude lips and matte foundation to create an otherworldly look. 

Multicoloured eyes

For spring, more is more when it comes to eyes. Paint pigments and eyeshadow were used lavishly at Rodarte, Versace and Paul & Joe to create rainbows, graphic shapes and more. A fun and easy way to amp up an otherwise natural beauty look, these multicoloured creations are sure to attract attention. Bonus: for an everyday take on the trend, you can always try a monochrome graphic eye in an opaque neon hue.

Wet hair

Put away your dry shampoo. Wet-look hairstyles come back into fashion every few seasons, and the Spring 2022 runways were full of both sleek and deliberately messy takes on the trend. 

At Peter Do, the slicked-back but irreverent 'dos played companion to the designer's modern suiting, while the centre-part and long, wet locks at Chloé complemented designer Gabriela Hearst's boho-luxe silhouettes. Wet-looking, purposely stringy bangs also completed the looks at Raf Simons, Missoni and Rochas.

Truc Nguyen is a Toronto-based writer, editor and stylist. Follow her at @trucnguyen.