New York Fashion Week’s Fall/Winter 2025 Best Beauty Moments Are a Lesson in Juxtaposition

Fashion month is in full swing, and the beauty details tell a story all on their own. Here in New York, street-style lovers have kept it simple—wearing minimal, single-color eyeshadow looks and simple hairstyles that show off their natural textures. They’re beauty choices that feel like a reflection of the attitudes of the general public. In a nutshell? We’re all exhausted and can’t be bothered. (Seriously, eye bags on the runway are becoming a thing again).

Still, it feels like designers have been toeing the line. Case in point? Raul Lopez of Luar opted for maximalist, over-the-top makeup, and manicures—inclusive of feathers and a dramatic cut-crease (more on that later)— yet Stewart Vevers at Coach kept things simple but grungy with bare fingernails, face-framing hairstyles, and traditional, skin-forward makeup. Another dichotomy: Thom Browne leaned into gilded, feather-accented lashes and brightly-colored stiletto nails, whereas Romeo Hunte opted for blushed lips or cheeks alongside texture-enhancing hairstyles—and not much else. The beauty space, it seems, is at an impasse.

The juxtaposition is a reflection of our times. While recession-core and “clean girl makeup” are going strong, makeup artist Terry Barber says the reverse will always have a place in the zeitgeist as well. “There’s always a defiance when it comes to [beauty],” she tells Marie Claire at the Luar show. “For Luar in particular, the makeup brings us back to a time where slightly ridiculous, over-the-top glamour—while beautiful to look at— may not have been the most socially acceptable thing to do, but it’s an ode to movements like the Stonewall Riots and drag as a political ideology.” Over at Coach, makeup artist Dame Pat McGrath, DBE, translated Vever’s vision for a collection dedicated to American classics. “They wanted everyone to look cool, natural, and fresh,” McGrath tells Marie Claire. “All makeup products used were applied very minimally…adding this gorgeousness without looking overly made up.”

The constant push and pull of maximalists to minimalist beauty aesthetics is seemingly a copycat response to a world entrenched in black-and-white guidelines. Be it political extremes, a battle of unattainable luxury and fast fashion, or socioeconomic boundaries—a middle ground is ceasing to exist. But beauty, by nature, is democratic; it's for every budget, every skin color, every human.

So rather than stick to the confines of runway recreation, I encourage you to pluck what inspires you from the runway—and put your on twist on it. Want to pair a power brow with blushed cheeks? Why not? Want to add multiple 3D textures to your manicure? Who's stopping you? Want to embrace your inner exhaustion with a no-makeup day? Go for it.

Throw caution to the wind and, instead, cocktail a beauty look that speaks to you. Enjoy the art of hair, makeup, and nails for exactly what they are: a fun and gorgeous form of self-expression. That being said, Marie Claire editors have curated the best beauty looks that have graced the runways this season. Keep reading for the best hair, makeup, and nails, from New York Fashion Week’s Fall/Winter 2025 season. Happy scrolling and see where inspiration sparks.

Avian Eyes and Sculptural Hair at Thom Browne

Birds, origami, and punk rock, all inspired the beauty looks at Thom Browne this season. For the makeup, key artist Isamaya Ffrench took the former quite literally. "When I talked to Sahara, the founder of Lashify, about this look she mentioned using the Edge X, which is a lash that we created together," Ffrench tells me. "We used it as a base and created this sort of feathery moment on top that felt quite magical. Other models had this bookish, slightly academic look, so we used the same lashes and added some color on the lips to tie in the tweed and quintessential Thom Browne ties."

As for the hair, stylist James Pecis, created a look that was "precise, clean, and conceptual." "For the geometric pieces that you see, they're made of braiding hair and use a product for the art supply store, [editor's note: the texture was similar to shellac], to flatten it and cut it into these shapes you're seeing," Pecis tells me. "For models with shorter, or more coily and curly hair, we either used a base of hair clips which we then attached the pieces to using bobby pins, or created a beehive and glued on a kiss curl at the front."

Sunburnt Cheeks at Romeo Hunte

Keyed by makeup artist Sir John for Tarte Cosmetics, the makeup looks at Romeo Hunte F/W '25 were all about blushed cheeks, almost to the point of looking sunburnt. Save for a soft lash and a matching lip color, the minimal look complemented the otherwise edgy and almost whimsical-looking collection.

'60s Eyes and Cherry Mocha Nails at Cucculelli Shaheen

"This look was inspired by a traditional '60s lash," MAC Cosmetics's Director of Artistry, Baltasar González Pinel, tells me. "Instead of drawing them on like Twiggy or Peggy Moffitt, we apply pieces of lashes to make the look feel equal parts, playful and innocent, yet slightly evil."

No other color was used on the face, safe for MAC's Peachstock lipstick, however, on the nails, I saw a color that's been trending for a few months now. "The inspiration was very retro-focused and the nails were kept a "squoval shape," key manicurist, Terry Little, tells me. "The color used, which is Essie's 'Not So Lowkey,' is the perfect chameleon shade, as it really meshes well with so many undertones. It's truly a universally flattering shade."

Alien Hair at Collina Strada

Inspired by the grungy elements of the Collina Strada F/W '25 collection, hairstylist Mustafa Yanaz, sought to recreate that feeling with the hairstyles for the models. "We wanted the hairstyles to look super edgy and lived in, but we also wanted a throughline for all of the girls so I created these horns that almost looked a little extraterrestrial for some of the models and these swirly bangs that looked reminiscent of the designer's initials on the others," Yanaz tells me. "Both styles are very tricky to do and involve quite a bit of heat, so my hero products were the Bumble and Bumble hair primer and Brilliantine cream."

For makeup, Dick Page tells me that he approached the looks from a place of "play and decoration." "Some girls got this animal-print pattern on different parts of the face, while others for this beautiful pop of color on the inner corner of the eye, using the Ilia Eye Stylus Shadow Sticks," he says. "This makeup is all about little accent details versus a full-blown makeup look."

Power Brows and Feathered Nails at Luar

At Luar, not only was the power brow back, and an ode to beauty as a form of resistance, but the nails were quite, well, textured. "When I do nails for Luar I always think of them as a part of the collection," key manicurist, Naomi Yasuda, tells me. "It's always more of an accessory to complement the look versus a standalone manicure." The theme of this season was al pato, which roughly translates to duck in Spanish, so Yasuda took that inspiration and ran with it. "I did four different colors: black, white, brown, and a black-and-white zebra combination for each nail," Yasuda says. "It was actually really hard to do, but what finally made the feathers stick was placing them on top of OPI's non-wipe gel top coat and then curing them to make them set and last on the nail."