12 Standout Beauty Trends We Saw All Over the A/W 24 Runways

With fashion month long gone, and a new season on the horizon, there's a lot of unpack on the beauty trends front. The autumn/winter 2024 season brought an entirely different beauty mood from those we've seen prior. After a long stint of "no makeup" makeup and minimalist hair, the autumn/winter 2024 beauty trends delivered makeup moments that made us gasp out loud and chic, wearable hair looks that we're planning on copying immediately. As beauty editors, it's a breath of fresh air to see the buzz of creativity backstage as the key makeup artists and hairstylists shape the beauty trends, moods and the inevitable influx of aesthetics to come on social media for the season ahead.

It seems the UK beauty industry is ready to welcome in this experimentation with open arms, too. According to the British Beauty Council’s latest Value Of Beauty Report, we spent a staggering £2.7 billion on cosmetic products in 2022, and our love for expressing ourselves through makeup and hair shows no signs of slowing down as we head into the decade. Backstage at fashion week, we saw everything from bright raspberry pink eyeshadow to statement wet-look hair. And while these might sound like bold looks to wear day-to-day, they are surprisingly very wearable.

"Three things really make A/W 24 beauty looks for me: lips, punk and romance," says Millie Kendall OBE, founder of the British Beauty Council. "It was so good to see artists embrace thick liner and textures in ways that really hark back to Westwood's 1970's London-see Dame Pat McGrath's eyeliner for Versace in Milan as a top example. Then, of course, there was JW Anderson's bright red lip which seemed to take over social media. And who could miss those rose eyebrows at Simone Rocha? Thomas de Kluyver used a brow block to shape model's faces with romantic climbing roses, turning a dark grungy look into something more regency."

Ahead, you'll find the coolest hair and makeup trends that took to the runways across New York, London, Paris and Milan, with expert tips on how to bring the trends from the runway to your daily beauty repertoire.

12 Autumn/Winter 24 Beauty Trends That Will Dominate The Season

1. A Wink of Pink

According to Dior Makeup international pro artist Jamie Coombes, pink eyeshadow is set to be huge this autumn and winter. “I can see it becoming a viral trend. Pink is a fun and youthful colour and not normally seen for autumn/winter so it’s great to have colour that will lift those gloomy winter days,” he says. “Pink eyeshadow married with loaded mascara lashes is a modern nod to the ‘60s.” As you can see above, this trend is a grungier take on the pretty pink aesthetic, focusing on sharp lines and bold shades.

In order to create this look at home, Coombes recommends keeping it simple and focusing on the upper eyelid only. “Cool metallic pink can make a great highlighter so you can easily add a touch of pink to your daily eye makeup routine.”

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2. One-Trick Pony

A low ponytail has long been a backstage favourite of hairstylists for chic runway hair, but we really saw this trend take off for autumn/winter 2024—and it couldn’t be easier to replicate. Celebrity hairstylist Sam McKnight MBE gives us the low-down on how to achieve the chicest low pony, as seen at Balmain and Victoria Beckham.

“Begin with freshly cleansed and nourished hair,” says McKnight. “For straight lengths we gave the girls a bit of a wave with a medium curling tong and Modern Hairspray to protect from the heat and give long lasting hold. For curls we added hydration and defined texture with Happy Endings. For texture-rich hair we braided long cornrows. Gather hair into a low ponytail at the nape, keeping the natural texture and secure with a black hairband.” To keep the look expensive-looking, choose a glossing treatment for mirror-like shine and elevate the look with a ponytail cuff at the nape of the neck.

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3. Cranberry Girl

Meet strawberry girl’s moodier, expensive-looking autumn/winter sister. From Anna Sui to Ferrari, we saw cranberry red in every texture on the lips, from just-bitten stains to plump and juicy glossy lacquers. But it doesn’t just lend itself to lips—it makes for a fresh update to cheeks and the eyelids, too.

“Cranberry will be a great alternative to the usual coppery bronze shades we usually see,” says Coombes. “Use in matte shades paired with a smudged liner. I love this look as the more intense, the powerful the eye look becomes. Diorshow 5 Couleurs 879 Rouge Trafalgar, Diorshow 5 Couleurs 673 Red Tartan and Mono Couleur Couture 884 Rouge Trafalgar are perfect to create this look,” he says.

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4. Switching Sides

Yep, the side parting is back and it’s chicer than ever. This hairstyle could be seen all over the autumn/winter 2024 runways at shows such as Harris Reed, JW Anderson, Tory Burch and Max Mara. On creating the structured side partings backstage at Harris Reed, Dyson advocate, Ali Pirzadeh says: “The inspiration for the hair for Harris Reed’s Shadow Dance show began with the collection; following the lines of the garments and seeking to balance the femininity of the silhouettes with a more masculine, graphic hair look.”

This trend is all about those structured lines and is the perfect antidote to softer, more feminine hair looks that dominated the spring and summer catwalks. To achieve that sharp line, you’re going to want to part your hair with the end of a thin comb before securing with a hair gel or spray. If styling when wet, use the thin attachment on your hairdryer to blow dry the parting into place.

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5. Grungecore

While dewy skin and “clean girl” makeup has reigned for several seasons, this year sees a return to grungy makeup looks. “I think the grunge look is more accessible to create,” says Coombes. “It’s not so precise and is all about the smudge around the eyes.” He isn’t the only one to think this, with MAC makeup artist Terry Barber touting a shift in aesthetic this year to more maximalist makeup looks.

This was reflected on this year’s runways with smudged, smokey eyes and graphic black liner looks stealing the show. I spoke to Amy Conway, global pro artist at Bobbi Brown, backstage at Erdem where she created one of my favourite grunge eye makeup looks. “This look is very intense, it’s very fun but it’s very fierce. It’s all about eyeliner, strong brows and really beautiful skin,” she told me. If you want to make things a little more fierce this autumn, I recommend investing in a good eyeliner pencil and a smokey eyeshadow palette to create a range of “grungecore” looks.

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6. Hydro Hair

Forget glowy skin, as this year it’s all about dewy, wet-look hair. These “hydro hair” styles could be seen at the likes of Erdem, Richard Quinn, Valentino, Rokh, Diesel and more, all in a range of updos from vintage, old Hollywood styles to more modern, slicked-back ponytails and buns.

The key to this look is all in the products. A hair gel is great for getting that really shiny, wet-look effect, but you can also use a generous helping of hairspray or hair oil to get that glowing finish. Don’t forget to invest in a detox shampoo to help remove all of that product build up and give your hair a good cleanse.

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7. Something Blue

We’ve been on the cusp of a blue eyeshadow renaissance, and the autumn/winter runways have cemented it as a trend that is here to stay long into the year ahead. From frosty pastel blue at Connor Ives and Avellano statement-making cobalt mascara at Sagaboi, we’re ready to dive deep into the blue by sweeping it all over our eyelids. The trend gives a nod to the pastel blue moments we saw in the ’90s, so it only seems fitting that we’re wearing the look with pared-back skin and lacquered clear gloss.

“We wanted to create a more elevated and elegant makeup this season,” says Lucy Bridge, lead makeup artist at Connor Ives, who used Byredo makeup to create the looks backstage. “Some of Conner’s ‘swans’ sported a baby blue eye with taupe or yellow false lashes. All girls had a fair helping of Byredo Fantome Liquid Vinyl Gloss over the lips,” she says. From frosted blue to matte navy, take your pick of the season’s serotonin-boosting blues.

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8. Take A Bow

According to the autumn/winter 2024 runways, we’re still very much in our coquette era, with bows and ribbons aplenty at London, Paris and New York. We saw them secured into low ponytails at Chanel, adorning headbands at Vivetta and tied through the lengths at Simone Rocha with maximalist gothic aplomb. Whether you opt for oversized plush bows tied at the base of your Parisian ponytail a la Chanel to bright and colourful bow barrettes as seen at Coach, there are endless moods to tap into when it comes to this trend—it’s all about making it work for your own individual style, which is exactly what McKnight captured for models at Vivienne Westwood. “I wanted to reflect each of their personalities through their hairstyle,” he says. “For some we created very natural loose waves, for others we created exaggerated volume on top and left the back very straight to channel this bourgeois spirit. On some ponytails, I added ribbons for sophisticated finish.”

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9. Put It On Ice

I’d always reserved shimmering, icy eyeshadow shades for the festive season, but this year it’s all about being that little bit extra with your makeup, which is why I’m going to be opting for these metallic tones as soon as autumn hits.

One of my favourite looks this season was Charlotte Tilbury’s glistening, silver and gold eyeshadows backstage at Harris Reed created by leading makeup artist, Sofia Tilbury. “We wanted to create a makeup look that spoke to maximalist glamour—rich colours and opulent textures that would help embody the fantasy world Harris created with his extraordinary pieces,” she said. “The eyes were opulent and romantic, with bold splashes of silver and gold created using the Luxury Palettes in Queen of Glow, The Rock Chick and Uptown Girl to catch the light in the shadowy show space.” In order to achieve this look at home, pack on the colour with your fingertips or a dense eyeshadow brush to get that sparkling finish.

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10. Fringe Benefits

Hairstylists are proclaiming 2024 as the year of the fringes. So call your salon, because we’re ready to put our best fringe forward. Seen at Dries Van Noten, Shiatzy Chen and Leonard Paris, we saw full, side and curly fringes dominate the runways. “I’m not surprised fringes are so popular at the moment as they can really transform a hairstyle,” says British Hairdresser of the Year and global creative director for Toni & Guy Cos Sakkas. “A fringe will add another dimension to a short haircut, or update a longer hairstyle, and create a focal point to the face. It can totally change someone’s look in an instant.”

Before you reach for the scissors, Neil Moodie, editorial stylist and founder of the Neil Moodie Studio has a few pointers on how to style your fringe. “Use a dry shampoo should your fringe become sticky or sweaty, and opt for a lighter conditioner,” he says. “Sam McKnight has some biodegradable and compostable Hair Cleanse Cloths in his range. They cleanse and revive roots, fringes and hairlines for a post-workout refresh, a quick festival fix or whilst travelling and for hot humid days too,” he says. “Consider changing your hairstyle to reduce forehead contact. Style your hair over to one side or even create like a curtain fringe by doing a centre parting.”

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11. Vintage Skin

Last year radiant skin ruled the runways, but for 2024 we saw a much more understated approach when it came to base makeup. Instead of using super glowy foundations and highlighters, a lot of brands went for a soft matte finish with subtle luminosity.

Barber described his soft matte makeup look for Richard Quinn as, “flawless skin with a pearl in it. We’re powdering it, powder is back, powder never went away for me. I like the idea of the face looking like a Victorian portrait.” Lead make-up artist Lynsey Alexander did a similar base at JW Anderson with Merit Beauty, adding a hint of luminosity with the Minimalist Perfecting Complexion Stick which was paired with a statement matte lip.

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12. Valley Of The Dolls

Move over, Barbie—there’s a new host of dolls that took to the runways this season. Except these dolls have a certain edginess to them. Pat McGrath pioneered the trend at Maison Margiela Couture, with her hyper-real, porcelain skin effect that set the internet ablaze. Ever since, we’ve seen dolly-inspired nods on the autumn/winter 2024 runways, from precise matte red lips at Richard Quinn to rounded pink blush placement at Rojas. We even saw doll-like feathery lash accents at Di Petsa. Backstage at Richard Quinn, Barber said: “The lip shape is swollen, strict, straight and overlined," he says. “But then the lip is this amazing, hard, almost YSL look from back in the day,” he says, with a “very, very perfect, mannequin-like highlight without being wet.”

How will we wear this IRL? Experiment with the placement of blush on the apples of your cheeks—think more coquette, than snatched high on the cheekbones—and look to mascaras that lend a feathery flutter. Go bold with a matte red lip and opt for wet-look highlights to emulate a glassy mannequin sheen.

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