When it comes to beauty and fashion month, pretty much anything goes. And as self-professed hair-and-makeup obsessives, 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-size 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.
Gen Z–Approved Parts
Spotted at Ludovic De Saint Sernin, Altuzarra, Coperni
Also known as 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.
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Slicked Strands
Spotted at Jonathan Simkhai, Chanel, Lanvin
Say hello to yet another overwhelming hair trend we spotted across all four cities: classic (and sometimes not-so-classic) slicked-back hair. Whether models wore their hair in sleek chignons; wet, glitter-lacquered waves; or back-grazing lengths, the look of glossy strands pulled back and away from the face was unanimously favored.
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Peachy Keen Gazes
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 allover shadow. You really can't go wrong.
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Drool-Inducing Hair Accessories
Spotted at Simone Rocha, Tom Ford, 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. And 2022's displays were no different, with tiaras; chunky, stackable barrettes; and bubble ponytail holders all making head-turning appearances.
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Crimson Lips
Spotted at Michael Kors, Saint Laurent, Naeem Khan
Red lips never go out of style per se, but their fever-pitch popularity does come in waves. 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.
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Otherworldly Pouts
Spotted at ACNE Studios, Mark Fast, 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.
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Ultra-Fresh Skin
Spotted at Patbo, Altuzarra, Ottolinger
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.
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Metallic Accents
Spotted at Simone Rocha, Etro, LaQuan Smith
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, it was to accentuate an otherwise bare complexion.
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Face-Paint Vibes
Spotted at Rodarte, Paul & Joe
Whimsical designs such as flowers, clouds, rainbows, and galactic extraterrestrial made nostalgic appearances at shows like Rodarte and Paul & Joe. Think of the face paint of your childhood but so much cooler.
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Edward Cullen–esque Sparkle
Spotted at Blumarine, Collina Strada, Osman
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.
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Waves of Neon
Spotted at Versace, Prabal Gurung, Kim Shui
We're used to seeing smoldering smoky eyes and dramatic inky liner grace the faces of fashion week models, but spring/summer's 2022 take was noticeably more technicolor and—dare we say—Rainbow Brite–inspired than the traditional black. The multicolored strokes at Versace were our personal favorite, but the vibrant looks at Prabal Gurung and Kim Shui were close followers.
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White-Out
Spotted at John Richmond, Francesca Liberatore, 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 glam to your cheekbones and Cupid's bow.
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Fireside Flush
Spotted at Brandon Maxwell, Blumarine, Altuzarra
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.
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Next: The Under-$25 Products We're Using to Transition Our Skincare Routines to Winter
This article was originally published at an earlier date and has since been updated.
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