The 9 Top Beauty Trends of the Spring 2016 Shows

Through daring new haircuts, celebrations of air-dried texture, and brazen dashes of glitter, the Spring 2016 runway shows took the call to individuality to soaring new heights. Starting with the season’s dynamic casting, which favored charismatic personalities (Gigi Hadid! Zoë Kravitz! Beth Ditto!) and bold gestures over anonymous model armies and blanket beauty statements, the best hair and makeup looks celebrated unique style. In some cases, that meant healthy skin, swirls of tawny blush, and subtle shading that heightened the effect of an unconventional set of features. But there were plenty of playful makeup declarations, too, in the form of daubed-on red lipstick or swaths of blue eyeshadow (the mere range of which, from Dries Van Noten’s stripe of glitter to Chanel’s pastel eye mask, proved there’s no wrong way to dip into the versatile palette).

Hair conveyed a relaxed polish, finding its stride in personalized plaits and ponytails, updos that could be executed in the middle of the day, and idiosyncratic cuts primed for glittering accessories—if the impulse should strike. Here’s to nine winning trends that offer ample inspiration for shaking up your spring look, while leaving plenty of room to march to your own beauty beat.

 

Eyes That Shine

 

Gleaming lids, glitter-rimmed lashes, and metallic golden lips were just a few of the season’s most memorable makeup statements, with a well-executed dash of sparkle emerging as the most convincing counterargument to no-makeup makeup.

 

Crowning Glories

 

Swingy low ponytails and easy air-dried waves played a supporting role to a scene-stealing lineup of hair accessories. From the simple black grosgrain bow at Oscar de la Renta to the glittering Saint Laurent tiara, the runways were a case study in how to pull off a decorative hair ornament.

 

A Touch of Blue

 

A graphic swipe of robin’s egg (Marc Jacobs), a painterly smudge of cyan (Missoni), and a tight cobalt line (Jonathan Saunders) demonstrated the range of Spring’s blue eye makeup movement. But leave it to Chanel to push the color into conceptual territory, creating hazy pastel masks that encapsulated the brows and bridge of the nose, too.

 

Bangs, Bobs, and Buzz Cuts

 

Is there anything more personal than a signature statement cut? On runways from New York to Paris, models abandoned uniform waist-length hair in favor of choppy bangs (Kiki Willems), buzz cuts (Ruth Bell), and idiosyncratic above-the-shoulder crops. Executed with scissors, razors, bobby pins, and even wigs, each startling transformation emphasized the power of picking up the shears.

 

City-Slick Braids and Twists

 

Inspired by soul singer Sade (Céline), postcards from Cuba (Proenza Schouler), and the demands of urban life (Public School), braids appeared on runways from New York to Paris. Twisted or properly plaited, each version proved to be an artfully simple solution for pulling hair away from your face.

 

Code Red

 

From the glossy Coca-Cola red lip color at Nina Ricci to the velvet oxblood stain at Burberry Prorsum, bold mouths struck the right balance against a backdrop of otherwise bare skin. The dichotomy turned a classic sign of polish into a modern, spirited afterthought.

 

Personalized Ponytails

 

An eye for detail is all that’s necessary to turn the ubiquitous ponytail into a personal style statement. Balmain’s high, slick variation was suited for a modern-day army, while Dior’s was secured at the nape of the neck with one of the collection’s ribbon chokers. Elsewhere, Marni, Miu Miu, and Chanel asked a very valid question: Why have one ponytail when you can have two?

 

Easy Updos

 

The updo shed its fussy, overworked connotations as lanky loops, loose-ended chignons, and fuzzy twirling topknots replaced exacting, overwrought styles.

 

The New Natural

 

The recent call to natural beauty was given a windswept polish this season, with healthy washes of sun-kissed blush at Gucci and Michael Kors Collection meeting the breeze-tousled waves of Versace, Alexander McQueen, and Thakoon. Clocking hours outdoors never looked more romantic.

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