During New York Fashion Week, I spent a lot of time backstage getting up close and personal looks at the hair and makeup direction, and asking the artists behind the looks the important questions on their biggest inspirations ahead of the shows.
From feather nails to painted eyelashes, artists and designers collaborated to achieve looks that felt both fresh and consistent with the theme of the collections. All in all, this is my New York Fashion Week conclusion: it was all about hair, nails, and lashes—the skin just needed to glow. Below, we're rounding up all of the Spring 2026 beauty trends at NYFW this season.
Fairy Lashes
Eckhaus Latta Spring/Summer 2026
Louis Gay
Ulla Johnson Spring/Summer 2026
Courtesy of Sisley Paris
For the Eckhaus Latta show, Lashify went with semi-transparent white lashes. “We spent a long time perfecting this translucent finish for the lashes, and when you see them on the models, they catch the light in a way that feels delicate and dreamlike," Isamaya Ffrench, who worked on the beauty for the show said. "It’s almost as if the lashes disappear, leaving behind just a subtle whisper of shape and shimmer that gives the look an otherworldly quality."
Backstage at Ulla Johnson on the Upper East Side, lead makeup artist Romy Soleimani shared that she was inspired by a tray of Kentshire jewelry that laid before her on one of the tests. From there, she was committed to gilding the lashes of the models for Spring/Summer 2026 show. She accomplished this by crushing Sisley Paris's Les Phyto-Ombres in Glow Gold, combining it with a mixing medium, and using a fan brush to lightly coat both the top and bottom lashes, as well as the lash line. For both shows, the result was an ethereal finish.
Sculptural Hair
Collina Strada Spring/Summer 2026
Courtesy of Bumble and bumble
Pipenco Spring/Summer 2026
Colin Savercool
This season was all about doing the absolute most with hair. At Collina Strada, hairstylist Mustafa Ayanaz shared that hair hats began as a joke between him and designer Hillary Taymour. It was presented as a challenge that Ayanaz, without hesitation, accepted. The result was baseball caps with extensions and crocheted beanies.
At the Pipenco show, a model walked down the rooftop runway with structured hair standing straight up. At other shows, such as Grace Ling, the longer the extensions, the better. For Ling's Spring 2026 show, models had ponytail extensions that were connected to the head via silver daggers and ultra-long braids were pierced with shards of metal.
Impractically-Long Nails
Grace Ling Spring/Summer 2026
Courtesy of OPI
The Blonds Spring/Summer 2026
Jennifer Graylock for Glitterbels
This was the season of extra long nails, some impractically so with pierced hoops, charms, and in the case of the Luar show, feathers dangling and attached. Nail artist Coca Michelle worked collaboratively with designer Grace Ling to ensure the nails reflected the show's theme "Future Relics". "From pierced details to the nails that are reminiscent of glass, every nail look was thoughtfully crafted and plays off the juxtaposition of the theme of the collection," Michelle shared.
For The Blonds' Spring/Summer 2026 Collection, Glitterbels' Executive Advisor Jan Arnold and nail artist and CEO Annabel Maginnis aimed to transform the models' hands into extensions of the collection, so long charms and details were added to already extra long extensions.
Mochi Makeup
Bach Mai Spring/Summer 2026
LOVE, DEATH AND BEAUTY
Brandon Maxwell Spring/Summer 2026
Courtesy of Merit
With maximalist hair, nails, and eyelashes doing the work this season, makeup was kept simple. Minimal but with a seemingly effortless glow. For the Bach Mai presentation, the skin prep process began with a RéVive Skincare Brightening Face Mask which includes our favorite brightening ingredient, Vitamin C. For the Brandon Maxwell show, the Merit Great Skin Glow Serum was step one for a glow that looked like it came from within.
French Tips With A Twist
O.P.I
Rave Nailz
French tips made their mark on New York City runways this month, but not in the classic white tip way that you might be thinking. We took note of French tips with a twist. For the Off-White show, nail artist Coca Michelle introduced us to the double-lined French tip. "It’s a playful twist on the traditional French mani," Michelle said. "[It] features OPI’s classic Black Onyx for the double line look. I think this nail trend will carry on through the next year.”
On PatBo's runway where their Latin-inspired collection was presented, Rave Nailz created press-ons to complement the looks. They created a chocolate brown French tip, adding a warm and earthy element to the show.
Sleek & Slick
ghd
Dave Kotinsky, Getty Images for TRESemmé
Sleek, slicked back buns are a tried and true hairstyle. But if NYC's Spring/Summer 2026 proved anything, it's that they definitely don't have to be boring. For the Christian Siriano show, hairstylist Lacy Redway embraced the "liquid wave." "We wanted a look that was sleek, yet striking," Redway shared.
Over at Luar, accessories were everything. Models walked the runway with simple slicked back hair with a maximalist twist: feathered and beaded headpieces and hair accessories created by stylist Sonny Molina and inspired by Carnival.
Click here for the top fashion trends from New York Fashion Week S/S 2026.
