Fashion Week
8 Major Beauty Trends From Milan Fashion Week Spring/Summer '26
Siren eyes are back.
Fashion month is in full effect, as models and VICs traveled to Milan for their second-to-last stop on the circuit — and arguably, the most anticipated shows of the season.
From Sept. 23 to 29, the style crowd gathered in the Italian mecca, hoping to catch a glimpse of Demna’s debut collection at Gucci, Giorgio Armani’s tribute show, and the first Versace collection since Donatella stepped down. Stars like Demi Moore, Richard Gere, Hilary Duff, and Serena Williams got in on the action. And, beyond the clothes, the hair and makeup looks did not disappoint.
All in all, this season felt like a changing of the guards — from the more rigid chicness of Milan’s heyday to something that has become a caricature of itself, made by designers who can’t seem to fit themselves into a box (or don’t want to, for that matter). That sensibility was on display in this season’s beauty highlights.
Designers like Demna of Gucci and Ian Griffith of Max Mara exaggerated the bouffant hairstyles of the ’60s, bringing them to campy territory. Miucci Prada and Raf Simmons delivered hyper-feminine silhouettes paired with androgynous slickbacks. Models wore everything from gold faux eyelashes to blurry lips, tousled waves, and grungy eyeliner. Ahead, a debrief of even more standout beauty looks from Milan Fashion Week’s Spring/Summer 2026 shows.
1Siren Eyes
Cat eyes have officially been replaced by the siren eye trend — a softer, smokier alternative that elongates your features with an ultra-thin smudgy line. It was spotted on several runways this season, from Attico and Blumarine to Bottega Veneta.
3Glass Skin
Skin-forward glam was a standout at MFW, where fashion houses like Ermanno Scervino and Tod’s opted for a fresh-faced glow with just a touch of bronzer and lip gloss. In fact, makeup took a backseat to dewy skin this season. All the sweaty girls can let out a deep exhale — matte is not back just yet.
4Wet Hair
There’s a theme here: siren eyes, wet hair, glass skin. Next summer will be all about the ethereal mermaid look — oh, and hair gel. At the Prada and Tod’s shows, models sported a slicked-back wet hair look that gave an edgier feel when paired with the hyper-feminine designs.
5Bumped Up Beehives
Breakfast at Tiffany’s, anyone? Models at Max Mara channeled Audrey Hepburn with their bumped-up beehive hairdos, complete with a chic little black headband. As if you needed another reason to try ’60s glam.
6Vampy Chic
Blumarine was all about the season of the witch, featuring long metal claws (which are actually rings) and grungy black eye makeup. Meanwhile, Sportmax’s show featured smudged, blurry plum lips. It’s giving Nosferatu post-dinner, in the best way.
7Exaggerated Eyelashes
Sorry, ghost lash trend. Vivetta’s show claimed that mascara is here to stay, as it featured models rocking clumpy lashes in black, red, and turquoise. Plus, Moschino did its own take on exaggerated eyelashes with shiny gold falsies — both courtesy of M.A.C. Cosmetics. Very Euphoria.
8Effortless Waves
There’s never been a better time to air-dry your hair. At both the Roberto Cavalli and Moschino shows, models sported flowy, fluffy waves — the messier, the better.
9Sleek Side Parts
Messy side parts were trending at London Fashion Week — but in Milan, a sleeker iteration turned up on the Fendi and Ferrari runways, where it was neatly gelled down and tucked behind models’ ears. Plus, Gen Z darlings Lila Moss and Devon Lee Carlson sported their own extreme side parts — pinned back with barrettes — at Gucci.
