Paris Couture Week's Most Striking Beauty Moments

The ’80s were all over Jacquemus’ mood board. Side ponytails and shoulder pads made a strong return in the aptly named Le Palmier collection, where palm tree–shaped updos — pulled tight and high at the base, then teased through the mids and ends for extra volume — nodded to Madonna circa 1985, as well as more recent references like Natasha Lyonne at the Golden Globes.

Megan Thee Stallion debuted an upside-down manicure at Gaurav Gupta’s couture front-row in 2025, and at this year’s show, inverted nails took over the runway. How very Regina George of her. The editorial mani was paired with faux face piercings, bringing a sci-fi princess edge. But are the backward-facing stilettos wearable IRL? The jury’s still out on that one.

At the Dior show, models rocked lilac and baby pink bang pieces, shaped into extra-long bowl cuts. Sure, pastels for spring might not be groundbreaking, but they do look sweet. Hopefully you remember your Tumblr password — these cotton-candy hues have 2016 revival written all over them.

Another decade-old hair trend getting a shoutout? Feathers — but not the neon-striped plumes of the 2010s. At Valentino, inky black extensions added texture rather than color, blending into a shaggy mullet for a raven-like effect. Feather scrunchies also popped up at Chanel, similar to the the ostrich style Kim Kardashian wore to an All’s Fair premiere. Consider this your sign: Feathers are going to be spring’s hottest statement hair accessory.

Back in the YouTube tutorial heyday, the only way to do a smoky eye was with a shimmery halo at the center. On the runways of Elie Saab and Stéphane Rolland, models showed why the grunge-yet-precise halo eye never should have left. It’s sultry but controlled, blended to perfection.

Armani Privé is trying to make mint a thing again — and this eyeshadow makes a pretty convincing case. Models’ lids were washed with soft green and peachy-pink pigment, then topped with champagne iridescence by the show’s makeup artist, Hiromi Ueda. If mint feels too spring-forward, swap in white for a frosted take — any bright shade will open up the eye when placed in the inner corner.

If it wasn’t the ’80s or 2010s, couture looked to ’60s for glam inspo. Twiggy-style eyes stole the show at Ronald van der Kemp — think baby blue matte shadow for a pop of color, clumpy top and bottom mascara (a non-negotiable), and white liner in the waterline to make models’ eyes appear larger and doll-like. Apricot blush and lips tied the look together, keeping it cohesive and true to the era’s most iconic color pairing.

Avian inspiration was everywhere, from scalp to fingertip — literally. Ama Quashie, the manicurist for the Chanel Show, told British Vogue that designer Matthieu Blazy taped photos of birds on the wall for reference, including “ordinary pigeons.” These gray and purple holographic nails tap into that moment when a pigeon flaps its wings and you can see the shine come through. Even if they gross you out, you have to admit the color palette is perfection. In fashion, it’s the year of the bird.

Blush blindness isn’t going anywhere, according to couture-week catwalks. A heavy swipe of bubblegum pink by makeup artist James Molloy gave this Tamara Ralph model a youthful, exuberant flush, while the placement under the eyes and into the temples made it feel très haute. Meanwhile, over at Viktor & Rolf, the trend took a more avant-garde turn via a hot pink shade paired with a black smoky eye.

Fashion week might have been held in Paris, but French-girl red lips were nowhere to be found. Instead, models at Schiaparelli and Armani Privé wore sheer products that looked lighter than lipstick and more matte than gloss. Balmy pouts matched the skin, which had a high-shine finish and touchable texture. Pat McGrath, the key makeup artist behind the Schiaparelli show, even teased a new launch that’s rumored to be responsible for the effect.