The 11 Key Beauty Trends Of S/S 2019
What a season for beauty!
From the full Pantone array of hair colours on the catwalks to the emerald eye make-up at Versace and the red lips dotting their way through Paris Fashion Week, there were plenty of looks from which to take your beauty cues come next season. See the biggest beauty trends of spring/summer 2019 below, with photographs by James Cochrane.
Heatwave Beauty
Following an uncharacteristically long and hot summer, beauty took its cues from the weather and showed us sun-kissed skin, wind-swept hair and a healthy, well-rested glow. At Altuzarra, Tom Pecheux used warm tones to create a post-summer radiance, complemented by surfer-girl hair by Damien Boissinot. Similarly summery looks were on show at Prabal Gurung, Alberta Ferretti and Michael Kors, whilst Chanel took us straight to the heart of the action with an entire beach-themed show complete with lapping waves and a beachy beauty look to match.
Glitter, Gloss And Shimmer
Glitter hasn’t let go of its grip on beauty just yet, and showed up in eye make-up at Simone Rocha and Missoni, as well as coating the hair at Giambattista Valli (six months on from last season’s full-face glitter looks). An evolution of the trend came in the form of jewel and foil finishes, with sparkling lips at Jeremy Scott, crystal detailing at Valentino and metallic greeny-blue cat eyes at Versace, by none other than Vogue beauty editor-at-large Pat McGrath.
All Or Nothing Nails
Whilst nail techs backstage at the shows are generally asked to apply nude after nude after nude nail polish, New York Fashion Week tends to be home to the most outlandish nail art of the season, and spring/summer 2019 didn’t disappoint. From Miss Pop’s “orbit” nails at Jeremy Scott to gem-adorned talons at Adaem, leopard print at Opening Ceremony and glass portrait manis at Libertine, it was a definite case of more is more.
Baby Bangs
Would you rock baby bangs? Guido Palau cut short, choppy fringes for a number of the models backstage at both Prada and Miu Miu, whilst Sam McKnight at Dries Van Noten created roughly-snipped trompe-l’œil fringes designed to look as though the models had cut them themselves. All the better to complement this season’s major headbands (more on them later).
The Graphic Cat-Eye
How good are you at applying eyeliner in a perfect feline flick? Well, the ante has been upped: this season’s cat-eye has been souped up for the new season, from taupe versions at Burberry to maximalist graphic swoops at Marni and painterly freehand designs at Dior. A good starting point? We loved the floating cat-eye triangles at Rochas, deftly applied by Lynsey Alexander.
Pantone Hair Hues
If there was ever a season to experiment with bold hair colour, it’s spring/summer 2019. Josh Wood dyed models’ hair a range of pastel hues at Marc Jacobs, choosing shades to match the clothes and eye make-up for a truly tonal look. Meanwhile there were ombré rainbow styles at Vivienne Westwood, Pepto Bismol pink at Matty Bovan and troll-inspired shades at Ashley Williams, whilst model Mariacarla Boscono showed off her own colour transformation, opting for a new rose-gold dye job. The one colour that stood out in particular? Think pink.
Just-Back-From-The-Facialist Skin
Beautiful skin never goes out of style, but this season it was a truly glowing, natural look – as if models had just returned from a facial – that was trending backstage. Further enhanced, of course, by hair swept or slicked back from the face for emphasis, letting moisturised complexions and balmy cheekbones really shine. In fact, skincare products took up as much space backstage as the make-up did. See Stella McCartney, where Tata Harper products were used on the models, Isabel Marant, Toga and Balmain, where Val Garland’s barely-there make-up complemented Sam McKnight’s shower-fresh hairstyles.
True Romance
Blush-toned make-up complemented by sweeping half-up-half-down hairstyles and elegant ballerina buns – spring/summer 2019’s beauty looks also had their romantic side. At Brock Collection, Gucci Westman’s radiant make-up look and James Pecis’s ultra-pretty hairstyles combined to create a princess-worthy look, whilst the pink-toned make-up at Giorgio Armani and the bow-adorned hair at Emilia Wickstead had a similarly ultra-feminine feel. Erdem, Anna Sui and Rodarte took things even further with watercolour-toned make-up, the latter of which was offset by dramatic, flower-strewn hairstyles.
Headbands
Hair accessories have been a growing trend over the past few seasons, from clips to clasps, bows to barrettes. Spring/summer 2019, then, is undoubtedly the season of the headband, from the elasticated dancer styles at Dior to the studded satin versions at Prada and the heavily-embellished bands at Simone Rocha. And don’t even get us started on the jewelled bow bands at Miu Miu.
French Red Lips
What could be more French than a bold red lip? Paris Fashion Week was the fashion week which interrupted the run of almost exclusively lipstick-free lips, giving us pillarbox reds at Givenchy and Poiret, coral tones by Lucia Pica at Chanel and rich tomato hues at Koché, by Terry Barber. Chloé, which tends to be a showcase for minimal make-up, even made the case for a moodier red, whilst burgundy tones were also on show at Moschino.
Big Brows And Long Lashes Are Going Nowhere
We may have tempted some of you with razor-thin brows after their appearance on Rihanna’s September 2018 Vogue cover, but those of you not convinced will be pleased to hear that bold, bushy brows were out in full force at the likes of Fendi, Moschino, Jeremy Scott, Dion Lee and more. Lustrous lashes, too, were still going strong, with Chanel, Tom Ford and Prada showing off the most mascara-heavy looks. And with the innovation in both categories at an all-time high and interest showing no sign of waning, is it any surprise?
