While Chanel, Balenciaga and Dior are all advocating a simple, natural beauty this season, others are taking the opposite approach opting for a bold, assertive make-up. Here’s an overview of the standout beauty looks spotted during the Spring/Summer 2026 Paris Fashion Week.
Alex Consani backstage at the Tom Ford Spring/Summer 2026 show. © Photo by Delphine Achard/WWD via Getty Images.
Kitschy lips on Chloé’s runway
Judging by the make-up looks seen during this Spring/Summer 2026Paris Fashion Week, kitsch is about to make a big comeback. At August Barron, the beauty look reminded us of Anne Dorval in Xavier Dolan’s film Mommy (2014). That resolutely 1980s aesthetic was to be found at Chloé too. Whimsical and eccentric, the models’ lips crafted by make-up artist Yadim Carranza were painted in candy-pink, a colour verging on the edge of bad taste according to some.
Romantic, frightening make-up at Matières Fécales
At Matières Fécales, moderation has no place – neither in fashion nor in beauty. The violet eyeliner is exaggerated, the complexion pale, almost ghostly, the eyebrows erased, and the black contact lenses recall the dark universe of Rick Owens. In contrast, some silhouettes are enhanced by baroque, powdered make-up. A quite rococo aesthetics, worthy of a revamped Madame de Pompadour. Here, make-up does more than serve the collection. It extends its duality, oscillating between romance and violence, classical and unsettling beauty.
Tom Ford’s fiery lips
This season at Tom Ford, the message is clear: porno chic is making a back. Leaving behind the pastel eyelids of Fall/Winter 2025-2026, make-up artist Lucy Bridge once again focuses on glossy lips in a blazing shade of red, which radiate an unapologetic sense of glamour. Slightly overdrawn, these lips are paired with a flawless, luminous nude complexion. A chic sensuality that perfectly captures the spirit of the house.
Thom Browne’s silver glitter
After multiple collaborations with the brand, British make-up artist Isamaya Ffrench takes the lead for Thom Browne’s Spring/Summer 2026 show. Her challenge was to translate the show’s alien theme using brushes, palettes, and pencils. Applying metallic powders to eyelids, cheekbones, lips and even hair, as a metaphor for a starry sky hovering between reality and science fiction, she creates an intergalactic universe of her own. A deep green mascara completes this elegant and futuristic cosmic vision.
Indie sleaze make-up at McQueen
For the Alexander McQueen Spring/Summer 2026 show, Daniel Sällström offered two looks, focusing all the attention on the eyes. Red-rimmed and streaked with smudged mascara, the models appeared as if they had been crying all night or had been awake for days. A raw, frightening beauty that is both deeply uninhibited and powerful. The perfect embodiment of the subversive identity of the house of McQueen.
