Makeup trends for fall and winter 2024: New York Fashion Week weighs in!

New York, New York - New York Fashion Week showed us the makeup and beauty trends we can expect to see in fall and winter of 2024. Check out what you need to know.

The biggest makeup trends for fall and winter of 2024 are a mishmash of grunge, nude styles, and '60s mod influences.
The biggest makeup trends for fall and winter of 2024 are a mishmash of grunge, nude styles, and '60s mod influences.  © Collage: Screenshots/Instagram/@diane.kendal

The biggest makeup trends for fall and winter of 2024 are a mishmash of grunge, nude, and '60s mod influences.

In other words: Runway shows featured some bold choices this NYFW. There were vibrant pops of color here and there in the form of red lips and '80s-era swipes of blush.

There were also smears of black eyeliner on the lids and around the eyes of many models, making for a very punky smokey eye.

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It's become clear that this season's colors and trending styles are taking inspiration from the upcoming Wicked movie and Taylor Swift's imminent Reputation album re-record, as well as her newly-announced dark academia-coded Tortured Poets Department album.

The viral mob wife trend is also prominent, as its glam rock look is juxtaposed against sophisticated luxury styles from the 1960s to create some bold and arguably gaudy beauty trends.

Watch the hyper-feminne looks of late morph into something that ends up a bit more sultry and sinister in this NYFW fall/winter 2024 makeup forecast!

60's mod and pop art makeup

The big mod hair takeover at NYFW was complemented by another popular 1960s trend – overlong and clumpy Twiggy doll lashes! Red lips and burgundy lips were also popular as a nod to pop art.
The big mod hair takeover at NYFW was complemented by another popular 1960s trend – overlong and clumpy Twiggy doll lashes! Red lips and burgundy lips were also popular as a nod to pop art.  © Collage: Screenshots/Instagram/@diane.kendal

The big mod hair takeover at NYFW was complemented by another popular 1960s trend: overlong and clumpy Twiggy doll lashes!

And don't forget the other '60s influences that were seen floating around this year, like winged eyes and blue eyeshadow. The latter was employed to perfection at NYFW by Alice + Olivia makeup artist Elyse Reneau.

More mid-century makeup callbacks were also featured at the Diana Ross-inspired Marc Jacobs runway show to celebrate the brand's 40th anniversary.

Son Jung Wan makeup artist Marc Reagan's new-wave French looks added another sleek element to the conversation.

Red and burgundy lips were also popular at NYFW, adding a modern twist on the '60s pale pink and sherbet lipstick colors.

The shades of vibrant red may have been chosen as a reference to famous artist Andy Warhol's style, as pop art and surrealist inspiration can be seen in the season's clothing and hairstyles.

Grunge glam and dark fantasy makeup styles

Diane Kendal created on-trend grungy eyeshadow smoky eye looks for the Altuzarra runway show.
Diane Kendal created on-trend grungy eyeshadow smoky eye looks for the Altuzarra runway show.  © Collage: Screenshots/Instagram/@diane.kendal

Makeup artist Isamaya Ffrench did the Edgar Allen Poe-influenced beauty looks for Thom Browne, a standout show that was all about turning the models into surreal versions of spooky creatures like praying mantises and ravens.

Grungy fringes and inky black smudged liner were featured prominently for Jason Wu and Ludvic De Saint Sernin, among many others.

Some makeup artists extended the sooty look to the eyeshadow as well, creating looks that combined witchy dark fantasy elements with punk rock.

Jason Wu and Helmut Lang created makeup palettes that brought to mind the Black Swan trope from the Swan Lake ballet. Case in point: makeup artist Daniel Salstrom created black smudged mask-like effects for the latter that covered the models' nose bridges.

Other smokey eyeshadow looks from Fashion Week include Prabal Gurung, Altuzarra, Alice & Olivia, and PatBo.

Metallics, which were prominent in some of the standout hair and nail looks for the year, also did double duty in the makeup department as an ode to industrial and glam elements. This was seen in Diane Kendal's use of gold winged eyes for Jason Wu, a nod to Baroque angels with a grunge twist.

Simplicity itself

Makeup artist Diane Kendal crafted barely there nude looks for designer Proenza Schouler's runway show.
Makeup artist Diane Kendal crafted barely there nude looks for designer Proenza Schouler's runway show.  © Collage: Screenshots/Instagram/@diane.kendal

Nail looks for Fashion Week were showing clear coats as well as "mannequin" nude nail colors – and the same plain Jane vibes are echoed in many of the most popular makeup looks from the runways!

Simple and natural styles in the hair and makeup from NYFW also referenced the grunge movement of the '90s. Grunge style, and its aesthetic cousin punk, can be characterized by Nirvana's iconic song Come As You Are. In other words: authenticity and vulnerability are prized beyond all else.

In makeup terms, this translates to "less is more."

That means nude-look makeup and Korean "glass skin" were everywhere. The glowy glass complexion trend necessitates a dewy base, something that was mastered by the Puma and Ludovic de Saint Sernin shows.

Matte and high-gloss makeup finishes were highlighted from show to show, while the basic and natural beauty look paired well thematically mannequin nails and '60s-inspired doll lashes seen to the max.

What do you think of these NYFW trends, and will you be trying them for yourself?

Cover photo: Collage: Screenshots/Instagram/@diane.kendal

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