Get inspired for the new season with our Backstage Beauty Guide, which spotlights the key Couture runway beauty trends that will take off FW25-26.
Chanel
Chanel
Chanel unveiled its Fall-Winter 2025/26 Haute Couture collection in Paris this summer, with Lisa Butler leading the beauty team at the show. Inside the Grand Palais, models took to the runway with slicked-back hair and neutral, dialled-back makeup that echoed the collection’s theme of understated refinement.
Skin was left luminous and natural, while eyes were softly defined. Neutral shades in grey, brown and muted black framed the eyes, mirroring the collection’s emphasis on classic winter tones. Lashes were kept natural and lightly coated, and brows followed suit, brushed into shape, framing the face.
Statement lips were seen throughout the show, where deeper tones grounded the look. Shades reminiscent of berries and autumnal earth tied the beauty story to the collection’s rural inspiration.
Cheeks carried only a hint of natural warmth. Rather than a sculpted effect, blush was applied sparingly, reinforcing the pared-back direction of the overall aesthetic.
Balenciaga
Makeup artist Inge Grognard brought her distinctive beauty approach to the Balenciaga Fall Couture 2025 show, continuing her collaboration with creative director Demna Gvasalia, for the designer’s final show for the label. Grognard is widely recognised for her subversive style and her preference for emotionally charged, stripped-back aesthetics that challenge conventional beauty norms.
The make-up artist chose neutral base shades, with strong or bright lip shades occasionally mixed with bleached or nineties-inspired minimalist brows.
For his final show, Demna chose to include a mix of models of all ages, sizes, as well lesser lesser-known and famous faces (both Naomi Campbell and Kim Kardashian walked the show). Hair style throughout the show was as varied as the models who walked the runway. Largely, hair was swept back; however, elsewhere in the show, hair was loose, voluminous or cropped, depending on the unique style of the look and model.
Zuhair Murad
At the Zuhair Murad Fall-Winter 2025/2026 show, Mac Cosmetics unveiled a beauty look crafted by Thibaut Marieke, the brand’s global senior artist. Drawing inspiration from the elegance of the 1930s, Marieke balanced glamour with fresh, youthful skin. The focus was on bold lip stains, softened lashes, and understated cheeks, a combination that highlighted natural features while echoing vintage sophistication.
For the complexion, the Studio Radiance Face & Body Foundation and Studio Radiance 24H Smooth Glow Concealer were used to create a luminous, skin-like base. To add dimension and warmth, the Glow Play Blush in Plush Pepper provided a soft, natural flush. Eyes were kept subtle yet structured.
A mix of Paint Pots in Groundwork, Tailor Grey, It’s Fabstract, and Black Mirror gave depth and tonal layering, while the MACStack Elevated Mascara delivered definition without overpowering the look. The lips were the standout element, defined with the Lipglazer Pencil in Nightmoth and finished with the Matte M·A·Cximal Lipstick in Antique Velvet. This combination created a dramatic, velvety statement lip that grounded the entire beauty direction.
Schiaparelli
The Schiaparelli show opened Paris Haute Couture Week on the 7th of July, showcasing bold, surrealist-inspired beauty looks by renowned make-up artist Pat McGrath. The presentation featured a combination of dramatic lips, luminous skin and sculptural hairstyles, reflecting the house’s signature avant-garde aesthetic. She achieved an ethereal, bold aesthetic beginning with her Skin Fetish Glass 001 spray to evoke a luminous, glass-skin glow focused on the cheekbones.
The eyes were kept somewhat neutral, with McGrath’s Fetisheyes Mascara, to draw attention to the lips. Shades of inky black and rich red appeared on the lip, using PermaGel Eye Pencil in Xtreme Black and the Legendary Lip Liner in shade Elson, often topped with glossy clear lacquer for maximum impact. Surrealism, long central to the brand’s identity, was a guiding influence in the beauty direction. Hair, styled by Guido Palau, complemented the make-up’s precision. Models wore sleek, conical chignons that elongated the silhouettes, adding a further element of sophistication and drama. This deliberate extension of form reinforced the sculptural theme present throughout the show.
Armani/Privé
The beauty direction for the Giorgio Armani Privé Fall/Winter 2025-26 Womenswear show was led by Giorgio Armani Global Makeup Artist, Hiromi Ueda, who created an effortlessly elegant, timeless look, inspired by classic Hollywood beauty. To achieve the runway look, the complexion was prepared using Crema Nera Supreme Reviving Light Cream, followed by Luminous Silk Hydrating Primer to create a smooth base. Luminous Silk Concealer and Luminous Silk Foundation were applied to perfect the skin’s appearance, with Luminous Silk Glow Fusion Powder used to set the makeup and add radiance. For the eyes, the team used Smooth Silk Eye Pencil in shade 4 to define the lash line.
Eye Tint in shade 99 with a matte finish and shade 12 with a shimmer finish were applied to create depth and luminosity. Vertigo Lift Mascara completed the eye look, enhancing lashes for a lifted and voluminous effect. Lips were finished with Lip Power, available in either shade 214 or 504, offering a choice between two statement colours to complement the dramatic eye makeup. The result was a flawless complexion paired with bold eye makeup, creating an interplay of light and shadow that complemented the Couture collection’s dramatic use of black. The overall aesthetic of the show mixed structured tailoring with fluid silhouettes. The use of black was central, evoking sophistication and mystery while allowing the makeup to play a key role in enhancing the visual impact of the collection.
Elie Saab
Elie Saab presented his Autumn-Winter 2026 Haute Couture show, La Nouvelle Cour, in Paris, with the beauty direction for the new season reflecting the themes of strength and femininity that ran through the collection. Skin was kept luminous and softly sculpted, allowing the couture pieces and detailing to stand out against a natural canvas.
Lips carried the most striking element of the beauty palette. Shades ranged from deep stains to more natural, softened tones, echoing the duality of power and delicacy that Saab explored in the collection. The choice to highlight the mouth with either intensity or subtlety ensured variety across looks while anchoring the beauty direction in classic couture codes. Meanwhile, lashes were subtly darkened, and hair was styled in loose, natural waves. The interplay between polished skin, understated eyes and statement lips created a coherent visual identity for La Nouvelle Cour.
