6 Autumn/Winter 2026 Beauty Trends That Are About to Dominate the New Season

As we turn towards the new season (and the great British weather returning to its usual programming after a summer of heatwaves), I'm positively brimming with excitement. Not just because soon I'll be able to bring out my boots and cashmere once again, but also because I'll be able to wear the Autumn/Winter 2026 beauty trends that I saw all over the runways back in February.

As a beauty editor who has been studying fashion week beauty looks for over a decade, it feels like fun is finally being had with the hair, makeup and nails backstage again. Don't get me wrong, I loved the pared-back, effortless looks we've seen backstage in seasons prior, but for Autumn/Winter 2026, the runways have decreed a return to maximalism in many ways. Bare nails? We're wearing bold nail art again. Bare lids and lashes? It's time to dust off your eyeshadow palette. Short hair? Nope, we're all growing out our bob haircuts.

Of course, there are remnants of the minimalist and effortless moods we've seen previously (take note of the absence of bold blusher this season); however, even the more out-there trends remain completely wearable. If you're in need of some hair, makeup and nail inspiration for the new season, scroll on for the defining Autumn/Winter 2026 beauty trends that you won't be able to wait to try.

1. Barely-There Blush

Bold blush has been dominating our feeds and makeup bags and most new launches for the best part of the decade so far, but this season, we're seeing a more subdued look emerging on our cheeks. In fact, it's barely there. Instead of brightly painted cheeks, the models at Victoria Beckham, Fendi and Altuzzarra had delicate, natural flushes that you'd see from a brisk walk on the first cold day of autumn.

At Ralph Lauren, the blusher placement was lower on the cheek; replicating softly windswept cheeks feels more authentic than the sculpting blusher placements we've seen that sit higher on the cheekbones. At Victoria Beckham, makeup artist Lucia Pica drew inspiration from the gentle flushes in the portraits by artist Tamara de Łempicka. “The skin remains beautifully transparent and perfected, with a gentle touch of pink on the cheeks that brings a fresh, unexpected warmth to the complexion," she says.

2. Great Lengths

It's undeniable that short haircuts and bobs have been dominating the fashion set of late, but if the A/W26 shows are anything to go by, now may be the time to grow your hair out long. We saw waist-skimming pre-raphaelite lengths finished with plaited accents at Chloe and Acne Studios, whereas the hair looks at Patrick McDowell and Holzweiler showcased long, buoyant curls in all their halo-like glory. The common thread is that each show enhanced the models' natural texture.

Hairstylist Anthony Turner explained how he achieved the effortless wavy lengths at Chloé. "The hair itself feels very weather. It's mountainous, it's windy, it's sunny, she's making her way through all of the elements," he says. "A lot of the girls have naturally very curly hair, so we're using the Dyson Supersonic R Hairdryer (£450) with the diffuser on the end and making [the curls] even more. For the girls with really long hair, we've braided them, taken the braids out and then brushed them."

3. Eyeshadow Abundance

After seasons of bare lids and the omission of any mascara from the lashes, A/W26 is heralding the triumphant return of bold eye makeup once more. From holographic silver dusted on both the lids and the hair at Chanel to metallic purple smouldering the eyes at Carolina Herrera, now is the time to pull out the shimmers and glitters that have been waiting in the wings inside your eyeshadow palette.

At Acne Studios, the eyes were a study in colour, with bright smudges of apple green and electric blue winged from the model's sockets, but if you prefer something more subdued, take inspiration from the makeup at Tolu Coker, which saw models with hazy washes of blue, spanning from smoked petrol blue to powdery hues. Either way, it's time to dust off those eyeshadow brushes and get creative.

4. Nail Renaissance

At several shows in past seasons, we've become accustomed to seeing bare nail-inspired looks with sheer washes of pink backstage—or even nothing at all. However, the A/W26 shows welcomed back nail art and shimmering shades in all their glimmering glory. Long almond nails adorned with aura nail art and reverse French tips featured at Christian Cowan and Harris Reed, whilst bold blues were painted on the nails at Proenza Schouler. But perhaps the most mesmerising of all were the jewel-like nails at Chanel.

"In and amongst the classic pieces of the Chanel A/W26 collection, the clothes and accessories had an element of fantasy; the metamorphosis of the caterpillar into a butterfly," says Ama Quashie, the key session manicurist behind the looks. "So for the nails I tapped into my favourite elements of insect and bug colourings, choosing a palette that touched on iridescent and subtle shimmers," she says. "It feels like globally we’ve collectively and individually had a hard couple of years, definitely some more than others. In a time where we’re being stripped of so much, fantasy and escapism, even on the smallest canvas, remind us of the simple joy of beauty."

5. Parting Shift

Perhaps the easiest trend to adopt from the Autumn/Winter 2026 shows is switching your parting. We saw deep side partings and swooping side fringes all over the runways this season, so take this as your sign to switch from a middle part. It's a great way to boost volume for finer hair, too.

Hairstylist Anthony Turner created a sleek side-parted style for the Victoria Beckham show, explaining: “We wanted the hair to feel effortless and feminine but still refined. There’s a strong side parting which gives the look structure, but the overall feeling is relaxed and slightly undone—almost like the girls have already been to the after-show party," he says. "It’s simple, elegant hair with a little bit of personality and ease.”

6. Smoked Eyes

The smoky eye is a timeless Autumn/Winter makeup trend; however, it was particularly prevalent on the runways this season in a whole spectrum of smouldering shades. At Connor Ives, Dominic Skinner, director of makeup artistry for MAC UKI, drew inspiration from femme fatales of the '60s, with an '80s twist of garage door eyeshadow, generously applied all over the lids and up to the brow bone. At Hermès, the eyes were framed in nocturnal shades of deep green-grey and midnight blue, whilst at Rabanne, the effect was softer but mesmerising with watercolour washes of burnt umber buffed all over on the upper and lower lids. And if you're feeling bold, you could even channel Bella Hadid's smudgy, sooty kohl-lined eyes at Prada. Get your eyeliners and eyeshadows at the ready.