The Best Hair and Makeup Trends From the Spring 2020 Runways Are Too Fun to Ignore

Loose glitter was smeared, spilled, and smudged all around the eyes (and in one instance, even between them). Between the haphazard application and unexpected placement — and often electric-bright colors — the sparkly stuff took on quite a hard edge this season.

House of Holland Spring 2020
Makeup: Dominic Skinner
Hair: Adam Reed

Makeup: Isamaya Ffrench
Hair: Sam McKnight

Makeup: Dominic Skinner
Hair: Adam Reed

Makeup: Fara Homidi
Hair: Jawara

Makeup: Daniel Sallstrom
Hair: Jon Reyman

Makeup: Peter Philips
Hair: Sam McKnight

Makeup: Pat McGrath
Hair: Guido

The braids we saw on the Spring 2020 runways fell into two categories on the exact opposite sides of the spectrum: intricate protective styles or very simple three-strand braids worn in either pigtails or in a single plait started at the nape of the neck.

Christian Dior Spring 2020
Makeup: Peter Philips
Hair: Guido

Makeup: Tom Pecheux
Hair: Sam McKnight

Makeup: Val Garland
Hair: Anthony Turner

Makeup: Diane Kendal
Hair: Jimmy Paul

Makeup: Daniel Sallstrom
Hair: Jon Reyman

Makeup: Erin Parsons
Hair: Odile Gilbert

Watercolor shadow (which is sometimes referred to as tie-dye shadow) made a few runway appearances last season at shows like Collina Strada and Eckhaus Latta. But lately the makeup look has been more prevalent on the red carpet, with actors like Lucy Boynton and Cara Delevingne spearheading the trend among the celebrity set. We weren't surprised, then, to see the dreamy makeup look pop up during the Spring 2020 shows. What we were surprised by is just how prevalent it became, as it made an appearance in every city: at Christian Siriano and Jason Wu in New York, at Paula Knorr and Osman in London, at Cividini in Milan (shown here), and at Balmain in Paris, where makeup artist Samira Goyette dipped into the new Kylie x Balmain collection to create the colorful look.

Cividini Spring 2020
Makeup: Lottie
Hair: Roberto Pagnini

Makeup: Neil Young
Hair: Adam Garland

Makeup: Sofia Schwarzkopf-Tilbury
Hair: Jon Reyman

Makeup: Samira Goyette
Hair: Sam McKnight

Makeup: Andrew Gallimore
Hair: John Vial

Makeup: Lottie

Makeup: Nami Yoshida
Hair: Duffy

Makeup: Erin Parsons
Hair: Odile Gilbert

Makeup: Diane Kendal
Hair: Odile Gilbert

The bob is everywhere right now, with celebrities on both sides of the pond chopping off their hair on the daily. And it looks like the hairstyle isn't going anywhere soon. More models than ever had the trendy cut — Kaia Gerber (shown here) and Bella Hadid even cut their bobs shorter throughout Fashion Month — and no two bobs were the same. We saw blunt bobs, shaggy bobs, bowl-cut bobs, bobs with fringes, and bobs with curls . . . and we loved every single one of them. (But before you run to your hairstylist, make sure to check out the five most important things to know before getting a bob, according to the pros. You can thank us later.)

Givenchy Spring 2020
Makeup: Pat McGrath
Hair: Guido

Makeup: Pat McGrath
Hair: Guido

Makeup: Inge Grognard

Makeup: Tom Pecheux
Hair: Duffy

Makeup: Lisa Butler
Hair: Damien Boissinot

Makeup: Tom Pecheux
Hair: Duffy

Makeup: Tom Pecheux
Hair: Sam McKnight

Makeup: Thomas de Kluyver
Hair: Paul Hanlon

Neon makeup was big last season and it shows no signs of slowing down (or dimming down, for that matter!). Makeup artists encircled eyes in electric shades of fuchsia, slime green, and ultraviolet purple, and in some instances tried out a fluoro-bright shade of orange or pink on the lips.

Helmut Lang Spring 2020
Makeup: Susie Sobol
Hair: Holli Smith

Makeup: Fatima T
Hair: Justine Marjan

Makeup: Pat McGrath
Hair: Guido

Makeup: Fatima T
Hair: Justine Marjan

Makeup: Pablo Rodriguez
Hair: Maria Kovacs

Makeup: Lynsey Alexander
Hair: Jawara

Makeup: Fatima T
Hair: Justine Marjan

Makeup: Fatima T
Hair: Justine Marjan

Makeup: Susie Sobol
Hair: Holli Smith

In addition to cans of hairspray and boxes of bobby pins, lots of hairstylists also carried bouquets of fresh flowers with them, creating looks that ranged from earthy and homemade (Marni, Ashish, Missoni) to pretty and ethereal (Etam). And at Giambattista Valli, fresh petals ended up on models' faces, taking the place of highlighter to really bring attention to all the curves and contours of the face.

Marni Spring 2020
Hair: Julien d'Ys

Makeup: Janeen Witherspoon
Hair: Tina Outen

Makeup: Lynsey Alexander
Hair: Anthony Turner

Makeup: Isamaya Ffrench
Hair: Anthony Turner

Makeup: Isamaya Ffrench
Hair: Sam McKnight

The coolest hairstyles on the Spring 2020 runways were the ones that looked like something you might be caught wearing while lounging on the couch and watching Friends reruns. They were made infinitely cooler, however, thanks to unexpected placement (space buns, a half-up topknot featuring a middle part), gorgeous textures (a beautiful blowout, perfectly rumpled waves, fluffy curls), and the fact that they were paired with decadent jewelry, eye-catching makeup, or both.

Anna Sui Spring 2020
Makeup: Pat McGrath
Hair: Garren

Makeup: Fatima T
Hair: Justine Marjan

Makeup: Grace Lee
Hair: Justine Marjan

Makeup: Peter Philips
Hair: Sam McKnight

Makeup artists and hairstylists went all artsy for Spring 2020. In some instances, they created looks directly inspired by a specific artist or art style; in others, they simply used makeup in a way that looked painterly or moulded hair into contemporary art-like sculptures. At Salvatore Ferragamo (shown here), makeup artist Fara Homidi looked at traditional Murano glass from Venice to develop this multicolored eye look, while at Mansur Gavriel, makeup artist Romy Soleimani made models' lids into mini canvases onto which she painted Bob Ross-approved happy little clouds. And then there was the hair and makeup at Moschino, which was directly inspired by the work of Pablo Picasso and included colorful brushstrokes strewn throughout the hair, as well as stamped-on red lips and negative-space cat eyes.

Salvatore Ferragamo Spring 2020
Makeup: Fara Homidi
Hair: Jimmy Paul

Makeup: Inge Grognard
Hair: Anthony Turner

Makeup: Erin Parsons
Hair: Odile Gilbert

Makeup: Daniel Sallstrom
Hair: Jon Reyman

Makeup: Romy Soleimani
Hair: Sabrina Szinay

Makeup: Lucie Nguyen

Gold was the accessory of the season, and it wasn't just limited to traditional jewelry you'd wear in your ears or around your neck. The gilded beauty looks we saw on the runways — whether on eyes, on lips, or in hair — were so statement-making that they blurred the line between beauty and jewelry, with shadow looks as exquisite as a pair of earrings, and hair accessories as delicate as a dainty necklace.

Valentino Spring 2020
Makeup: Pat McGrath
Hair: Guido

Makeup: Pat McGrath
Hair: Guido

Makeup: Pat McGrath
Hair: Guido

Makeup: Peter Philips
Hair: Sam McKnight

Makeup: Pat McGrath
Hair: Guido

Makeup: Lucia Pieroni
Hair: Guido

Another trend that carried over from last season is three-dimensional makeup, with makeup artists gluing crystals all over the models' faces with abandon. At Area, makeup artist Kanako Takase managed to do the impossible and adhere actual pieces of jewelry around the eyes, giving the illusion of the most extra false lashes we've ever seen.

Area Spring 2020
Makeup: Kanako Takase
Hair: Jawara

Makeup: Pat McGrath
Hair: Garren

Makeup: Pat McGrath
Hair: Guido