The Spring 2020 shows have come and gone, and in their wake are a whole lot of beauty trends to get inspired by. And here's the thing: you don't need to wait six months to start playing around with the hair and makeup looks we saw on the runways. Thanks to social media, the idea of strict, seasonal trends is a thing of the past. If this Winter you want to want to put a flower in your hair like the models wore at Etam, or apply a fluoro-orange shade of lipstick like the one we saw at Versace, go right ahead. In fact, we think it's a swell idea.
When it comes to the beauty looks we saw again and again this season, many of them shouldn't come as a total surprise. Several are trends that have slowly been bubbling up this past year. Neon shadow and 3D makeup, for instance, made multiple appearances during the Fall 2019 shows back in February, while we've seen loads of celebrities wearing watercolor shadow on the red carpet in the past few months.
And while, sure, we don't expect you to head to the office with Swarovski crystals glued to your face anytime soon (although, if you work in an environment where that's welcome, go right ahead), there were plenty of wearable beauty trends in the Spring 2020 shows. Considering getting a bob? Well, you've got all the haircut inspo you need from this season's runways. Just bookmark this link and show it to your hairstylist at your next salon appointment. And while gold was this season's hottest (and shiniest) hue, you don't need to glue on a pair of false gold lashes like makeup artist Pat McGrath did at Valentino or wrap your hair in thread like hairstylist Guido did at Alexander McQueen. Simply buy a gold barrette or dust a shimmery gold shadow over your lids to get in on the trend without going over the top.
Keep reading to discover our favorite hair and makeup trends from the Spring 2020 shows. Then be prepared to start taking your beauty game to another level.
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: Daniel Sallstrom
Hair: Jon Reyman
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: 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
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: 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: Pablo Rodriguez
Hair: Maria Kovacs
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 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: Bob Recine
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
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