This season, Paris delivered modern drama with a dose of nostalgic charm. As the runways set the tone for fall and winter’s biggest trends, beauty looked backward—revisiting ideas that have shaped glamour for decades.
RELATED: There’s a Party in Europe: MFW F/W26 Beauty Trends
Grunge Eyes
Grunge, alt, indie sleaze, tired girl—whatever you call it, beauty is going darker this season. Is it fatigue, recession anxiety, or simply a craving for something more lived-in? Either way, Hermès, Tom Ford, Junya Watanabe, Saint Laurent, and Jean Paul Gaultier are all embracing smoky shadows and heavy liners.
The Side Part Comeback
From barely an inch off-center to dramatic, deep sweeps, the side part returns with a modern edge. Gen Z may hate it, but Saint Laurent, Alexander McQueen, and Mugler have clearly chosen a side in the debate.
Defined Brows
Brows weren’t just groomed—they were deliberately defined. At Chanel and Dries Van Noten, fuller brows framed the face with intention, with the latter emphasizing a strong, structured front.
Glitter Everywhere
While the spotlight remained on the garments, glitter amplified the drama. Sparkle appeared everywhere in Chanel and Andreas Kronthaler for Vivienne Westwood—from the lids to the lips, and even scattered across the face.
Beauty clearly looked to the past this season. Familiar ideas returned with sharper intention and modern polish—proof that the most enduring trends never truly disappear. They simply evolve with time.
Featured Image and Photos: MUGLER, YVES SAINT LAURENT, ALEXANDER MCQUEEN, CHANEL, JUNYA WATANABE, VIVIENNE WESTWOOD, HERMES, JEAN PAUL GAULTIER, JUNYA WATANABE, DRIES VAN NOTEN (via Website)
Frequently Asked Questions
The dominant beauty trends from Paris Fashion Week F/W26 were grunge-inspired smoky eyes and heavy liner, the return of the side part, deliberately defined and structured brows, and glitter applied across the eyes, lips, and face. Houses including Hermès, Chanel, Saint Laurent, Alexander McQueen, Mugler, Jean Paul Gaultier, and Dries Van Noten each contributed to the season’s nostalgic beauty direction.
The grunge eye — characterized by smoky shadows, heavy liner, and a deliberately lived-in finish — was confirmed as a major beauty trend at Paris Fashion Week F/W26. Hermès, Tom Ford, Junya Watanabe, Saint Laurent, and Jean Paul Gaultier all incorporated dark, smudged eye looks into their runway presentations, signaling the trend’s return across both luxury and avant-garde fashion.
The side part returned as a runway beauty statement at Paris Fashion Week F/W26, appearing across Saint Laurent, Alexander McQueen, and Mugler in variations ranging from a barely-there off-center sweep to a deep, dramatic part. The looks positioned the side part as a deliberate stylistic choice rather than a default, reframing a divisive haircut debate in favor of the style.
Defined, fuller brows were a key beauty trend at Paris Fashion Week F/W26, most notably at Chanel and Dries Van Noten. Dries Van Noten in particular emphasized a strong, structured brow front, framing the face with intention. The trend reinforces a continued move away from sparse or over-groomed arches toward brows with visible density and shape.
Glitter appeared as a maximalist beauty element at Paris Fashion Week F/W26, with Chanel and Andreas Kronthaler for Vivienne Westwood both incorporating sparkle across the eyes, lips, and face as a whole. Rather than functioning as an accent detail, glitter was applied broadly across the face to amplify the drama of each look in relation to the runway garments.
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