There’s something magical about the backstage buzz at Fashion Week.
It’s where chaos meets precision, artistry meets urgency, and the world’s most recognisable faces are transformed into the season’s aesthetic vision within minutes. While the runways reflect months of conceptual work, it’s behind the scenes where beauty trends are born. From the shimmer of a lip gloss touch-up to the clever tricks that keep models glowing under harsh lights, here’s a look at the real beauty secrets straight from backstage.
Lip Gloss is Back – And It’s the Quiet Star
Among the glass bottles, powders, and palettes crowding every makeup station, one product stood out this season: lip gloss. Once dismissed as nostalgic or too youthful, gloss has had a definitive high-fashion resurgence — but this time, it’s grown-up, refined, and undeniably chic.
Makeup artists from New York to Paris were seen swiping sheer, high-shine lip gloss over neutral lips to catch the light and deliver an effortless finish. At Dion Lee, a barely-there pink gloss gave models a dewy, hydrated look that balanced the collection’s structured urban tailoring. Meanwhile, at Coperni, a glassy clear gloss was layered over softly defined lips to create a futuristic, vinyl effect.
But it wasn’t just about the lips. Lip gloss made surprise cameos as a dewy highlight on cheekbones and eyelids, offering a subtle sheen that played beautifully under stage lighting. The takeaway? This season, shine equals sophistication. If you’re still clinging to matte, it might be time to reconsider.
Skin: Prepped, Not Painted
Forget cakey foundations or heavy contours — the backstage skin mantra was clear: prep over paint. Skincare routines were just as extensive as makeup applications, with models undergoing 20-minute regimes involving hyaluronic acid, facial massage, and cooling tools before a single drop of foundation was applied.
Designers like Chloé and Proenza Schouler focused on healthy, radiant skin that looked like it had been lived in, not lacquered on. Lightweight skin tints were used instead of foundations, often mixed with face oils for a customised glow. “It’s about letting skin be skin,” one lead artist said backstage in Milan. “We enhance, we don’t cover.”
Eyes: Graphic, Glossy or Gone
While some designers leaned into barely-there neutrals, others used the eye as a canvas for bold statements. At David Koma, graphic liner reigned — razor-sharp black flicks extended far past the outer corners, paired with neutral lips to keep the focus front and centre.
In contrast, London’s more experimental spirit showed up at Simone Rocha, where glossy lids in peach and plum were accented with tiny crystal appliqués, catching the light like jewellery. Meanwhile, Isabel Marant in Paris kept things pared back with brushed-up brows, a wash of champagne shadow, and little else — proof that restraint, in the right hands, is a power move.
Hair: The Era of Effortless Structure
Hair this season played with duality — soft shapes held in place with military precision. Think sleek centre parts with natural texture, or windswept waves that somehow stayed immaculate through multiple outfit changes.
At Altuzarra, hair was prepped with conditioning mist for that air-dried texture but styled with invisible pins to keep every strand in place. At Versace, wet-look hair with deep side parts gave a nod to ’90s glamour, while still feeling modern thanks to ultra-glossy finishes and clean lines.
Behind it all? A cocktail of styling creams, shine serums, and setting sprays — applied with a backstage finesse that mere mortals rarely see.
The Must-Have Beauty Kit (According to the Pros)
Every artist backstage has their own holy grail products, but a few names came up time and again: setting spray, caffeine eye serums, multipurpose balms, and — yes — lip gloss. Highlighter sticks were used not only for the face but also for collarbones, shoulders, and even shins. Hair pros swore by dry texture sprays to add shape without stiffness, and nail techs reached for muted shades of mauve, pearl, and camel.
What ties it all together? Intentional simplicity. Even in the most avant-garde moments, beauty this season whispered, rather than shouted.
Final Thoughts: Real Beauty in the Fast Lane
Fashion Week may look like a blur from the outside, but backstage it’s a study in precision. There’s a reason why beauty editors, influencers, and insiders all hover behind the curtains — this is where future trends are whispered into existence.
Lip gloss is no longer a throwaway product — it’s part of the luxury beauty vernacular again. Skin is celebrated, not concealed. Hair flows with purpose. And every swipe, brush, and blend is done with an artist’s vision and a designer’s mood board in mind.
So the next time you see a model floating down the runway with effortless glow and barely-there makeup, remember: it took an army, a vision, and perhaps a tiny swipe of lip gloss to get her there.
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