Crazy Bold Brows

At both Christian Cowan and Luar’s spring/summer 2025 shows, eye-catching brows took center stage. During the former presentation, makeup artist Kanako Takase used a classic trick to get the skinny ‘90s brow that was a nod to an icon. “Christian was inspired by a classic Bette Davis glam,” Kanake tells StyleCaster. “For the brows in particular, I used Elmer’s glue stick to slick them down, then powder shadows from an unreleased Addiction Tokyo eyeshadow palette to draw on that ultra-skinny brow that was popular in the ‘90s.”

Luar’s version of the look featured an interesting take on the textured brow trend, drawing attention to the area for an entirely different reason than the width of the actual eyebrow. Instead of a bright color or crystals, as we’ve seen in the past, the team at MAC Cosmetics used pieces of fabric from the collection to emulate the look of a bold, stark-black eyebrow in a jet-black color, a glaring contrast against each model’s skin tone. Still, it was a perfect addition to the slicked-back hair and black lipstick that they also donned. 

Indie Sleaze Hair

The rockstar-chic aesthetic that dominated the ‘90s and early ‘00s, has been slowly inching its way back into the zeitgeist, and nowhere was it more apparent than with the hairstyles that worked their magic on the runways this season. For Diotima, hairstylist Joey George relied on some tried-and-true Oribe products to convey the feeling that arises during Pocomania, a Jamaican religious ritual. The root word, pukkumina, means “a little madness.” 

“The hair is pulled back in a very sleek and shiny way,” George told StyleCaster. “At its core, it’s a pretty minimalistic bun, but in contrast, there are all these spidery baby bits that frame the face with that kind of “less polished” feeling that plays well into the pocomania theme.” George used Oribe’s Foundation Mist and Royal Blowout
to get the look. The former is a watery conditioning treatment that helps to revitalize and condition curls for easy manipulation and the latter acts as a heat protectant that also helps with detangling and providing a healthy shine. 

Also at Christian Cowan, Tresemme’s lead hairstylist Lacy Redway, created “le contoured bob,” a short hairstyle that perfectly complemented the busy, no-nonsense character that the designer wanted to convey through his collection. “I wanted to make sure that the hair contoured the cheekbones and the bangs are short,” Redway said. “We wanted this woman to feel strong and powerful, but also unencumbered by rules. She doesn’t mess around.” If that’s not the definition of grungy, indie-sleaze hair, then we don’t know what is. 

Neutral Nails With Something Extra

Many of the manicures over the past week have been fairly neutral, but what has continued to stand out has been the small details added to take them up a notch. For Christian Cowan, lead nail artist Julie Kandalec created two sets of nails, one of which included a 3D cut-out star detail. “I went in with an e-file to create an inverted half-moon shape on the tips and apply two layers of CND Shellac in Black Pool),” she tells StyleCaster. “Then I used Brisa Glass Sculpting Gel to create star cutouts and attach them to the tips of each nail.”

At Jason Wu, Jin Soon Choi used her eponymous brand to create what she calls a “bisque porcelain” nail. “Wu is collaborating with prominent Asian Artist Tong Yang-Tze for this show, and I came up with the idea for this nail as a result. We started with one coat of JINsoon Doux, followed by Prim for a neutral base. To complete the look and play with texture, we applied the Matte Maker Topcoat for a flawless matte finish.”

Soaked Strands

After dominating the 2022 awards season, wet hair was back in full force during New York Fashion Week. The look was spotted at shows like Naeem Khan, Jason Wu, and Area. At Area, celebrity hairstylist Mustafa Yanaz, created the “slept-in slick back,” in honor of Area’s 10th anniversary. “For this style, we wanted to emphasize the ‘lived in’ look to pair with the collection’s focus on the power of identity, self-expression, and power,” Yanaz stated in a press release. The hero product for the look? The TRESemmé Extra Hold Mousse. “It offers the perfect base to create your own ‘on-the-go’ style,” Yanaz says.

The look is also extremely easy to create. On dry hair, you’ll want to separate the hair into two sections from the neck to the top of the head applying the mousse from root to tip. Then, let the hair fully dry and rake it back using your fingers. Add as much hair gel as your heart desires and you’ll be left with the “slept-in slick back” of your dreams.

Glowy, Glass Skin

In the skincare realm, glossy skin continues to rule as the models prepare for their makeup looks. At Kim Shui, esthetician Susan Mastaj used Kate Somerville’s Exfolikate Scrub, as well as the brand’s new Goat Milk Moisturizing Cream to replicate that glow from head to toe, and the brand’s Mega-A Transforming and SuperCell Rejuvenation Serum carried the show at Jason Wu. “The key for glowy, glossy skin is hydration,” dermatologist Angelo Landriscina, said at the Christian Cowan show. “One of my absolute favorite products to do this with is the La Roche Posay Thermal Spring Water. It’s so lightweight and doesn’t cause any interactions with the makeup being applied later down the line.”

The glow was also real at Naeem Khan thanks to makeup artist Georgi Sandev. “Glow is the basis of the entire look for today’s show,” Sandev told StyleCaster. “The makeup look is a play on contrasts – lightness and darkness, wickedness and beauty, etc.” The key to the look (and really any good makeup), is moisture,” Sandev said. “The base people should focus on the most is actually their skin-care products,” Sandev explained. “It’s much easier to build on dewy, hydrated skin, regardless of the foundation that they use.”

To get the models prepared for the Naeem Khan show, Sandev used the ZO Skin Health Growth Serum, followed by the Recovery Cremè. Lastly, he added the Illuminating AOX Serum for some added glow.

Grunge Glam

Deep, grungy makeup was one of the most popular looks this year, with some brands taking a more minimal approach to the trend, while others went all in. For Wiederhoeft, MAC Cosmetics makeup artist Sharryn Hinchliffe, created a “quiet grunge” look, which focused on a taupe eye, courtesy of the brand’s Connect in Color Eyeshadow Palette in the Unfiltered Nude, paired with a vampy lip thanks to Nightmoth Lip Liner Pencil. 

Jason Wu kept it simple, yet striking, with lead makeup artist Diane Kendal creating a look dubbed the “floral flush,” which focused heavily on the cheeks. “That area of the face is very important in Chinese culture,” Wu told StyleCaster. “Red blush in Chinese theater always conveyed a sign of health and prosperity so we did a spin on that with the look for today.” 

Instead of using bolder shades, Kendal kept the cheek color more subdued and neutral, courtesy of Jason Wu Beauty’s forthcoming powder blushes, set to launch in October. “Jason wanted the girls to look luminous and healthy,” Kendal shared with StyleCaster. “Color was focused just on the apples of the cheek and then a touch of highlighter was added at the tops of the cheekbones.”