Autumn/Winter 2018: 10 Beauty Trends

By Lisa Niven, Vogue

In a year when gender equality has been at the forefront of conversation, it's no surprise that the message of female strength was manifested through powerful red lips, don't-mess-with-me-hairstyles and punk-inspired eyeliner on the autumn/winter 2018 catwalks. This season's woman is not afraid to make a statement with her beauty, and the results make for some arresting looks. Elsewhere, Sixties-inspired lashes heralded the return of mascara, whilst the glitter-heavy make-up at Giambattista Valli and Preen made it clear that spring/summer 2018's trend for sparkle and sheen is going nowhere fast. Discover autumn/winter 2018's key beauty trends below.

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Corporate Chic

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Executive realness was the name of the game at Alexander Wang, where Vogue contributing beauty editor Guido Palau slicked back models' hair and accessorised with an Eighties-style clip to complement the clean lines in the collection. Similarly sophisticated beauty was on show at Dion Lee and Toga, whilst the slickest side partings reigned at 3.1 Phillip Lim and Rochas.

Paintbox Brights

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This might be autumn make-up, but that doesn't mean it's without a bold bolt of colour. Paintbox-bright eyeshadow was on show at Marni, Sies Marjan and Prada, whilst eyeliner was applied to colour-match the yellow, pink and red sunglasses at Dior. Special mention goes to hot pink, yellow and green - the hues which cropped up most frequently backstage.

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The Recurring Trend: Glitterbug

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If you thought spring/summer 2018's glitter trend was a one-season thing, think again - the sparkly stuff is well and truly back. Vogue contributing beauty editor Val Garland was the master of the trend, creating shimmering foreheads at Preen by Thornton Bregazzi and full faces of glitter at Giambattista Valli, whilst Vogue beauty editor-at-large Pat McGrath set Instagram alight with the oil-slick glitter lips at Maison Martin Margiela. For a more subtle take on the trend, look to the gold-smattered cheekbones created by Tom Pecheux at Chanel.

Quality Hair

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"The blow-dry is back," proclaimed hairstylist Anthony Turner backstage in New York, successfully predicting four weeks of shows where glossy, high-maintenance styles ruled the catwalk. Consider Vogue contributing beauty editor Sam McKnight's side-parted waves at Balmain, his flawlessly-finished styles at Fendi and James Pecis's just-so waves at Derek Lam. If there's ever been a time to invest in a Dyson dryer, it's now.

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Super Lashes

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For autumn/winter 2018, if you're going to wear mascara, wear a lot of it. Fluttering lashes were the focus of the ultra-feminine beauty looks at Givenchy, Valentino and David Koma, whilst more literal takes on the classic Sixties eye were seen backstage at Moschino and Anna Sui. Pair with glowing skin and a dab of lip balm to keep the look modern.

Power Lips

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With many designers drawing from the amplified conversation around women's empowerment to inform their collections, it's no surprise that there was an array of powerful red lips on show too. Scarlet pouts made a bold statement at Brandon Maxwell, Rochas and Alexander McQueen, whilst the rouge hue at Erdem was inspired by the designer's mother.

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Tied Up In Knots (And Don't Forget The Accessories)

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Topknots at Chanel, twists at Philosophy and casual chignons at Merchant Archive - knots were the go-to up-do for hairstylists backstage at the autumn/winter 2018 shows. The best of the bunch came adorned with chic accessories - think plastic headbands at Prabal Gurung, interlocking C clips at Chanel, bow slides at Simone Rocha and of course those "banana clips" at Alexander Wang.

The Skin Trend: Prime Time

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Skin is forever in, but this season it's all about the prep. Rather than reaching for a host of heavy foundations, concealers and powders, make-up artists instead spent time layering moisturisers, primers and strobe creams to give a truly healthy radiance to models' complexion. Perfectly prepped skin with only the subtlest of extra tweaks was on show at the likes of Roksanda, Lanvin, Christopher Kane and Michael Kors, the latter of which relied upon little more than concealer when it came to make-up.

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Rebel Rebel

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A rebel spirit permeated all four fashion weeks, and manifested itself in punk-inspired eye make-up at Miu Miu, Ashley Williams and Dior, the latter of which was inspired by the youth revolts of 1968. Meanwhile at Max Mara, Tom Pecheux described the dramatic smoky eyes as "glam punk", whilst Sam McKnight was inspired by the post-punk era in Eighties London when styling the hair.

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The Hair Colour Trend: Paint It Red

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If there was one stand-out hair colour on the autumn/winter 2018 catwalks, it was bold, bright red. British colourist Josh Wood dyed model Ez's hair rich garnet at Alexander Wang, created a custom scarlet hue for Songhwa Oh to close the show at Marc Jacobs and made over a handful of the models at Miu Miu with a dramatic cherry hue. If you've ever considered a bold colour change but not quite had the nerve, the time is now.

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