The 6 Biggest Beauty Takeaways From New York Fashion Week

“Today, we take everything—past, present, future—and that’s kind of what makes beauty today,” mused Pat McGrath backstage at Marc Jacobs. It was a fitting endnote for a week that was playfully referential as well as forward-thinking in attitude and approach.

While spring was infiltrated by the Euphoria effect, this season saw a return to a simpler and, in turn, sexier, brand of glamour. Tom Ford kicked things off in Los Angeles by upping the wattage on the “Tom’s girl,” with sultry smoky eyes that cooly harmonized with the collection’s soigné flower hairpins, while back in New York, a host of runways—including Jacobs, Proenza Schouler, and Oscar de la Renta—highlighted the bold allure and simplicity of a red lip. But perhaps the most universally appealing element of feral beauty is the kind of bright, dewy complexion that beamed backstage at Self Portrait and Jonathan Cohen.

As far as hair goes, come-as-you-are texture, teamed with elevated technique and look-at-me flair translated to a sundry of hair statements: Christopher John Rogers quite literally built upon the volume and extreme shapes of last season, Anna Sui modernized the retro pompadour with a “gothic vamp” twist, and Area created a close-cropped, crystalized wig that draped along the head and neck to delicate and decadent effect. Here, the six hair and makeup lessons that emerged throughout the week.

The ’70s Are Back—With a Whisper

At Ulla Johnson, makeup artist Romy Soleimani nodded to the “undone glamour” of the ’70s with a soft wash of teal on the lids and a “clay, caramel-y lip.” With model and Andy Warhol muse Jane Forth serving as inspiration, Marina Moscone offered up a modern-day interpretation of her “full” face, dusting the inner corners of the eyes in silver shadow and adding a vinyl gloss to a dusty rose pout. Marrying the ’70s with a touch of Victorian elegance at Tory Burch, pro Guido Palau parted loose lengths at the center and pulled two small sections back on either side into a tiny, twisted half-up. After a few seasons of unapologetic glitz, a light hand feels modern.

Dramatic Eyeliner Is a Free-for-All

Much like a pen on a blank page, a black eye pencil and a bare gaze hold endless possibilities. It’s a tried-and-true classic, and McGrath emphasized this while drawing bold, punk-ish wings, femme fatale kitten flicks, and ’60s negative-space encasings on the cast of characters at Marc Jacobs. For a more dimensional, textured effect, look to the smudged smoky eyes at Tom Ford and the sultry slashes of pigment at Khaite, which makeup artist Diane Kendal deconstructed with dabs of Embryolisse cream for a melted effect.

Red Lips Have Never Been More Classic—Or Playful

“When you think of red lipstick, you think of all time periods,” said McGrath. “Past, present, and future—it’s everything.” Meaning many things to many women, this season saw a range of interpretations, such as the varying washes of deep strawberry at Jacobs and the exuberant tomato red stamps at Brock and Oscar de la Renta.

When It Comes to Statement Hair, More Is More

Hair statements came in many forms this season. At Jonathan Cohen, a cascade of close-cropped cornrows were spangled with oversized pearls by hairstylist Laurent Philippon, while at Christopher John Rogers, hair took on many different geometric shapes with mega-sized clouds of curls sculpted into triangular and rectangular silhouettes by Naeemah LaFond. Speaking of volume, Bella Hadid received lots of it by way of a “Mrs. Robinson” brunette bouffant wig made by Palau for the Marc Jacobs runway. “The great thing about today is that real women understand that you can switch in a hair piece, fake bangs, or a full wig for the night,” he said.

Spa-Fresh Skin Is Always In

While a veil of moisturizer is the natural first step in the makeup process, this season saw extra attention paid to model complexions. Neon tangerine lids popped against lit-from-within glows at Self Portrait, where makeup artist Lauren Parsons gave dull complexions a juicy boost with Skin Inc’s signature Flash Facial. For a dewy finish on the skin at Jonathan Cohen, Grace Ahn mixed rose hip oil with a cheek tint, blending it on the cheekbones to glossy, second-skin effect. At Michael Kors, Dick Page buffed a blue-red Maybelline cream blush onto models’ cheeks for “a little bit of extra health.”

Vampy Beauty Thrives With a Gothic Twist

Vampy beauty was out in full force. First at Anna Sui, where Garren molded lengths into larger-than-life pompadours while McGrath gave girls emerald smoky eyes and deep burgundy pouts. “The whole idea of it was gothic vampire with a touch of Guy Bourdin,” McGrath explained, citing Italian horror movies, such as 1964’s Blood and Lace, as the designer’s reference point. While Rodarte always serves up full fantasy, things took a darker turn once Winona Ryder in 1992’s Bram Stoker’s Dracula became the beauty muse. To achieve the “delicate vampire” look, there were veils topped with flowers and mouths were saturated in moody Bordeaux pigment.