Every fashion month poses an opportunity for the biggest names in makeup to decide how they would like to shift the beauty world. For the spring/ summer 2019 makeup trends, their focus was on clean, ethereal beauty punctuated by just a single messy or unusual element. This meant everything from wild graphic eyeliner to watercolor-esque eyeshadow, or bitten-looking lips. Foundation was mostly out for the spring/ summer 2019 beauty trends, with a strong preference for glowy, bare skin.
While the overall vibe in the spring 2019 makeup trends was gentle and restrained, the exception was a wild and artistic use of color, with little regard to clean lines or sophisticated beauty techniques. We saw runways overwhelmed with femininity, which bore itself out in the spring 2019 makeup trends primarily in the form of pastels and glitter. This is a season for celebration, and the spring 2019 beauty trends certainly reflect that.
Spring/ Summer 2019 Beauty Trends: Complexion
#1. Clean Skin
At this point it’s old news that runway makeup artists are not big fans of foundation. Instead, for the spring 2019 makeup trends, superstar artists like Pat McGrath, Val Garland, and Lisa Eldridge kept skin foundation-free, instead opting to use just a touch of concealer or some blurring primer only on the spots where it was truly necessary.
If you tend to sweat and hate the feel of foundation sliding down your face, then we are sure you are going to enjoy this light and breezy way of making up your complexion. Each one of these makeup artists made sure to cite the importance of a great skincare routine when questioned backstage, so if you’re a fan make sure not to neglect yours!
The best takes on clean skin were at Stella McCartney, where just a touch of mascara and a dab of iridescent shimmer were all that was necessary to bring out the models’ natural beauty. Even that mascara wasn’t necessary at Balmain, Proenza Schouler, and Isabel Marant, where perfect bare skin glowed with health. Just a touch of blush was all the complexion makeup models needed at Christopher Kane.
#2. Glowing Skin
Forget matte, the spring/ summer 2019 beauty trends are all about glowing skin, shining healthfully with a natural gleam. This season cheekbones and foreheads were highlighted softly, but not with powder highlighters. Makeup artists preferred a touch of liquid or cream luminizer to give a more natural sheen.
Models at Victoria Beckham looked as though their skin glowed from within. It was a beautiful and healthy look that paired well with the sleek, damp way their hair was styled. That same kind of ultra-natural glow worked well, especially for freckled models, at Michael Kors.
A dose of highlighter at Brock Collection gave a more pronounced glow that paired well with rosy lips and peachy cheeks. Other runways to give use dewy beauty included David Koma, Off-White and Noon by Noor.
#3. Kissed by the Summer Sun
The bronzer is back, baby! After a long absence, ‘90s nostalgia paired with wanderlust have inspired makeup artists to pull the bronzer out of the back of the drawer, and use it liberally on the runways.
The bronzed makeup this season, especially on the Altuzarra runway, brought to mind the light tan that one might end up with after spending a full day exploring a new city or lounging on a tropical beach. It paired well with peachy eyeshadow and a hint of highlighter.
Makeup artist Hiromi Ueda, for Molly Goddard, took the same idea to the extreme, pairing tan with sunburn by using an orangey-brown blush on the cheeks and over the bridge of the nose.
Subtle, all-over bronzer paired with strategic highlighting made for a beautifully warm makeup look at Alberta Ferretti. Strong contour at Badgley Mischka, along with a touch of brown in the crease, gave a sophisticated, mature take on the sun kissed look.
#4. Pretty in Pink
Blush and eyeshadow and lips, oh my! Pink was favored as part of the spring/ summer 2019 makeup trends, specifically in monochrome looks where pink powder was used on both eyelids and cheekbones, while a matching rose tint graced the lips. It paired well with the princess dresses, florals, tiaras, and tulle that we saw all over the runways.
For Brandon Maxwell, Tom Pecheux created a simple monochromatic look, with cool-toned pink eyeshadow, and a blush and lipstick combination that was a more neutral, sophisticated pink. Lips and eyes matched perfectly on the Giorgio Armani runway, with a glossy pink-mauve shade covering both.
The most unique take on pinks showed up at Ulla Johnson, with bitten pink lips, pink mascara on the lashes, and a touch of pastel pink eyeshadow. Lastly, at Genny, all-over pink was achieved with a single shade of shadow that was applied in a continuous swoop from the outer corner of the eye out to the temples and down to the apples of the cheeks.
Spring/ Summer 2019 Beauty Trends: Eye Makeup
#5. Delicate Smoky Eye
With most spring/ summer 2019 makeup trends so soft, light, and delicate, the few smoky eyes that showed up on the runways really stood out and seemed darker than they truly were. In reality, it was all about softer smoky eyes for spring, in lighter shades like amethyst and coffee.
Smudged amethyst eyeliner around the lash line gave a perfect, subtle smokiness at Oscar de la Renta, with just a touch of shimmer in the inner corner to open up the eyes.
A brown smoky eye at Tom Ford was covered in a thin layer of gloss, giving it a high-fashion metallic sheen.
Some of the models sported a soft, taupey smoky eye at Paco Rabanne, along with well-highlighted complexion and glossy lips. The collection was clearly inspired by exotic travels, so a slightly emphasized and smoked out under-eye might have been inspired by the way Indian women traditionally wear their eyeliner. Makeup artists also created softer takes on smoky eyes on the runways of Nicole Miller and Hermes.
#6. Groomed Brows
Clean is the first word that comes to mind when we think of the way makeup artists shaped and styled eyebrows for the spring/ summer 2019 beauty trends. With the use of just the tiniest amount of eyebrow powder and a helping dose of clear mascara, brows were softly perfected without an Instagram brow in sight!
Well groomed brows brushed upwards and feathery eyelashes were part of a soft, natural makeup look at Jil Sander. Eyebrows were also brushed upwards, and touched up with a hint of brow powder, as part of ultra-clean makeup looks at Dion Lee and Fendi. At Moschino, thick groomed brows worked perfectly under the big Carmen Sandiego hats that most models wore.
#7. Colorful Eyebrows
There are always a few collections that are just out there enough to inspire makeup artists to go rogue and break conventions. Fun and bright colors were the perfect way to do that, with colorful eyebrows showing up on two separate runways and becoming one of the more avant-garde spring 2019 makeup trends.
Most models wore a clean, no-makeup makeup look at Acne Studios, but the few who had their eyebrows painted certainly stood out. In most instances of this trend, one brow was painted blue while the other was marked with a spot of white, or painted fully white.
We saw red, yellow, and green eyebrows on a few of the models at Guy Laroche, a runway where a spot of color on brows, lips, or eyes was the point of interest on each makeup look.
#8. Colorful Wings
Winged eyeliner took flight in the spring/ summer 2019 makeup trends, as makeup artists played around with the concept and created unique and colorful eye makeup looks.
For Valentino, Pat McGrath took inspiration from the birds that were a repeated motif in the prints on dresses in the collection. She drew wing-like eyeshadow shapes around the eyes using either glittery eyeshadow or jewels. McGrath was also responsible for the jewel-toned wings at Versace, which were created with metallic green eyeshadow.
We think taupe counts as a color, but the truly unique thing about the wings some of the models at Burberry sported was their shape – sharp, long eyeshadow wings extending directly from the outer corner of the eye out into the temple.
#9. Artistic Black Eye Makeup
The spring 2019 makeup trends also included clever use of black eyeliner and eyeshadow, in all kinds of new and creative ways. If you’re a fan of graphic eye makeup then hang on to your liquid eyeliner and deep black eyeshadow – you’ve got a ton of options.
The use of black at Christian Dior is the most noteworthy. Makeup artist Peter Philips was inspired by the movement of dancers when drawing thick black lines that extended from the outer corner of the eye out into the temples.
A minimalist approach was taken at Rochas, with graphic black arrows floating over where a normal wing would be placed, and at Coach 1941, with a black triangle drawn with liquid liner under one eye. We also enjoyed a ‘70s style cat eye with a graphic line extending over the crease at Marni, and a solid stripe of black eyeshadow over the lid at Dries Van Noten.
#10. Taupe Eyeshadow
If the idea of going totally bare doesn’t appeal to you, a hint of taupe eyeshadow will give your eyes some definition while still fitting into all of the natural spring 2019 makeup trends. For the most part, taupe eyeshadow on the runways was used softly and subtly, but there were some exceptions.
A subtle wash of taupe on the crease was on show at Markus Lupfer, as a way of using eyeshadow to slightly elevate a makeup look. The taupe was also sheerly applied at Max Mara, but paired with a similarly brown-toned matte lip, it made for a sophisticated monochrome look.
At Loewe and Adeam, taupe was used only in the crease to give a touch of definition to the eye, in looks that were otherwise on the glowy and natural side of things.
#11. Glitter and Jewels on Eyes
Glitter and jewels, like a touch of starlight, add playfulness and joy to a makeup look, and make for runways that are more fun and whimsical. Glitter in colors like silver, pink, or green was applied above the crease in the inner corner of the eye and was sometimes extended out to the rest of the eye at Simone Rocha, while the rest of the face was kept clean and natural.
Flecks of glitter were shaped into stars over the eyes of models at Kate Spade New York, for a memorable party look. Lastly, on the Tadashi Shoji runway, it was all about big and bold makeup, with glitter used all over to create a large shape that extended sharply past the outer corner of the eye.
#12. Colorful Eyeshadow
If you’re a fan of color, then the spring/ summer 2019 makeup trends are offering you lots of it. On the simpler side of things are punchy one-color looks that can be speedily applied and do not require too much blending.
While makeup was kept clean and natural for the most part at Erdem, a few of the models were differentiated with a messy wash of pink or deep green applied to the lid. One-color eyeshadow looks at Rodarte were slightly cleaner, but otherwise not too different from the looks at Erdem, with the shades used including magenta, light pink, bright yellow, and baby blue.
Periwinkle and peach eyeshadows were matched to outfits at Peter Pilotto. A grungy take on colorful eye makeup came from the Marques’ Almeida runway, where dark red or green eyeshadows were applied messily to the lid and all around the lash line.
#13. Pastel Eyeshadow
Pastels stand out as part of the colorful spring/ summer 2019 makeup trends, particularly because they convey a softer and more feminine approach to color.
Everything about Marc Jacobs’ runways was ultra feminine, including pastel eyeshadows. We saw shades like pink, baby blue and pastel green pulled all the way up to the eyebrows, with liquid liner (but no mascara!) occasionally also added to bring out the eyes.
It was a matching game at Mansur Gavriel, with eyeshadows in pastel peach, blue, and yellow paired with outfits in similar shades. The eye makeup look at Missoni drew a lot of attention, as pastel eyeshadows were only applied in the inner corner of the eye, instead of all over the lid.
#14. Neon Eye Makeup
We saw neon clothes, shoes, bags and hair… of course, neon is also one of the spring/ summer 2019 makeup trends! Pick yourself up an electric eyeshadow palette, and you too can create these vibrant summer looks.
It was all about neon eyes for a neon collection at Byblos, with single color eye looks in electric blues, vibrant oranges, and magnetic pinks being noticeable even from the very last row. A neon green eyeshadow was used all over the lid at Christian Siriano, along with a pared-down makeup look.
Dots of neon pink eyeshadow on the outer corner of the eyes at Chalayan matched flawlessly with bright magenta lips. At Ashish, orange was the neon color of choice, adding drama to some of the eye makeup looks on the clubby runway.
#15. Watercolor Eyeshadow
This is the final and most artistic of the colorful spring/ summer 2019 makeup trends. A sort of watercolor effect was utilized in the creation of gorgeous yet messy makeup looks that did not stray away from the breezy joy of the spring/ summer runways.
Splashes of color covered the lids of models at Esteban Cortazar, in clashing combinations of yellow, white, red, with blue acting as eyeliner. The watercolor eye makeup at Lanyu was applied from lid to brow in dots and splashes of many different colors. It was meant to appear haphazard, but it was clearly very carefully applied.
Makeup at Anna Sui was sunset-inspired, with a warm yellow shade applied from crease up to the hairline, literally covering the forehead, and pink applied to the front of the brows, and again below the eye and extended to the cheekbones.
#16. Golden Eyes
Interject a touch of glamour into your makeup look with a hint of gold eyeshadow. That is what the makeup artists did for the spring 2019 beauty trends, when they needed to create a makeup look that was quick, light, and luxurious.
Temperley London gave us the most traditionally glamorous take on the trend, with heavy eyeshadow paired with a classy sweep of winged brown eyeliner. The gold at Monse was as simple as it gets, with thin lines of gold acting as eyeliner for the upper and lower lash lines.
The most dramatic gold eye makeup look was spotted at Kim Shui, where eyeshadow was applied from lid to brow and then extended in a sharp point past the outer corner of the eyes.
#17. Underliner
‘90s nostalgia was alive and well in the spring 2019 makeup trends, with underliner being one of its representations. This is the kind of makeup trend that is not about looking beautiful – it’s about looking impactful. It makes the wearer look fierce and angry, but also sultry and sexy. It is the ultimate grunge makeup technique.
Ashley Williams had one of the most punk rock runways this season, and a thick line of black rimming the eye in a circular shape certainly helped cement that vibe. Mugler also gave us a punk-ish vibe, with black eyeliner applied thickly both in the waterline and below the lashes, and then extended out in a wing.
The models that didn’t sport graphic eyeliner at Christian Dior wore just a thin line of black in their waterline. Lastly, even at Acne Studios a few of the models sported a line of thick under-eye eyeliner.
#18. Clumpy Mascara
You would expect clumpier mascara to come up as one of the grungy spring/ summer 2019 makeup trends, but this season it actually showed up on some of the more poised runways where designs were on the serious side of things.
Twiggy was the style inspiration for the look at Prada, with mascara applied thick, clumpy, and messy to both lower and upper lashes, and then rolled over the lid to draw faded lines.
At Chanel, we learned that clumpy mascara could eliminate the need for eyeliner, as it does the job of framing and emphasizing the eyes. Paired with clean skin and carefully applied pink lipstick, it looked purposeful instead of messy. We also saw slightly clumpy mascara at Etro, that looked as though it was hastily applied along with a dot of gloss right on the center of the lid.
#19. No Mascara
When taken to the extreme, the no-makeup makeup trend also means no mascara. Sending models out in bare lashes keeps them looking youthful, especially if they have light hair and eyelashes. Occasionally we saw makeup artists skip the mascara, but still load lips up with lipstick for just a touch of color.
Val Garland skipped the mascara at Giambattista Valli, as part of the no-makeup makeup look she has been favoring at most shows. She opted for the same tactic at Isabel Marant and Balmain. At Marc Jacobs, Diane Kendal skipped the mascara in order for pastel eyeshadows to better stand out.
Spring/ Summer 2019 Beauty Trends: Lips
#20. Bitten Lips
This trend originates from South Korea, but it has finally made it to the spring/ summer 2019 makeup trends. The bitten lip trend refers to lips that have been stained with a natural dose of color that usually fades towards the edges, although it can talk about more saturated lips that have been smudged as though they have been kissed amorously. It is an ultra-feminine yet tousled way of wearing lip color that is still impactful.
The warm-toned lip at Lela Rose was on the more opaque side of things, since it was created with lip pencils. A Q-tip was used to give the edges that blurry, recently kissed effect. A shiny, rose-colored lip at Badgley Mischka also had that same blurry edge that ensures a bitten-looking pout.
Fyodor Golan gave us a smudgy orangey-red lip, while at Koche, it was a smudgy matte magenta. Lastly, at Monse, models of all genders wore a peachy lip stain that gave their pout that naturally bitten effect.
#21. Just Gloss
This is another one of the ‘90s-inspired spring 2019 makeup trends that will have you digging through your makeup drawer for some forgotten favorites. That’s right, glossy lips are back, particularly in a naturally nude shade that does not require lipstick.
One of the most wearable makeup looks we saw was at Fendi, with glossy nude lips, subtle eyeliner on the upper lash line and a touch of contour to emphasize the cheekbones.
Glossy lips, dewey skin, and a rim of black liner around the eyes made for a winning combination at Prabal Gurung, while a hint of gloss was all the drama the world-traveling women represented at Paco Rabanne need on their lips, with subtle smoky eyes taking center stage. Lastly, the glow was everywhere at Adeam, with glossy lips pairing well with beautifully highlighted skin.
#22. Matte Purple Lip
While gloss is indeed coming back, it’s not coming back in all cases. If you favor purple lipstick shades, then matte pastels are in for the spring/ summer 2019 makeup trends.
From pale purple to muted fuchsia, we saw a few different takes on the matte purple lip at Maryam Nassir Zadeh, along with a soft makeup look perfect for spring. A pastel purple lip at Marta Jabukowski was surprisingly complementary to a cozy collection.
#23. Powerful Red Lips
Even with all the soft, barely there makeup looks, red lips will never go out of style, so hang on to your Ruby Woo and Russian Red tubes. For the spring/ summer 2019 makeup trends, we saw the return of the gloss to fierce red lips, although matte red lipsticks haven’t fully disappeared yet either. This year, red lips were sometimes worn alone, but more often, they were paired with a hint of eye makeup perfect for a full evening look.
Glossy red lips at Naeem Khan were on the darker side, and paired with chiseled cheekbones and a touch of brown eyeshadow, for the perfect evening look. A similarly dark and glossy red lip at Ryan Lo was paired with darker eyes and voluminous bangs, in a gloomy Snow White-inspired look.
Red lips are a must at Dolce & Gabbana – the brand was practically built on the winged eyeliner and red lip combo. This year red lips had a velvety semi-matte tint, with the red itself a neutral true-red. Ultra bright red lips at Escada also had a semi-matte finish.
Other runways to bring back the red lip included Burberry, Arthur Arbesser, and Givenchy.
#24. Bare Lips
The final element in the no-makeup spring 2019 beauty trends is the no lipstick look. Lip balm and vaseline were more than enough for giving lips a healthy, low-key shine on dozens of different runways.
A touch of eyeliner at Tibi was the only bit of visible makeup, with lips kept bare. No-makeup looks at Michael Kors also eschewed lipstick, along with other makeup products. Lastly, at Erdem we saw that bare lips could be paired with colorful eyeshadow looks.
#25. Sparkly Lips
A few different makeup artists created sparkling lips for the the spring/ summer 2019 makeup trends, but each one used a different method, leading to a few very different takes on the trend. We saw shine achieved with the help of intense powder, subtle gloss, and even some serious bizarre foil.
The word on everybody’s lips was Jeremy Scott, with a runway where makeup artist Kabuki used a foiling technique to created an opaque metallic lip in a variety of high-impact shades. Sparkly lip-gloss made silvery-blue lips a memorable statement on the Eckhaus Latta runway.
Of course, the most extreme take on the trend showed up at the Thom Browne runway, where literal foil was applied over the models’ lips. As already mentioned, glitter and jewels were used to draw gorgeous eye makeup looks at Valentino, but they were also used to add a serious amount of sparkle to models’ lips.
Photos via Vogue, Livingly
