Beauty Trends

The SS18 beauty trends you’ll want to adopt now

As we begin to come to terms with autumn’s (unwelcome) arrival, the fashionistas are just finishing digesting four weeks’ worth of summertime looks – admiring swimsuits while swaddled in woollens and envying acres of bronzed, dewy skin while resignedly sporting their deep, berry lipsticks. It’s always best to lead where others follow, so seize next season’s trends and fine-tune fashion-forward beauty looks that you can wear through winter, and beyond!

Draw the line

Eyeliner is back in a big way for SS18, with graphic lines the sole make up concession at the likes of Ashley Williams (pictured), Eudon Choi, John Galliano, Rochas and Christiano Burani. Ultra-fine squiggles were scrawled in the gap between lashes and eyebrows at Burani and Eudon Choi – a clean and contemporary take on the usual ‘flicks’, particularly when paired with super fresh and dewy skin, the merest whisper of mascara, balmy lips and brushed-up brows.

Equip yourself with a fine-tipped liquid liner – we rate NYX Professional Makeup’s {Epic Ink Liner} – and perfect your wiggles (they don’t even have to be even… hallelujah!).

Winehouse wings

In contrast to the aforementioned fine lines, Amy Winehouse and her statement black eyeliner seemed to be the inspiration for the make up looks at Fendi, Versus Versace and Marc Jacobs, where thick, exaggerated liner was employed in all its sleek, seductive glory. Pitch black at Marc Jacobs, where Diane Kendall tailored every line to make the models’ eyes look captivatingly cat-like, the hues at Fendi varied from deep teal to navy blue to match the models’ asymmetric coloured mops.

Try a pot of liner and the {Vamp Stamp} to position perfect (even!) wings, then use a brush or long-wear liner in a corresponding hue to trace along the upper lashes – thickening the line from inner to outer corner. We love Laura Geller’s {Inkcredible Waterproof Gel Eyeliner Pencils}

Post-spa skin

Fake a facial with a lot of plumping moisturiser, artfully-applied highlighter and a spritz or two of mist to leave skin looking like you’ve just emerged from a blissful weekend of R&R. Dewy, dewy, dewy with a natural, pinched-your-cheeks flush was the look at the likes of Victoria Beckham, Mansur Gavriel and Saint Laurent, where skin exuded healthy radiance (without the post-gym ‘shine’ of former seasons).

The Ordinary’s {Serum Foundation} comes in an array of skin-perfecting shades, to blur without detracting from your skin’s own quirks. For even more ‘dew’, you can buff a bead or two of your preferred day cream on top of your foundation to help unify the coverage and maximise that gorgeous, real-skin finish.

’90s glamour

Tawny tones were back in a completely MAJOR way on Milan’s catwalks, where the original supers signified the highlight of fashion month at Versace: Claudia, Carla, Helena, Cindy and Naomi held hands as they shimmied down the runway dressed in slinky golden sequins paired with gleaming golden skin and beige-nude lips.

Bronzed and sculpted, the look was more ‘bombshell’ than waif, with big bouncy hair, creamy lipstick, flawless contour and a wash of shimmer shadow – more ’80s aftermath than ’00s precursor. And, at Moschino the look went one step further with exaggerated lip lines drawn in deeper, beige-rose tones to recreate the ultimate nostalgic throwback pout (try Huda Beauty’s {Lip Contour} in ‘Trendsetter’). A flick of vinyl liner was the perfect accompaniment to this look that conjured Clueless vibes (in the best way).

Painterly shades

Colour pop pigments were washed over eyelids and temples at shows from Marni to Roksanda via Philipp Plein and Palmer Harding (pictured). In statement shades, from tangerine to turquoise, make up artists used broad, painterly strokes to daub colour and create a daring yet wearable take on traditional shadow. Brilliantly expressionistic (think: Rothko, Kandinsky or Warhol), desert your go-to nudes in favour of a ‘pop’ of vibrant pigment – BLEACH London’s individual {Louder Powders} are ideal for injecting some spring/summer fun to your autumnal eye make up wardrobe.

Bare lips but better

Back away from the lip pigments (or at least occasionally) and buff your lips to their plumped-up and beautiful best. The NYFW shows showcased lips in all their pared-back, pink-tinged glory – maximising volume with a coat of glossy balm and little else. Use a gentle lip scrub (we’re huge fans of Nurse Jamie’s {NuLips RX + Exfoliating Brush}) then follow with a rich, hydrating balm or NIOD’s {Lip Bio-Lipid Concentrate} to stimulate bloodflow, boost fullness and enhance your lips’ rosy tint.

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Verity Douglas

Verity Douglas

Content Editor

Cult Beauty’s Content Editor and a Cult Beauty OG, Verity loves nothing more than the marriage of language and lip balm. A quintessential Libran, she’s a self-professed magpie for luxury ‘must-haves' and always pursuing the new and the niche — from the boujee-est skin care to cutting-edge tech. Balancing an urge to stop the clock with her desire to embrace the ageing process (and set a positive example for her daughter), Verity's a retinol obsessive and will gladly share her thoughts about the time-defying gadgets, masks and treatments worth the splurge...