The past few seasons of New York Fashion Week beauty have been subdued to say the least. Bare or monochromatic, bubble bath nails were the set standard in manicures. Hair fastened into dainty chignons—occasionally adorned with a ribbon or two—marked the buzziest moments. But this September, it looks like designers are ready to bring maximalist beauty trends back.

While the Spring 2025 season has only just begun, it’s already signaling a shift away from subtlety. Midnight blue eyeshadow and metallic liners have replaced the soft washes of glitter and light brown mascara from seasons past. Look to the “woodland fairy”-inspired glam at Christian Siriano, “punk rock” hairstyles complete with gravity-defying strands at Area, or the six-foot-long extensions with “touch grass” green tips at Collina Strada for proof.

With notable shows like Coach, Tory Burch, and Micheal Kors scheduled for later in the week, there’s sure to be a steady stream of standout beauty looks. (And from what I’m seeing, more votes in favor of a maximalist beauty trends revival.) To get the scoop—on the must-have products, biggest trends, and application tips—I’m running from backstage to backstage to get an inside peek at what goes down behind the scenes.

Read on for the best hair and makeup moments from New York Fashion Week’s Spring 2025 season.

Punk Rock Resurgence at Area

(Image credit: Launchmetrics)

Tresemme and MAC collaborated on the most “punk rock” look to hit the runways so far, celebrity stylist Mustafa Yanaz exclusively told me. “Imagine a girl that was partying hard and she comes home and doesn’t wash her hair. A lot of Area is spikes and leather—I wanted to bring that element into the beauty look as well.”

(Image credit: Tresemme)

Makeup, which was under the direction MAC, focused on bold “caviar” lips (a blend of an un-released Root For Me Lip Liner and MACximal Antique Velvet Matte Lipstick) and high-shine smoky eyes. ”There’s a juxtaposition between high incredible glam and raw skin,” a global senior artist for the brand shared.

Mythical Moments at Christian Siriano

(Image credit: TRESEMME)

With keynote hairstylist Lacy Redway and celebrity makeup artist Vincent Oquendo commanding the backstage at Christian Siriano, it’s no surprise the beauty was something special. Specifically, a fusion of vintage 1920s and enchanted forest influences that Oquendo said “bring back the magic of fashion week.”

“When I started thinking about a magical fantasy, I started thinking about a woodland nymph or menacing fairy. I wanted the power to come from the eyes—for it to be beautiful and dangerous,” Oquendo exclusively told me. “It’s no secret I love a bold eye, but I also think berry lips are going to be huge this season.”

(Image credit: Launchmetrics)

Hair was equally as bold, with Redway creating glitter-infused finger waves on nearly every model’s head. “We did deep side parts—tell Gen Z—and pre-sectioned a triangle of hair for a fairy dust accent,” Redway explains. “We mix in glitter and dab it onto the hair, dry it into place, and lock it in with hairspray.”

Six-Foot-Long Extensions at Collina Strada

(Image credit: Launchmetrics)

A “touch grass” theme meant it was only appropriate that Bumble and Bumble’s key artist, Charlie Le Mindu, made models’ dip-dyed green hair do the same. “The grass of the collection inspired me, so we used stains of green on the hair tips,” he said. “We put everything in braids, flat-ironed them, and took them out to create the wave.” With the show taking place in a graveyard, Mindu wanted the hair to be “heavy.”

The Whole Garden at Alice and Olivia

(Image credit: Briogio)

For the past three seasons, the hair and nails at Alice & Olivia have been fairly similar—inspiration is drawn from designer Stacey Bendet’s classic look, with ballerina buns and black cut-crease eyeshadow. This year marked a big departure from the fashion week status quo, with an overwhelming floral influence.

“We wanted to keep it youthful. There are a lot of floral prints in the collection, but we wanted to keep with the Stacey classic bun. We created some texture and tried to channel the Garden of Versailles. The inspiration was Parisian chic, so we kept flowers on the vine to keep this romantic energy,” lead hairstylist Matthew Curtis exclusively told me.

(Image credit: Getty Images)

Models’ manicures took a similarly ethereal approach, with a range of floral-inspired press-ons. “The collection is so dreamy and we wanted to do something similar. We also painted the lace fresh by hand, but Salon Perfect is great for approachable design,” celebrity nail artist Miss Pop says. “I used their Glazed Donut French and press floral stickers to create this puffed blue floral edge to give dimension. I like a flat-tip tweezer, and I just scoop the sticker off and plop it down.”

Extreme Shine at Prabal Gurung

(Image credit: Launchmetrics)

Typically, a no-makeup runway look leaves little excitement. But Prabal Gurung lead makeup artist Sil Bruinsma was determined to infuse a bit of drama into a pared-back look. Rather than playing with barely-there makeup, he loaded up on high-shine enhancers, creating a mirrored, reflective quality on the skin. “We wanted the look to focus on glass skin, exuding freshness and pureness,” Bruinsma told me.