Instep Desk

At the recently concluded New York Fashion Week designers not only previewed their pieces for Spring/Summer 2020, ushering in the season’s new fashion silhouettes, colours and accessories, but also showcased head-turning makeup and show-stopping hairstyles that completed every look that went down the runway. The best part about NYFW is that it gives a sneak peek of what hair and makeup looks are going to be huge next season, and what trends will be all over Instagram.

While last season’s New York Fashion Week was all about gothic lips, gold glitter and floral hairstyles, this time beauty looks definitely made an impact once again and we saw endless swatches of neon, vibrant eye makeup and dramatic cat eyes, taking inspiration from 80s punk, abstract art and surrealism.

Here are some of the major beauty moments from the NYFW Spring/Summer 2020 runways.

Chromat

Graphic shapes and bright colours like neon blues and greens have always been staples at Chromat, and Spring/Summer 2020 was no different. This year Chromat celebrated its 10-year anniversary and created an empowering collection filled with blues and greens. The vibrant and coordinated multilayered eye makeup reimagined looks from past collections to celebrate their anniversary. Using a striping brush, models’ outer and inner corners of the eyes were accented and exaggerated by neon hues. As for hair, hairstylist Justine Marjan stuck with sleek and bold bubble-shaped ponytails.

Pyer Moss

Eyes took centre stage as far as Pyer Moss’ collection was concerned. The models flaunted breath-taking statement eye makeup inspired by ‘70s Rock ‘n Roll glam. Celebrity makeup artist Daniel Sallstrom redefined glam rock with eyelids washed in red, blue and yellow shadows that were topped off with Swarovski crystals. According to Sallstrom, it’s all about bringing out the eyes, creating that 70s feel of the blush connecting with the eyes.

Prabal Gurung

The wet hair look was the highlight of Prabal Gurung’s showcase. The wet look was achieved by spraying heavy amounts of Bumble and Bumble Suma Spray Wax. The celebrity stylist opted for a no-makeup look and the models were seen sporting a lip balm, black glossy lip colour and bright red or a deep burgundy hue.

Helmut Lang

Lead make-up artist Susie Sobol complemented Helmut Lang’s minimalist take on punk culture with a neutral base and a splash of square-winged eyeliner in various hues such as black, neon pink, neon green and rust. The eye lashes were curled with little or no mascara so as to keep all the emphasis on the eyelids. As for hair, it was styled in air-dried waves with center parting, which seemed quite natural and effortless.

Jeremy Scott

The aesthetic of the 1980s came alive at Jeremy Scott’s show - the look was complemented with choppy pastel wigs paired with graphic, neon eyes. Makeup artist Kabuki went with soft washes of colour at the inner corners of the eyes, geometric shadow on the lid, topped with glitter, and finished the look with over-extended cat-eye wings.

Brandon Maxwell

For Brandon Maxwell’s collection, makeup artist Tom Pecheaux created a laid-back, bronzed and functional beauty look to compliment the beach-inspired runway theme. The look included a bit of black eyeliner, enough sparkle on the eye to make it look wet-ish on the runway and faux freckles with a strong eyebrow. Instead of using a nude lipstick, Pecheaux applied a layer of concealer over the lips - after moisturizing them - for that warm, sun-kissed look. Hairstylist Bob Recine gave the models a bouncy blowout using a blow dryer and hair rollers.­