The beauty trends from S/S 2026 you'll be seeing everywhere soon

As summer unfolds, a clear direction for the season ahead has already been set on the runways. Across cities, beauty leaned into clarity of execution—placement that felt considered, texture kept close to its natural state, and skin left open rather than overly finished. Rather than pushing transformation, the season favoured adjustment, where small shifts in detail altered the overall reading of a look .Ahead, every S/S’26 beauty look worth saving for your next inspiration.

WASH OF WARMTH

 

Skipping bronzer feels almost implausible in a S/S report—especially in a climate like that of India, where heavy contour can turn unforgiving far too quickly. The runway seemed to agree, moving away from sharp, carved routines in favour of something far more forgiving: a glow-boosting warmth that melts into the skin. At Michael Kors in New York, bronzer was softly draped downward across the cheeks while Ralph Lauren extended that same diffused wash onto the lids. Giorgio Armani kept it more restrained,pairing it with a gentle flush to offset cooler palettes of outfits without tipping into shine.

LESS IS BROW

 

I am pleased to report that the era of sharp, drawn-on arches, heavy ombré fills and sky-high brushed brows is wrapping up, with the focus shifting back to what’s naturally there—softly groomed, brushed brows leading the way. At Chanel in Paris, models walked with brows lightly brushed through, left close to their natural shape and texture,grounding otherwise polished skin. In New York, Coach kept them equally pared back, sitting easily within barely there make-up, while Loewe balanced natural brows against clean base with hydrated lips—an approach that feels far more current .As summer unfolds, a clear direction for the season ahead has already been set on the runways. Across cities, beauty leaned into clarity of execution—placement that felt considered, texture kept close to its natural state, and skin Loewe Michael Kors left open rather than overly finished. Rather than pushing transformation, the season favoured adjustment, where small shifts in detail altered the overall reading of a look.Ahead, every S/S’26 beauty look worth saving for your next inspiration.

PART PLAY

Perhaps the trend I was most reluctant to admit is the return of 90s side part, but the runways made it harder to argue otherwise. From the clean, controlled finishes at Stella McCartney to the sharper, slicked styles at Fendi. Tory Burch expanded on it with deep parts and piecey, swept-over fringe. Sandy Liang took on a more undone take, and Altuzarra brought back glossy bobs and old-school, high-volume flips. Off the runway, it translates easily, a deeper part, a bit of movement through the lengths, and just enough structure to frame the face.

CHEEKED UP

Beauty’s obsession with definition is loosening its grip as sculpted cheeks took a step back, making room for something softer—call it the ‘bronté’ blush. At Rabanne,sun-kissed colour was swept generously across the apples and over the nose using balm textures, creating that just caught-the-sun effect. Chloé inclined towards flushed cheeks in bubblegum pinks and soft rosies, dabbed onto the apples and often echoed on the lips, all set against dewy, breathable skin. The effect comes together when you tap blush onto the apples and let it drift slightly across the nose for the out-in-the-breeze finish.

STRUCTURED DISARRAY

Perfection, as it turns out, is overrated now. S/S’26 runways leaned onto the beauty of things slightly undone—messy hair, up-dos, imperfect make-up that don’t try too hard.Yves Saint Laurent embraced voluminous, textured up-dos that pushed against structured tailoring while Carven went softer with romantic, loosely pinned styles and strands falling naturally around the face. Dries Van Noten added a twist with undone up-dos paired with micro bangs, holding it between effort and ease, a look that feels most right when you pull hair back loosely and let a few. 

All images: Getty

This article first appeared in the April 2026 issue of Harper's Bazaar India  

Also read: Why everyone is suddenly ‘water stacking’ to stay hydrated

Also read: Ear seeding is everywhere, but does it really help with anxiety?