At Maison Margiela’s spring haute couture show, “alien” skin captivated the attention of beauty aficionados around the globe — and the mysterious look dreamed up by makeup artist Pat McGrath made just about everything else in the makeup-sphere seem down-to-earth. “It’s painterly, it’s fluid, it’s free,” says makeup artist Romy Solemani about the supernatural glow that broke the internet. This spring, that same approach of bold creativity will carry into our makeup routines. Now is the time to “be a little bit more experimental,” says Solemani.
Wear neon lipstick instead of your neutral pink; reach for the most dramatic mascara (or, better yet, fake lashes); and add sparkles to any look just because. Allure has established that the word “trend” has little meaning in this ever-evolving age of TikTok and makeup artists agree: “‘Trends’ have very short lifespans now,” says Diane Kendal. “Something could be a trend for a week or even a day, whereas before, a trend would be much more seasonal.” After seeing so many different things come and go, makeup artist Violette says she “feels a bit rebellious against [trends] because it’s dictating how we should do makeup. I want people to think, how do I feel today? What am I in the mood for? Be your own artist, your own muse, and have fun with makeup.”
All this said, we still love a little inspiration. Keep scrolling to discover the makeup looks earning a place on our spring moodboards.
Meet the Experts:
- Romy Solemani is a New York-based makeup artist.
- Diane Kendal is a New York-based makeup artist and ambassador for Rabanne Beauty.
- Violette is a makeup artist, founder of VioletteFr, and the creative director of Guerlain makeup.
- Sil Bruinsma is a New York-based makeup artist.
- Hiromi Ueda is a London-based makeup artist and ambassador for Giorgio Armani Beauty.
- Morgane Martini is a Paris-based makeup artist and ambassador for Christian Louboutin Beauty.
- Priscilla Ono is a makeup artist and ambassador for Fenty Beauty.
- Tasha Reiko Brown is a makeup artist and ambassador for Chanel Beauty.
Five makeup looks to try this spring.
Tie-Dye Eyes
Pietro D’Aprano/Getty Images
Dia Dipasupil/Getty Images
Admittedly, we love the effortless appeal of a wash of one shadow on our lids — but after seeing splashes of colors framing models’ eyes on the spring runways, we are inspired to reach for our makeup brushes and do more. Simply color-blocking two vibrant shadows — either stacked on lids or by adding a second pigment along the lower lash line — makes a statement. At Prabal Gurung’s spring 2024 show, makeup artist Sil Bruinsma did both techniques using neon hues from the MAC Connect in Color Palette. To take it up another notch, Brunisma “topped eyelids with [MAC Clear Lip Glass.]” Allure loves the new Prada Beauty Dimensions Multi-Effect Refillable Eyeshadow Palette, each with five shades destined to be mixed and matched.
Colorful looks don’t have to be executed in shocking hues to be impactful, though: “I prefer slightly muted colors or pastels,” says makeup artist Hiromi Ueda, who created a show-stopping mosaic around the eyes at Giorgio Armani’s spring show. She calls it “modern minimalism,” when you have “full makeup on the eyes, lips, cheeks, everything — but just in a more muted color palette.”