7 Spring/Summer 2026 Beauty Trends Set to Dominate the Upcoming Season

There's a serious chill in the air, but I'm already counting down the days until spring. As a beauty director who spends her days analysing beauty trends, you better believe I've been putting a lot of thought into the upcoming spring/summer 2026 beauty trends. Last season, I predicted that we would see the beauty-trend carousel slow down due to consumer fatigue—and I was right. After years of lapping up every makeup trend, hair trend and skincare trend that social media threw our way, in 2026, everyone is desperate to slow things down.

I can officially confirm that the beauty microtrend bubble has burst, and going into spring, we'll be adopting a slow-beauty mindset. What does this mean? Well, for starters, the spring/summer beauty trends are, once again, being dictated by the runways. It also means that the S/S 26 beauty looks to have on your radar are truly wearable. Forget high-maintenance aesthetics that prove flash-in-the-pan; S/S 26 trends have longevity, and the upcoming season will be all about a polished approach to effortlessness.

I've spent the past six months dissecting the S/S 26 runways and speaking with every makeup artist, hairstylist and beauty insider I know, so trust me when I tell you that these are the seven beauty trends you're going to be playing with this spring/summer.

1. Lipstick Only

No doubt one of the most iconic beauty moments of the S/S 26 fashion month season was Chloé's pink statement lip. And whilst there was a notable pink haze that descended upon the spring/summer runways, we're focusing on wearability, remember? The way to wear lipstick as we venture into spring isn't dependent on colour, shade or finish, but instead hangs on what you're pairing it with—nothing.

Popping pink matte finishes led the way at Chloé, blurred browns dominated at Sportmax, razor-sharp plums were showcased at Edeline Lee and deep ombré reds were the main event at Roksanda. The thing that ties these lip looks together? A quiet, clean face, so that the lips do all of the talking. "It's beauty that never shouts, but always speaks," says Sharryn Hinchliffe, executive global director of artistry at Mac Cosmetics. "The Roksanda look this season was a sculptural ode to Barbara Hepworth—clean, skin-forward and quietly beautiful. It's a celebration of restraint and refinement, where skin glows with polished luminosity and lips whisper elegance."

2. Pulled-Back Styles

Perhaps the S/S 26 beauty trend I am most enamoured with is the rise of low-fuss, thrown-together up-dos. Forget the hair extremes we've been used to in recent seasons (overtly messy ponytails or super-slicked buns), because S/S 26 redefines what a cool up-do looks like for the first time in years.

From scraped-back buns at Saint Laurent and loosely tied ponytails at Bottega to the more intricate twists seen at Tove and Carven, the defining pulled-back styles for the upcoming season all have a common denominator: they are nonchalantly thrown up and tied loosely. The result is a low-hanging ponytail or bun that oozes chic minimalism without feeling even remotely try-hard. It's messy-girl vibes, but polished.

3. New Bronze

It simply would not be a spring/summer beauty report without at least one mention of bronzer, especially when the author of said report is London-based and hasn't seen the sun for what feels like months. However, the bronzer application we're set to see in spring/summer has shifted dramatically from the norm.

Over the past decade, bronzed makeup has long gone hand in hand with glow. As we moved away from contouring routines, we wanted glow-boosting bronzers that we could sweep liberally over our faces. But for S/S 26, there's a new approach. At Michael Kors, baked bronzer was draped downwards over the pads of the cheek, Ralph Lauren presented a pairing of dusted cheekbones and lids, Elie Saab kept terracotta shades on eyes, whilst bronzed hues were smudged under the lower lash line at Giorgio Armani and paired with a glowing cheek. The standout characteristic of bronzer in spring/summer 2026, however, is that the finish is always buttery and baked. Forget shimmer, forget luminous powders and forget cream textures—this season, matte is back.

4. Liquid Waves

When hair isn't pulled back into loose, casual styles, it's down and it's wavy. Yes, what I'm calling "liquid waves" absolutely dominated the runways this season, whether it was polished natural textures at Blumarine, '70s-esque crimps at Etro, gently curved lengths at Balenciaga or gentle mermaid waves at Ralph Lauren. And whilst we've seen waves teasing a major resurgence season after season in recent years, this time around, they really are here to mark their territory, and they're dominating in polished style. Wave patterns might be irregular, but they're beautifully defined. Pair that with water-like movement and mirror-like shine, and you've nailed it.

5. Expensive Skin

It's all well and good to say that "skin is in," but you'd be ignoring the fact that skin was never really out. Putting your skin first before your makeup routine is now just common practice; we all know that a great makeup look starts with well-cared-for skin. But for S/S 26, we're moving away from the tired tropes of glow, glass skin and dolphin-esque complexions. Instead, this season it's about what I'm calling "expensive skin". What does that entail, exactly? Look towards the likes of the Jason Wu, Tove, Christian Dior and Coach shows, where models showcased buttery complexions that appear high-maintenance.

"The intention was to accentuate and enhance the natural beauty of each face," says Peter Philips, creative and image director for Dior Makeup. "The makeup plays with the light, reflecting translucent, fresh, even skin, elevated by nude shades that blend in to deliver glow in a contemporary spirit."

The reason I call this trend "expensive skin" is that it's less about creating a desired finish with your base and more about looking as though you've prepped it with time on your hands. Forget high-shine, wet-look finishes, where skincare products haven't had time to sink in. Instead, you want your base to look as though you steamed your face at 7 am, applied a sheet mask at 8 am and patted in a velvety serum at 8.30 am. Want to cheat? A one-and-done serum and new-gen foundations and concealers that deliver the sort of blurring, skin-like finishes never seen before.

6. Side-Part Revival

I'd apologise to Gen Z for the S/S 26 revival of the side-parting, but something tells me they probably already think it's cool again. I mean, how can you not when you see the runway evidence—from the high-volume flips at Altuzarra and Stella McCartney to the sleek, slicked styles at Balmain and Fendi. The most joyful thing about the 2026 side-part, however, is the lack of commitment to the cause. There's no need to get your hair cut into this style; just brush, scrunch, spray, flip and set.

7. Brushed Brows

I can't put into words just how much joy it brings me to report that, for spring/summer, brows are just, well, brows. Wave goodbye to the thin, pencil-drawn creations of the '90s, the heavy ombré brows we saw dominate 10 years ago and even the feathery, spiky brows that reigned supreme in the first half of this decade.

Staying on brand with the overarching "polished" theme of the season, our brows are set to be simply preened and brushed. Perhaps stray hairs are cautiously plucked, but other than that, brows are styled with little more than some quiet pencilling and a brush from root to tip. Chanel, Coach, Loewe and Missoni all proved that brows are set to step out of the spotlight and revert to their supporting-character energy ahead of spring.