The Biggest Beauty Trends of 2026? Looking Smudged, Smooched, and Slightly Sleepy

Breaking news: lazy is in. There’s no need to hit snooze five times to perfect your blowout or rush through a full face of makeup to look impossibly polished. If the fall/winter 2026 New York Fashion Week runways proved anything, it’s that looking like a working, tired human isn’t something to hide—it’s the beauty trend set to define the year ahead.

While we scanned the shows for the makeup, hair, and nail moments destined for our moodboards, designers seemed to pull inspiration from somewhere more intimate: the bedroom. Smudgy, just-smooched lips appeared at Boy London and Altuzarra, signaling a shift away from the hyper-controlled, minimalist aesthetic that dominated past seasons. This new muse doesn’t mind a little dishevelment: She air-dries instead of reaching for the Dyson, leaves her eyeliner slightly shaky, and embraces imperfection if it means getting out the door faster. Are you her? Ahead, discover the beauty trends ELLE editors couldn’t stop talking about.

Sleeping Beauties

Coach

Collina Strada

Christian Siriano

Sandy Liang

What if you woke up and got out of bed, hair displaced in every which direction, with old curls still peeking through? Well, according to this trend, you’d be ready for the runway. The Coach woman has mastered the art of balancing cool-girl tailoring with relaxed, bed hair. Lead hairstylist Guido Palau let the models’ hair run freely, leaving light crimps and frizz untamed and staticky. At Collina Strada, lead hairstylist Mustafa Yanaz found inspiration in an unlikely source: his son. Hat hair was one of the main looks on the runway, which translated to a “natural swirl that looks almost backcombed and twisted in certain areas,” he says, using Bumble and Bumble Thickening Dryspun Texture Spray. Over at Christian Siriano, hair was the ultimate winter-ready accessory. In place of actual necklaces, Lacy Redway swirled the models’ hair around their necks to create a tucked illusion with help from the Tresemme A-List Collection. Beyond hair, at Sandy Liang, sleep deprivation was on the mood board. Makeup artist Romy Soleimani dusted on a light halo of Rare Beauty’s Soft Pinch Blush around the eyes, forgoing concealer to give that morning-after effect.

Crossing Lines

LaQuan Smith

LaQuan Smith

Tory Burch

Sergio Hudson

Ulla Johnson

Ulla Johnson

Christian Cowan

Will eyeliner ever truly go out of style? No, but the versatile look took on several forms on the fall/winter runways. LaQuan Smith brought back the sharp cat-eye, bringing the tail toward the end of the brow and elongating the inner corners. Joining the messy makeup conversation was Tory Burch, where models looked like their eyeliners were left overnight to move and blend into the lashes as they pleased. Christian Cowan’s version was similar, keeping the lived-in liner look to the bottom lashline.

At Sergio Hudson, lead makeup artist Sir John added a touch of playfulness to the designer’s sophisticated tailoring. Models donned double-winged kohl lines that flicked out past the brow tail. Bored with black eyeliner? Ulla Johnson encourages you to play with color—plum or teal, perhaps? Using Sisley Paris Phyto-Khol Star Waterproof in Mystic Plum and Matte Jungle, lead makeup artist Romy Soleimani added a short, colorful wing to some models. In contrast, others donned a fiery blue-red lip.

Makeout Lips

Boy London

Proenza Shouler

Altuzarra

Word of advice from Boy London? Make out more! Lead makeup artist Marieke Thibaut wanted to bring unkept, grungy glam to life, using Mac Cosmetics’ MACximal Matte Lipstick in Mixed Media and Powder Kiss Lip + Cheek Mousse in Rekindled in the center of the lips to create a post-smooch blur effect. Proenza Schouler debuted a different lived-in version, with lipstick applied halfway on the top and bottom lips. Over at Altuzarra, lips were lightly flushed using Bobbi Brown Crushed Lip Color in Cocoa.

Power Suit Hair

Christian Cowan

Ralph Lauren

LaQuan Smith

Sandy Liang

You couldn’t escape bob or pixie haircuts in 2025. This year, we might see a return to crisp side parts grazing the shoulders if the runways have any say. At LaQuan Smith, it was all about hot, volumized hair puffed at the roots, styled in a blowout with light, layered curls. Most models at Ralph Lauren had textured waves, while others rocked smooth, side-parted bobs or flowy styles. Christian Cowan and Sandy Liang brought back the classic part by slicking the roots down so well that you barely saw any flyaways, though Cowan’s version covered one eye more.

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