The Best Beauty Moments From the New York Fashion Week Fall 2023 Runways

From viral animal prosthetics to pretty pastels eyelids, we’re rounding up the standout beauty looks.

The end of one fashion week means there are viral runway looks, best-dressed guests and eye-catching beauty moments to be discussed — and New York Fashion Week Fall 2023 was no exception.

This season we witnessed models doing their own makeup with pastel paints at Palomo Spain and trading in earthly beauty for mythical makeup heightened by animal-like prosthetics, courtesy of Collina Strada’s viral show. If you live for fresh-off-the-runway looks that are mood board-worthy — or incite passionate social media debates — we think you’ll want to keep reading.

Scroll on for the biggest standout beauty looks from New York Fashion Week Fall 2023.

Tia Adeola’s braided sculptures

The models at Tia Adeola’s Fall 2023 ready-to-wear show (where romcom core had a moment on the runway) defied gravity with braided hairstyles sculpted into artful updos. Interwoven with gold jewelry and accent beads, the hair creations offer a stunning reminder that hairstyling is truly an artform.

Palomo Spain’s pastel eyes

Pastels packed a playful punch at Palomo Spain’s Fall 2023 show where models dipped into pots of sea foam green, soft yellow, carnation pink and sky blue makeup before self-applying the paint to their eyelids to create this custom eye look.

Sandy Liang’s bows, bows, bows

The coquette aesthetic is alive and well, folks — just look to Sandy Liang’s Fall 2023 ready-to-wear collection where long hair was decorated from root to tip with miniature bows (or braided and shaped into its own literal hair bow) for proof.

Rodarte’s black out

What would a show titled “Gothic fairies” be without a dose of darkness? At Rodarte’s Fall 2023 presentation, graphic liner took a gothic turn as it extended beyond the eyelid and up into the eyebrows, or took on a thick wing just beneath a bleached brow. It all came together with a jet-black lip and matching stiletto nails, of course.

Thom Browne’s coiled mani pedis

Sculptural nail artist Juan Alvear matched the otherworldly energy of Thom Browne’s Fall 2023 show with sets of white finger and toe nails that coiled into avant-garde works of art.

Veronica Beard’s glossy smoulder

Veronica Beard’s Fall 2023 collection was inspired traditional codes of collegiate prep and accented by brown and plum smokey eyes. The makeup created by Bobbi Brown MUA Romy Soleimani let the focus be all about the eyes, accenting the smudged-out look with touches of glossy highlighter and nude lips.

Anna Sui’s “legendary lashes”

At Anna Sui’s Fall 2023 show, backstage beauty master Pat McGrath juxtaposed a glittery pink eyelid with cobalt blue and mint-coloured mascara for a look she labeled “legendary lashes” on Instagram.

Coach’s hair nostalgia

Coach’s Fall 2023 collection channelled childhood nostalgia with a series of afro-puff bubble ponytails and fun twist hairstyles sure to transport anyone with textured hair back in time to when they wore the same styles.

Collina Strada’s animal glam

On Collina Strada’s Fall 2023 runway, animalistic accents and special effects makeup crafted by makeup master Isamaya Ffrench were on display.. We’re talking whiskers, scales, horns, beaks, snouts — the whole mythical jungle. And like it or not, the internet can’t stop talking about it.

Christian Siriano’s rosy beauty

For a unified fuchsia lip look, all of the models walking in Christian Siriano’s Fall 2023 show wore Charlotte Tilbury’s Velvet Underground lipstick. And to punctuate the collection’s “Audrey Hepburn’s rose garden” theme, celebrity hairstylist Lacy Redway sculpted rose-inspired buns.

Naeem Khan’s Y2K bun

Serving Y2K on the runway, Naeem Khan’s Fall 2023 ready-to-wear collection proved sleek is chic with this early aughts spiky bun hairdo. Some of the looks were adorned with an ornamental headpiece that mimicked the stray strands of this sharp 2000s style.