This September, London Fashion Week was back IRL, and it was clear from the attendees in the front row, the afterparty guest lists [1], and the style seen outside on the streets [2] that people were eager to get back into the swing of things (safely, of course). After months of virtual events, many designers returned this season with live runway shows. Some of the collections explored important themes and ideas surrounding fashion's role in climate change [3] and social justice. Others showed nostalgia for the mod style of the '60s and free spirit of the '70s. But what was crystal clear was that many of the designers just wanted to have fun and bring joy to not only the runways, but our wardrobes.
Nowhere was that joy and happiness more clear than in the hair and makeup looks that accompanied these collections. We saw childlike face paint at Paul & Joe, makeup that reminded us of summer holidays at Rixo, and ears painted fuchsia (and decorated with flowers) at Chet Lo. Keep reading to see all our favourite spring 2022 beauty moments for yourself. We promise you won't be able to keep yourself from smiling.
Swinging '60s at Paul Costelloe Spring 2022
A heavy fringe and face-framing layers felt very Twiggy-esque at Paul Costelloe's spring 2022 show, a style created by hairstylist Cos Sakkas. The vibe was amplified thanks to the matte blue shadow, the spidery lashes, and the crystals arranged in a half-moon shape along the brow bones.
Double-Decker Eyeliner at Rixo Spring 2022
Makeup artist Vincent Ford called the stacked winged eyeliner at Rixo spring 2022 "a Bardot-inspired cat-eye flick that is timeless but modernised with a hint of blue, green, and pink." To create the look, he drew the first wing right along the top lashes using the new Nars Climax Liquid Eyeliner. Once the black pigment dried, he then drew a second colourful line right along the first one. The colours he used include the Nars Matcha Eyeshadow [4] (for the green), the Nars Thrill Blush [5] (for the pink), and the Nars Outremer Eyeshadow [6] (for the blue).
Sweet Face Paint at Paul & Joe Spring 2022
The clothes in Paul & Joe's spring 2022 collection were colour, whimsy, and vibrant floral prints — combined with '60s-style silhouettes and layering. All of this was reflected in the makeup for the show, created by London-based makeup artist Georgina Graham [7], which consisted of sweet designs painted around the models' eyes, including rainbows, clouds, and a smattering of dainty pink flowers.
Sweet Face Paint at Paul & Joe Spring 2022
A happy little cloud painted around the eyes of a model at Paul & Joe.
Colourful Grunge at Mark Fast Spring 2022
Makeup artist Pablo Rodriguez paid homage to the underground club scene with greasy, sooty eyeshadow and a lacquered violet lipstick. "The inspiration was the morning after going clubbing," Rodriguez, who is the director of artistry at Illamasqua, said via a press release.
Holographic Eyes and Lips at Osman Spring 2022
At Osman, holographic pigment that shifted colours under the light was used on the eyes and lips for an otherworldly effect.
Heavy Metals at Aadnevik Spring 2022
Gold shadow went from sexy to subversive when it was taken all the way up to, into, and over the brows and blended until it had an antique, burnished effect at Aadnevik's spring 2022 show.
Towering Head Wraps at Labrum London Spring 2022
Labrum London designer Foday Dumbuya, who recently designed the Olympic uniforms for Sierra Leone's athletes, created a spring collection that blended British tailoring with West African-inspired prints and silhouettes. To complement the collection, hair and wig specialist Johanna Cree Brown [8] topped cropped wigs with towering turbans.
Sparkly Accents at Pronounce
We're obsessed with the way makeup artist Porsche Poon [9] scattered clusters of crystals across the bridge of the nose and around the inner half of the eyes — almost like sparkly freckles — at Pronounce.
Orange Eyeshadow at Pronounce
At Pronounce, a few of the models also wore colourful shadows stretched across their lids, straight out to the temples. We love this orange hue that Poon applied, which is a colour that's vibrant enough to stand out, but not so bright that it's all you see on the face.
Alien Angels at Richard Quinn
With hair that was sectioned into thirds and slicked down with gel, bleached brows, and zero colour on the face to speak off, the models at Richard Quinn looked like "alien angels", a term we lifted from hairstylist Sam McKnight [10] who created the glossy style.
Sharp Angles at Eftychia Spring 2022
Obviously not for every day, we love the edgy, exaggerated shapes drawn around the eyes at Greek-born designer Eftychia Karamolegkou's spring collection.
Berry-Stained Lips at Yuhan Wang Spring 2022
The subtle cool-red lip stains at Yuhan Wang were the perfect way to add a touch of colour on the face without clashing with the various floral prints and embroidered fabrics in the collection.
Half-Up Pin Curls at Yuhan Wang Spring 2022
The models at Yuhan Wang with straight and wavy textures wore the front half of their hair arranged in pin curls and decorated with flowers for a hairstyle that was equal parts romantic and quirky.
Spiky Topknots at Nensi Dojaka Spring 2022
The hair and makeup for Nensi Dojaka's spring 2022 collection had a decidedly '90s feel with models wearing brownish-red lip colour and chignons with the ends sticking out haphazardly.