The hair and makeup was decidedly more restrained the first couple days of shows in Milan, with models wearing barely-there makeup and their hair in ponytails or left to air-dry. But as the week continued, we started to see more colour — from touches of orange blue and blue eye makeup at Boss to full on electric eyeshadow at Versace — and a few sparkly moments including silver shadow at Hui and crystal-studded under eyes at Etro. Hair took on new lengths at The Versace by Fendi catwalk event and got the disco treatment at Fendi, although for the most part, hairstyles were simpler in Milan than in New York and London.
Keep reading to see all of our favourite beauty moments from Milan Fashion Week spring/summer 2022.
Everything about the beauty look at Max Mara was pared down — the glowing skin, the easy hairstyle, the simple satin headband — which made the addition of a vibrant clementine-coloured lipstick on some of the models (including Gigi Hadid, seen here) all the more statement-making.
We love the combination of the slim headband with voluminous coils at Max Mara.
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Impeccable Chignons at Fendi Spring 2022
Image Source: Getty Images / Daniele Venturelli
Legendary hairstylist Guido Palau created a variety of hairstyles for Fendi's spring 2022 show, including these glossy ballerina buns on which not one single strand of hair could be seen out of place.
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Half-Up Disco Hair at Fendi Spring 2022
Image Source: Getty Images / Daniele Venturelli
For this half-up hairstyle, Palau was going for high disco glamour to complement the '70s-inspired collection.
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Braided Chignons at Fendi Spring 2022
Image Source: Getty Images / Daniele Venturelli
Another iteration of the chignon spotted at Fendi, this time using cornrows with the ends wrapped into a bun at the crown of the head.
We'll never tire of a face-crystal moment, especially when it includes prismatic crystals that reflect a variety of colours of the rainbow — like this look created by makeup artist Lisa Butler for Etro's spring 2022 show.
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Disheveled Ponytails at Alberta Ferretti Spring 2022
At Alberta Ferretti, hairstylist Benjamin Muller created the perfect effortless-looking ponytail on models with long, straight, and wavy hair (models with natural texture, protective styles, and short cuts kept their hair as is). It's the perfect amount of disheveled-ness — enough to look cool but not so disheveled that it looks sloppy.
With blunt ends, middle partings, and zero layers, we're loving the elegant simplicity of the bobs many of the models had at the Genny spring 2022 show. So much so that we might be booking a salon appointment very, very soon.
The ponytails hairstylist Syd Hayes created for Giada took on an equestrian vibe thanks to the slicked-back sides (the top of the hair was actually left dry), the long length, and the piece of leather wrapped around the base. To get the tails super slick, Hayes went over them with the BaByliss 9000 Cordless Hair Straightener (£200) as the models were waiting backstage to walk down the runway.
The two-toned neon eyeshadow at Versace was the handiwork on none other than Dame Pat McGrath, who used bright theatrical pigment topped with a gold-tinged metallic green shadow — Citrine Envy from McGrath's new Mthrshp Mega: Celestial Odyssey palette (£61) to be exact — and a flash of silver shadow along the inner corners of the eyes. To show off the electric eye makeup, hairstylist Guido Palau pulled the centre of the hair back for a sleek half-up style.
For models with darker skin tones on the Versace runway, McGrath and her team used blues and greens that were deeper in colour but just as bold and statement making.
Makeup artist Linda Cantello wanted to break away from basic black when it came to the eye makeup at Giorgio Armani. Instead, she went for a soft blue/green shade that echoed a prominent colour throughout the collection. To create the pastel hue, she mixed Giorgio Armani Beauty Eye Tint (£27) in shades Scarab and Nude Spoke, applying it in a thick band across the lids.
To close out Milan Fashion Week, Versace creative director Donatella Versace and Fendi creative director Kim Jones swapped roles for one night only to present two 25-look collections at the Versace family palazzo on Via Gesù. And the mantra backstage at the Versace by Fendi spring 2022 show (aka "Fendace" or "The Swap") was definitely "how long can we go?" Most of the models, including the legend that is Naomi Campbell, came down the catwalk with extensions that went all the way down to their bums.
Depending on what music you're into (or what era you were born in), the graphic black eye makeup recalls Kiss, and Siouxie Sioux, and Lady Gaga all rolled into one. Makeup artist Mariapia Saragnese used black pigment to draw these heavy punk-inspired designs, which on some models went under both eyes, and others just went under one. Either way, the designs stretched all the way up to the temples, creating some of the most hardcore winged liner we've ever seen.
Pale peach and burgundy aren't two makeup colours you would normally think to wear together, but after seeing the pairing at Drome, we're convinced to give it a go in the future. It works because both are warm tones(peach contains orange and burgundy contains red) and because the moodiness of the lipstick balances out the sweetness of the pastel-toned liner.
For Boss's spring 2022 show, which was held at a baseball field and featured athletic-inspired clothing, makeup artist Diane Kendall tapped into the sportiness of it at all with minimal flashes of fluoro orange and cobalt blue on the eyes — two colours that could definitely be found on a sports jersey.
The makeup at Francesca Liberatore — which saw white pigmented applied all over the lids, over the brows, and up to the temples — mimicked the white splotches on some of the clothing in the collection (you can see them on the beige blouse here).
