As customers welcome a back-to-normal attitude in their daily lives, the catwalks were full of both shocking and sophisticated beauty opportunities. These are the key trends in catwalk beauty based on the latest fashion week spring/summer 2023 collections.
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Drivers in the beauty & personal care market
Catwalk beauty trends for spring/summer 2023
Responding to trends in catwalk beauty
Drivers in the beauty & personal care market
The global beauty and personal care market was valued at USD 482.8 billion in 2021 and is expected to expand at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 7.7% from 2022 to 2030.
One of the primary factors driving the market is a rising interest in grooming to enhance overall appearance and positively influence personality. A growing trend towards natural ingredients and hybrid products is also gaining traction.
Furthermore, an increasing number of consumers are interested in personalization and digitization in cosmetic products to uncover customized beauty solutions.
Catwalk beauty trends for spring/summer 2023
Anti-perfectionists
As a statement against traditional beauty, the anti-perfectionist trend offers an artistic approach to self-expression. Driven by cultural and social unrest, the anti-wellness mindset continues to surge, with consumers seeking out beauty styles that reflect this ideal.
Unique finishes like glosses, multi-chromes, and super-matte powders lend themselves to artistic looks, while multi-functional products that can be used for face, lips, and eyes encourage non-traditional makeup applications. Palettes, temporary hair dyes, and nail colors can be updated with bright tones to bring a playful personality to beauty.
Strong-hold hairsprays and shine products, along with small kits containing hair ties, clips, and pins, will also help achieve unique sculptural hairstyles, as seen at Thom Browne and Tom Ford.
Soft glam
In a continuation from last season, soft powders and fluffy finishes dominated the catwalk for spring/summer 2023. Giorgio Armani, Missoni, and Ulla Johnson all took a subtle approach to glamor for their beauty looks.
The focus is on cheek, eye, and lip products in romantic pink hues and matte or balmy finishes. Businesses are advised to invest in multi-use products that can be used in several ways, such as dual eyeshadow and blush or mascara and brow gel. Dual-sided cream blush sticks will also offer flexibility with color intensity alongside a dewy finish.
For hair, sleek buns achieved through gels and hairsprays were seen at Carolina Herrera. Michael Kors, and Roberto Cavalli. Gels with a brush included will offer a complete kit for customers interested in this look.
Going to party
Full and flamboyant glamor worthy of the nightclub scene returns to the runway this spring/summer season with fun color cosmetics, voluminous hair, and disco-inspired applications.
Super-pigmented cosmetics in colors like silver, turquoise, or green can steal the spotlight with metallic or glittering finishes. Wet applications that emphasize ultra-metallic looks are also popular for bold eye and cheek looks.
Glossy or satin lips remain key for this trend, alongside volumizing products that add texture to hair as the deep side part continues to reign at Salvatore Ferragamo and Saint Laurent. Shine sprays and oils help add a sleek finish to hair, while fine-tooth combs are an essential tool to tame flyaway strands.
Soft grunge
The soft grunge trend, seen at brands like Ann Demeulemeester and Versace, builds on gothic and grunge influences for spring and summer 2023.
Key items include kohl liner, smudged eyeshadow, dark lips, and shining glosses. Thick eyeliners with waterline staying power allow for smudged out and encircled eye applications, while pigmented black eyeshadow should come in sooty or glossy textures. Red or black lips in satin and glossy finishes complete the strong statement, as demonstrated by Louis Vuitton.
For hair, spiky buns acted as a counterpart to sleek bun trend at Altuzarra. These edgy buns can be created using light-hold hairspray for the back of the head and lightweight gels along the crown.
Lazy beauty
Effortless, lazy beauty looks make healthy and glowing skin the focus of any beauty look for the spring and summer season.
Skincare-infused makeup and mineralized finishing powders can help create dewy bases. Burberry and Proenza Schouler proved glossy finishes are key to this trend, as clear glosses with hydrating and plumping formulations replace the matte lip this season. As demonstrated at Christian Siriano, deep berry or red tones are an effective gloss hue for the season.
Wet, slicked back hair at Balmain also emulated freshly washed hair with minimal maintenance. Hair kits that include gel and edge combs will help slick down baby hairs and achieve a variety of wet hair looks.
Responding to trends in catwalk beauty
Spring/summer 2023 catwalk collections saw a balanced mix of minimalist and maximalist options. On one end of the spectrum was lazy beauty and soft glam looks, while the other end tapped into anti-perfectionist, party makeup, and soft grunge applications.
The runways offered a variety of beauty trends for consumers to transition at their own pace back into the social community. Businesses are advised to encourage beauty experimentation with versatile choices that both take inspiration from nostalgia of the past and look forward to the future with hope.
