Summer is already in full swing, with plenty of hot days still ahead. That makes this a good time to revisit the season’s most prominent makeup and hair trends.
The main message for summer 2026 is simple: fewer layers, less precision and far less effort.
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Israeli model Sofia Mechetner walks the Gabriela Hearst runway with a makeup-free look
(Photo: Gettyimages IL/Kiran Ridley)
For anyone who prefers spending less time in front of the mirror, this may be the ideal season.
Eyeliner
Eyeliner is making a comeback after fading somewhat from the beauty spotlight.
This is not a return to heavy, elaborate eye makeup. Instead, eyeliner is being used as a single, deliberate detail that adds personality to an otherwise clean look.
One precise line can create just enough drama without making the entire face feel overly made up.
Model wearing eyeliner on the Libertine runway
(Photo: Gettyimages IL/Victor Pagan)
Smudged lipstick
After several seasons dominated by sharply defined lips, summer 2026 is moving toward something softer and more relaxed.
Instead of crisp outlines, lipstick is meant to look as though it has naturally faded into the lips after a long day or evening out.
The effect is less polished and more characterful, with the kind of effortless quality often associated with French beauty.
Think less perfectly applied lipstick and more lipstick after a French kiss.
Model wearing smudged lipstick at the Sportmax show
(Photo: Gettyimages IL/Vittorio Zunino Celotto)
Clean nails
After years in which nails became a fashion accessory in their own right, the current season offers a quieter alternative.
Runway looks have favored short or naturally long nails finished with clear polish or a delicate milky shade.
The nails are still impeccably maintained, but the message is clear: luxury does not have to be loud.
Clear polish on the Celine runway
(Photo: Gettyimages IL/Pascal Le Segretain)
Undone hair
Summer is also giving permission to stop over-styling hair.
The season’s preferred texture is natural, with soft waves, casually placed volume and a parting that does not look as though it was measured with mathematical precision.
The result is slightly wild, highly romantic, relaxed and full of movement.
It is the kind of look that suggests getting ready only a few minutes before leaving the house may be more than enough.
Model with tousled, natural hair on the Celine runway
(Photo: Gettyimages IL/Pascal Le Segretain)
Minimal makeup
Summer 2026 continues the broader beauty shift of recent years toward less coverage and more visible, natural skin.
Models on the runways appeared fresh, luminous and dewy, with foundation that was almost imperceptible and brows left relatively natural.
There is, however, an important caveat.
Behind the supposedly effortless effect often lies a serious investment in skincare, professional treatments and expensive serums.
The guiding idea is that healthy, well-maintained skin is the best makeup a person can wear.
A makeup-free look
(Photo: Gettyimages IL/Kiran Ridley)
Slicked-back hair
This trend is not about an overly rigid or severe hairstyle.
Instead, it is a modern version of the wet-look finish, designed in part to keep hair away from the face during hot, humid weather.
The hair is brushed back to create a clean, elegant look that appeared across several major runway shows.
Like the rest of the season’s beauty trends, it looks polished without appearing as though too much work went into it.
Model with slicked-back hair on the Giambattista Valli runway
(Photo: Gettyimages IL/Pascal Le Segretain)