The Fall Haute Couture Beauty Looks You’ll Be Dreaming About

The brutal Fourth of July heatwave on the East Coast has broken, but the Haute Couture Fall/Winter 2026 runways are just heating up in Paris. With couture debuts from Pierpaolo Piccioli at Balenciaga and Duran Lantink at John Paul Gaultier, not to mention Olivier Theysken’s introduction of his new ready-to-wear line, Boloria, the season will unsurprisingly be a memorable one. Beyond the impeccable craftsmanship of the fashion house’s ateliers, are the jaw-dropping Haute Couture F/W ‘26 beauty looks. Yes, the runway hair and makeup that complement the collections are often just as painstakingly intricate as the pleats, beading, and embellishments of the clothes.

Case in point: The sleek, glossy sculptural updos and illuminated skin at Schiaparelli tied into the collection’s underwater theme. Then there’s Dior, which featured various forms of shimmery green eyeshadow, a play off the foiled fabrics of Jonathan Anderson’s second couture collection for the house. Of course, no Haute Couture schedule is complete without a fantastical beauty moment, and Iris Van Herpen always delivers. Along with the 3D manicures the designer has become known for, the hair and makeup featured exaggerated lengths. Some models had extra-long lashes added to the outer corners of their eyes, while others had tie-dyed hair covering their face.

Below, see all of the standout runway beauty moments from the Haute Couture F/W ‘26 runways.

Jean Paul Gaultier’s Romantic Hair & Makeup

Using Byredo makeup, lead artist Thomas de Kluyver added lace tattoos to models’ lips in black, red, or fuchsia. For hair, Holli Smith kept the moody romantic vibes going with face-framing, side curls and floor-length hair bows.

Zuhair Murad’s Butterfly Adorned Hair

Whimsy seemed to be on several designers’ Fall/Winter 2026 mood boards, and these 3D butterfly hair accessories are just one example.

Giorgio Armani Privé’s Smoky Eyes

The 2016 smoky eye got a modern twist at Giorgio Armani Privé. In lieu of sharp edges, Armani Global Makeup Artist Hiromi Ueda diffused the shades for a lived in, romantic look. She used the brand’s Silk Smooth Eye Pencil, Eye Tints in shades 90M and 68S, and Vertigo Lift Mascara. The glam makeup was accented by chic French twists updos.

Elie Saab’s Metallic Blush

Take the dramatic, draped, metallic pink blush at Elie Saab as your sign to not worry about blush blindness.

Alexis Mabille’s Metallic Lips

The biggest thorough-line of this season’s runway beauty looks? Metallic makeup. Here, Alexis Mabille paired a classic winged smoky eye with gold lips.

Chanel’s Statement Eyes

All that glimmers was gold at Chanel. The models wore custom eye looks, ranging from gold glitter scattered across the lids to feather lashes. Some even had matching spray paint applied to their hair.

Dior’s Couture Green Eye Makeup

Green eyeshadow got the couture treatment at Dior. Creative and Image Director of Christian Dior Makeup Peter Philips used various shades from the upcoming Diorshow 5 Couleurs 365 Charmed Green palette to give models looks that ranged from a wash of shimmery chartreuse across the lids to sparkly shamrock liner along the lash line. For an air of ease, hairstylist Guido Palau left models’ hair natural, enhancing their textures and cuts.

Iris Van Herpen’s Extra-Long Hair

Along with the house’s signature 3D nails, lashes and hair went to new lengths at Iris Van Herpen. A few standouts include wing-like extensions on the outer corner of the eyes and white strands with blue tie dye. For makeup, lead artist Andrew Gallimore leaned into the show’s cosmic theme using Anastasia Beverly Hills Impeccable Blurring Second-Skin Matte Foundation and Iced Out Highlighter to give models ethereal glowing complexions.

Rahul Mishra’s Metallic Lips

If the Rahul Mishra show is any indication, 2016 makeup trends are still going strong. The models’ skin was bare save for a metallic gold lip — not unlike the viral liquid lipstick look that was all the rage 10 years ago.

Schiaparelli’s Luminous Skin & Updos

The bodices on gowns weren’t the only things that illuminated the Schiaparelli runway. Legendary makeup artist Pat McGrath’s makeup look centered around an otherworldly glow with touches of shimmery bronze on the cheeks and eyes, while hairstylist Guido Palau leaned into the oceanic theme of the collection by creating super-shiny sculptural updos that mimicked waves.

Boloria’s Haunted Eyes

On the eve of Couture Week, designer Olivier Theyskens debuted his new line, Boloria. The designer lived up to this reputation for dark yet romantic collections, and the show’s beauty look was equally moody. Makeup artist Lynsey Alexander turned models into “haunting delicate little vampires” by enhancing their under-eye veins and using shades that created a “haunting effect.”