The Top Beauty Trends At New York Fashion Week? Matte Skin & SPF

While Fashion Week is an industry event for the fashion community (and those interested in following along on Instagram and TikTok), it offers a peek into fun beauty trends, too. For example, at this season’s Maison Margiela couture show in Paris, it was the makeup, not the clothes, that went viral. Visionary makeup artist Pat McGrath made the models look doll-like with circles of blush, razor-thin eyebrows, and glazed skin that appeared almost plastic-coated. Now, it’s New York Fashion Week, and the beauty scene looks a little different: less avant garde and more models-running-to-catch-the-subway. It’s how NYC-based designer Sandy Liang explained the makeup vision for her show, which for the first time ever, includes sunscreen. “The whole idea is you walked five blocks in New York City in February and you just have a beautiful natural flush —  but you're also protected from the winter UV.”

Liang, the designer known for pioneering the modern balletcore aesthetic with her patent leather ballet shoes and penchant for bows, was a trend-setter at this season’s NYFW event. It was her vision that every single model in her show wear sunscreen, even though, historically, sun protection has not been a component of high fashion. (In the past ten seasons of NYFW, I’ve never seen a makeup artist use sunscreen.) But for Liang, if the skincare and makeup was going to be realistic and emblematic of a young person in New York City, it had to include a lightweight SPF. “I make sunscreen a necessary part of my everyday routine,” said Liang, who favours a good sunscreen over any skincare marketed to be ‘anti-ageing’, which is why she didn’t want to include just any skincare brand in her show.  “There is this bad stigma around ageing, which I don't believe in,” she adds, “but I do believe in skin maintenance and skincare.” That’s where sunscreen comes in.

Despite the Sandy Liang fashion show taking place inside a warehouse on the west side of Manhattan in the middle of February, sunscreen was the key element of the makeup look. “I mean, even if I don't leave the house, I have to wear sunscreen,” explained Liang, who understands the importance of year-round sun protection. She credits her education to beauty YouTube. “I watch YouTube videos of dermatologists who have taught me so much,” she said. Now, Liang is using her fashion stage to showcase sun protection. “I think it's cool to educate people that just because it's not hot doesn't mean that you can't get sun damage.” 

So what sunscreen did the Sandy Liang models wear? A full face of Supergoop! “I know Supergoop! as one of the most trusted SPF brands,” said Liang of the brand partnership. She enlisted makeup artist Marcelo Gutierrez to create a cool, bespoke makeup look using the Supergoop! range (there are over 40 Supergoop! sunscreen products, including upcoming makeup). “I've never worked in a show that has sunscreen,” offered Gutierrez, speaking to the novelty of this partnership.

For the models’ skin, Gutierrez applied a thin layer of moisturiser followed by Supergoop! Protec(tint), a serum-like skin tint with SPF 50. The Protec(tint) is gorgeous, a fluid-sheer, glowy, tinted sunscreen that comes in 14 shades. It’s the “perfect” one-step SPF makeup, according to Gutierrez, Liang, and the models who were wearing it at the show. Protec(tint)is hot off the production lines (fashion gets first dibs) but it will be available at Sephora from 5th of March.

In the meantime, try Ultra Violette Daydream Screen Tinted Veil SPF50, £38, Ilia Super Serum Skin Tint SPF30, £48, or Nars Pure Radiant Tinted Moisturiser SPF30/PA+++, £37.

The coverage of the Protec(tint) is more dewy than matte, but Gutierrez was going for a more “‘90s matte” look here and so he layered on the Supergoop! (Re)Setting Mineral Powder SPF 35, £29, all over the face to mattify the skin, a trend that he loves in juxtaposition to the ‘glass-skin’ craze. “Matte skin seems so not the vibe these days because everything is so dewy,” Gutierrez said. “But there's something really beautiful and timeless about this soft-focus face.” Better still, when using a sunscreen powder, you’re achieving a matte finish and added protection for the skin.

To get what Liang describes as the “New York City flush,” Gutierrez used tinted lip balm on both the lips and cheeks. He used Supergoop! Shimmer Shade SPF 30, £23, a sparkly cream eyeshadow, to brighten the inner corners of the eyes. “Everything else is matte, so brightening the inner corners of the eyes gives life,” he explained. Gutierrez described the eyebrows as “aspirational.”

“They’re not overly manicured, but definitely present,” Gutierrez said, using a brow pen to add hair-like strokes. “I think it's really important that when you have a clean face, to have a healthy brow to give structure to the face.” Finally, it was a light application of mascara to finish off the look. 

Liang likens the innovation of sunscreen infused into makeup to the ease of uniform dressing. “This show is all about matching looks and having your uniform,” said Liang. “Part of my uniform is feeling really happy with my skin.”