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The Best Runway Makeup of Fall 2025

Kenneth Richard's Top Picks

Makeup has always been a crucial element of runway storytelling—an extension of the designer’s vision that enhances mood, reinforces themes, and sometimes even subverts expectations. For Fall 2025, beauty looks across New York, London, Milan, and Paris did just that, seamlessly blending artistry with conceptual depth.

At Dior, Maria Grazia Chiuri’s exploration of Orlando and gender fluidity translated into a strikingly minimal yet disruptive eye look—a quiet act of rebellion that redefined symmetry. Thom Browne’s avian-inspired collection took flight with surreal feathered lashes and painterly lips, turning models into living works of art. Giorgio Armani sculpted the face with graphic shadowing, echoing the precise tailoring and structured drapery of the collection. Meanwhile, Tom Ford’s vision of power dressing extended to beauty, where sculpted lips and washes of vivid color created a dynamic interplay between control and expression.

From the poetic to the theatrical, Fall 2025’s most memorable beauty moments proved that makeup isn’t just about embellishment—it’s about amplifying a narrative, reshaping perception, and, at its best, redefining beauty itself.

Dior


Dior’s Fall 2025 beauty look was an exercise in quiet defiance. Maria Grazia Chiuri’s collection, inspired by Orlando and the fluidity of identity, found its counterpart in Peter Philips’ minimalist yet striking makeup. A single, inverted stroke of black liner at the inner corners of the eyes disrupted symmetry, subtly shifting the gaze. The rest of the face remained deliberately bare—luminous skin, softly structured brows, and a near-invisible wash of color on the lips—allowing this unexpected detail to command attention.

By stripping makeup down to its essence while injecting one precise act of rebellion, Philips reframed classic beauty codes. The result was a meditation on gender, tradition, and transformation—proof that the most radical statements can be whispered, not shouted.

Giorgio Armani

Giorgio Armani’s Fall 2025 beauty look was a masterclass in precision, using shadow as a tool for sculpting and defining the face with graphic yet fluid lines. The signature Armani elegance took on a more structured edge, with eyes framed by extended, architectural sweeps of taupe and gray, almost mimicking the contours of a well-tailored garment.

This approach lent a sense of quiet strength to the models, complementing the collection’s rich textures and intricate embellishments. The effect was both modern and timeless—soft yet striking, abstract yet deeply harmonious. Armani once again proved that in beauty, as in fashion, refinement is all in the details.

Thom Browne

Thom Browne’s Fall 2025 beauty looks soared into surrealist territory, fully embracing the collection’s avian inspirations. Feathered eyelash extensions transformed models into living embodiments of flight, their delicate yet dramatic movement adding an otherworldly dimension. The lip makeup, at times appearing as painterly strokes of bird-like hues, further echoed this avian influence, suggesting a nod to nature’s own vivid color palette.

Paired with sculptural hair swirls and experimental embellishments, the beauty direction blurred the line between the fantastical and the formal—a signature Thom Browne move. The result was a strikingly imaginative take on runway beauty, proving that makeup, much like fashion, can challenge convention and push into the realm of performance art.

Tom Ford

Tom Ford’s Fall 2025 beauty was all about power—bold, unapologetic, and utterly glamorous. The makeup captured a high-contrast duality, oscillating between sharp minimalism and high-octane drama.

On one end of the spectrum, sleek, sculpted skin paired with deep, lacquered red lips evoked a sense of timeless sophistication, reminiscent of Ford’s iconic 90s-era aesthetic. On the other, unexpected bursts of color—vivid washes of yellow and violet across the eyes—brought an electrifying edge to an otherwise polished look. Styled with slicked-back hair and statement sunglasses, the effect was one of modern glamour with a subversive streak.

From refined power dressing to daring beauty statements, Tom Ford once again delivered a vision of confidence and control—one that demands attention without ever asking for it.