London Fashion Week Spring/Summer 2025 was a feast for the eyes, not just for the clothes but for the beauty trends on display. While genderless looks reigned supreme on the catwalks of JW Anderson, Erdem, and Richard Quinn, designers like Harris Reed, Simone Rocha, and Tolu Coker celebrated glamour, color, and whimsy. From the ‘tomboy chic’ to the dramatic ‘pinched lashes,’ Vogue unpacks the five biggest beauty trends that emerged from the week’s festivities.
1. Tomboy Chic: The Rise of Genderless Beauty
Genderless beauty was a defining trend of the Spring/Summer 2025 shows, with androgynous, clean, and natural makeup and hairstyles dominating many mood boards. The ‘tomboy chic’ look, a more mature and cool cousin to the ‘cleangirl’ aesthetic, eschewed the traditional pink blush and dewy glow. At the JW Anderson show, lead makeup artist Lynsey Alexander focused on elegant and seductive beauty looks, keeping things simple yet deliberate. Stoic brows were brushed for a masculine finish, achieved with Merit’s Brow 1990 Gel Pencil and Brow 1980 Volumizing Pomade. Lips were tinted with a feminine pale pink.
Erdem embraced the natural look by incorporating a 111Skin cryotherapy treatment. The 111Skin team explained, “We worked on the models for five to seven minutes, blowing cold air at minus 40 degrees onto their faces. We also used lymphatic drainage movements on the neck to de-puff and re-contour the facial contours. This technique helps shrink pores and gives the skin a natural, fresh glow.” To complete the look, 111Skin’s eye and face masks were used for instant results and natural radiance.
2. Veiled Mystery: A Touch of Enigmatic Glamour
Vogue spotted veils as a key hair accessory, adding an air of mystery to looks on the Richard Quinn and Roksanda runways. Hair artist Anna Cofone wrapped the models’ faces in diaphanous fabrics as a tribute to artist Agnes Denes. “We wanted to give an air of rebellion to the silhouettes. We wanted to reflect this in the hair with contrasting textures and highly polished hair.”
3. Dazzling Eyes: A Spectrum of Sparkle and Glamour
Chopova Lowena showcased true beauty gems this year. Lauren Reynolds accentuated eye contours with eyeliner and rhinestones, creating a pop-art, elegant, floral, and spectacular look. Tolu Coker, paying homage to the domestic environment of immigrant communities in the UK during the 60s and 70s and the glamorous elegance of her mother Olapeju Coker, enlisted Bea Sweet to create the beauty looks for her Spring/Summer 2025 collection. Bea Sweet explained, “We took inspiration from so many things, including Tolu’s old photographic archives and icons of the era like Etta James. We used eyeliner to create a graphic sexy look in black and white but still kept it simple and accessible.” The designer also brought back voluminous 60s hairstyles, molded by Efi Davies at Toni and Guy. The wigs worn by the models received special treatment, involving backcombing, hairspray, and countless pins. At London Fashion Week, the more hair, the better. The Bora Aksu show provided further evidence of this trend.
4. Pinched Lashes: A Playful Nod to Doll-like Charm
Harris Reed opened London Fashion Week with a whimsical doll-like look. Lashes were pinched using tweezers (a technique also employed at the Tolu Coker show) and adjusted with a wooden brush to ensure they were separated but not crunchy or clumpy. Individual extensions were added to lengthen the appearance. As for eyeshadow, an ethereal blue shade chosen from a Charlotte Tilbury palette that will be released next year or a shimmering golden bronze from the Queen of Glow eyeshadow palette, a bestseller from the brand, were used. At the Mains show, the models were transported back to their after-school anime viewing days: their eyes were enhanced with spiky, avant-garde lashes. “I wanted the models to look like anime characters,” said makeup artist Chiao Li Hsu, who added that she used lip pencils and a Bobbi Brown plumping gloss for the lips. Hairstylist Ali Pirzadeh crafted the crimped hairstyles, giving pixie cuts and ponytails a 70s finish that mimicked the pattern of fur. This bold beauty look is easy to recreate with Doll Beauty’s Chloe Elizabeth false eyelashes, Bobbi Brown lip liner, and your best curling iron, making it a must-have for makeup rebels.
5. Shimmering Nails: A Touch of Glamour for Every Occasion
At Roksanda, a touch of shimmer never goes amiss. For the models’ subtle French manicures, Georgia Rae applied a line of Bio Sculpture dark polish to the tip of each nail. “There’s always a subtle and dark element to Roksanda’s collections.” Taking the concept of shimmer to the next level, tassel heels were the look of choice at Simone Rocha. Ama Quashie, the show’s manicurist, adorned the fingertips of each model with pearl-like pom-poms. It was simply sublime.
