NEW YORK, NEW YORK – SEPTEMBER 08: Models prepare backstage A–Company SS22 fashion show during NYFW: The Shows at Artists Space on September 08, 2021 in New York City. (Photo by Rob Kim/Getty Images)

It’s New York Fashion Week IRL again, and don’t we love to see it. With each new season, we’re treated to the sartorial imaginings of designers who have spent countless hours dreaming up ensembles for us to find joy and make memories in – and of course, with each show comes fresh beauty inspiration, courtesy of the talented backstage hair and makeup teams.

This season, it seems optimistic color is back on the agenda, if the shows from day one are any indication. After a lengthy period of makeup austerity – barely-there, hyperreal skin – recent global events seem to have reinstated our propensity towards bright, uplifting shades. It feels like the perfect time to lean into the lighter, sunnier sides of our kits, which is just what the NYFW makeup teams did.

Of course, that didn’t mean all subtlety was lost. At A–Company’s Spring Summer 2022 presentation, a solid line of color above the crease of the eye was enough to elicit buoyant energy. Soft pinks and baby blue shades were traced above the sockets of all genders, for a refreshingly wearable take.

NEW YORK, NEW YORK – SEPTEMBER 08: Models prepare backstage A–Company SS22 fashion show during NYFW: The Shows at Artists Space on September 08, 2021 in New York City. (Photo by Rob Kim/Getty Images)

At the Prabal Gurung show, bright, bold hues were a little more dialled up for evening. Blue and pink shadows artfully hugged the inner and outer corners of each eye, curving outwards with an inch of negative space left bare in between.

NEW YORK, NEW YORK – SEPTEMBER 08: A model walks the runway for Prabal Gurung during NYFW: The Shows at Robert F. Wagner Park on September 08, 2021 in New York City. (Photo by Slaven Vlasic/Getty Images)
NEW YORK, NEW YORK – SEPTEMBER 08: A model walks the runway for Prabal Gurung during NYFW: The Shows at Robert F. Wagner Park on September 08, 2021 in New York City. (Photo by Slaven Vlasic/Getty Images)

Then there was the Erigo X show, which featured high voltage shocks on the eyes that flared from the inner corner outwards. An arresting yellow hue applied to one model, while a zesty orange shade was donned by another.

NEW YORK, NEW YORK – SEPTEMBER 08: A model walks the runway for Erigo X during NYFW: The Shows at Gallery at Spring Studios on September 08, 2021 in New York City. (Photo by Frazer Harrison/Getty Images)
NEW YORK, NEW YORK – SEPTEMBER 08: A model walks the runway for Erigo X during NYFW: The Shows at Gallery at Spring Studios on September 08, 2021 in New York City. (Photo by Frazer Harrison/Getty Images)

The application felt organic, as if the pops of color were almost an after-thought, hastily applied with fingertips. The rest of models’ complexions were left largely bare with just a touch of gloss, which felt fitting – after all, we can’t quite summon the same cosmetic enthusiasm for our entire faces just yet.

But opting for an energizing eyeshadow shade on the lids, along with little else? Doable.