This season’s makeup has evolved into customized looks that reflect individual facial structures and moods, rather than directly borrowing from those shown on the F/W runways. This demonstrates that makeup moves beyond simple imitation toward creating one’s unique style.

Sometimes we wonder, “Is this the right way to do my makeup?” Despite putting effort into grooming, don’t we occasionally question, “Did I really do this well?” However, what matters most in today’s fashion and makeup is “confidence.”

As we age, we rationally think we should embrace new styles and unfamiliar makeup techniques, yet we might find ourselves harboring preconceptions, thinking they look “too flashy” or “distracting.” Makeup is no longer about having a single correct answer—what’s important now is how honestly you reveal yourself. The trend is shifting from makeup that covers the face to “makeup that interprets the face.”
When fashion and makeup are approached as an integrated look, a person’s unique mood and texture become more distinctly apparent, and the overall completion can be elevated. As much as you invest, as much as you put effort in, the results will surely pay off.

This column briefly introduces the notable makeup trends from the 2025 F/W street scene.

1. Illusrated Identity

One of this season’s wearable makeup trends can be described in a phrase as “art on the face.” On the streets of major cities, painterly elements such as delicately drawn flowers, branches, and geometric patterns around the eyes and cheeks frequently appeared, capturing attention. This attempt to use the face as a canvas, beyond simple color application, is interpreted as a linguistic use for revealing one’s identity and emotions.

It also boldly breaks traditional makeup rules. Unlike conventional makeup methods emphasizing symmetry and harmony, intentional asymmetry, texture layering, and free-flowing curves remain intact, fully revealing painterly touches reminiscent of artwork. This can be seen as expanding makeup from merely a means to look pretty into a tool for self-expression. Even past street fashion didn’t reveal such painterly sensibilities to this extent, making the emergence of somewhat challenging makeup an intriguing point this time.

Makeup products are also evolving. Liquid eyeliners, waterproof paint gels, and color pencils that blend softly on skin are being released in forms suitable for art makeup, supporting this trend. Each makeup method seems to be used to tell one’s own story. Some express their femininity through roses blooming on their foreheads, while others convey inner anxiety by drawing black lines around their eyes. Makeup becomes a performance, and the face becomes the stage for that performance.

You can use eyeliner when you want to express thin lines in art makeup. The HERA Eye Designer Pencil is a multi-functional product with waterproof and oil-proof properties, maintaining its longevity against sweat, tears, and sebum, making it suitable for year-round use.

2. Double Lip Line

In lip makeup, lip lines continue as a primary expression technique regardless of whether the texture is glossy or matte. Rather than simply creating brightness variations within similar color tones, the impressive approach involves changing the entire tonal family, utilizing fluorescent colors to maximize contrast.

While the intensity and techniques of makeup differ, eye and lip makeup are simultaneously emphasized to balance the overall makeup look. For example, in the leftmost photo, the lip also applies gradual gradation to harmonize with the wing eyeliner and progressively intensifying eye makeup. This lip makeup particularly contrasts with traditional K-beauty styles. While K-beauty commonly fills only the inner lips with deep color without emphasizing the lip contour, global wearable makeup looks highlighted distinctly defined lip outlines. Using ETUDE’s Dear Darling Marker Tint to define the lip perimeter clearly can complete a more natural and distinct lip line.

The overall lip color trend centers on mature and subdued tones. Rather than intense classic red, desaturated brick red, burgundy, dried rose, and wine-toned plum have emerged as trendy colors. All the above photos were taken in Paris, giving the impression that these color sensibilities resemble Paris’s image, where classical and contemporary beauty coexist.

The lip-focused look, emphasizing only the lips while keeping other makeup minimal, naturally harmonizes with urban street fashion, revealing metropolitan sophistication and individuality.

3. The Colorless Eye

This season’s street eye makeup features shadow that appears like eyeliner as the main element. Black and silver accents particularly stand out. Sharp yet not excessive shapes using liquid shadow and shimmer glitter emphasized the eye shape. The style of connecting the outline from the middle of the eye to the outer corner, subtly extending the eye shape, was frequently seen on the streets.

The color palette favored achromatic schemes over vibrant shadows. Shadow colors that appeared heavily mixed with gray or white, created dimension on the eyelids, with thin lines applied over them. While black eyeliner is typically used to make eyes appear larger by correcting the eye shape, a unique expression method was employed that precisely defined the eye shape, creating an effect as if a highliner had been used. The underline was omitted or only shadowed for dimension, and instead of colorful gradation, the distribution of shadow color across the eye socket was increased. Eyebrows were given color in slightly curved arches or straight lines, and lip color was also drawn as full lips in slightly red-burgundy tones.

When using alone or mixing, if you want to enhance the effect with just one eyeshadow, ETUDE’s What’s In My Eyes in the “Cool Tone Keeper” color is recommended. It can impart an icy feeling and further emphasize the volume of the eyes.

4. Clean Face, Quiet Tone

The eyebrows are gone! Coach brand’s Creative Director, Stuart Vevers, conveyed, “My goal is to design in an honest, practical, and intuitive way.” Similarly, the 2025 F/W season street makeup is also concise. By removing eyebrows, other areas become more clearly visible, and because few colors are used on the face, it exudes a more restrained atmosphere.

This season’s base makeup is characterized by pale, desaturated skin expression. While revealing the skin’s natural contours, it highlighted the inherent texture of smooth skin itself.

As a makeup artist, what stood out most this season was the importance of “brushes and fingertips.” Rather than sponges, bases are applied thinly with brushes, blended using finger warmth, or applied roughly with relatively large-pored sponges and patted in. The thin and precise skin expression created in this way makes it appear natural and authentic. This “pared-down” skin expression often feels the most sophisticated, particularly in street styles.

At this point, just because it’s a matte skin expression doesn’t mean the base makeup needs to be powdery from the start. Instead, organizing the skin texture with a moisture-rich sun base, such as LANEIGE Water Bank UV Barrier Sunscreen, can be helpful. If you’ve been troubled by foundation sliding too much when applying, sweeping toward the outer face and patting to absorb the moisture film without letting it clump on the face is essential. If base makeup is complex for seasonal reasons, try using a damp sponge. This can sometimes be more effective than changing products.