Leading eyes on the catwalk between chignons and soft waves

As every year, the Milan Fashion Week Autumn Winter 2026/27 shows, which have just finished, send out a message through make-up. There is a desire for authenticity, naturalness, not to conform to trends, but to create new ones. A return to elegance, a more sober and sophisticated make-up, but one that also leaves room for imperfection, in a certain sense one should no longer be ashamed of one's flaws, but exhibit them naturally, because they are our distinguishing mark. "This desire to reinforce one's identity was translated on the catwalk with the absence of corrective make-up, imperfection is the new perfection, authenticity is the aesthetic signature," explains Michele Magnani, Global Senior Artist at Mac Cosmetics who has curated several catwalk shows. "The skin is still the real protagonist, but it is far from the super glow and glass skin effect. It is a perfected but natural skin, and once again new technologies help us to create make-up with great ease. The concept of 'skinification' is still valid, one has to take care of one's skin at 360 degrees, to look one's best on every occasion. The blush becomes 'emotional', as if the cheeks redden as a result of an emotion, the 'bonne mine' effect takes a back seat. The positioning also changes, the blush is applied above the cheekbone, sometimes reaching the temples, caressing the upper arch, creating a lifted and fresh effect. Shades range from pinkish to peach to recall the natural blush. The eyeliner is also reinterpreted, still important to enhance the look, but its shape is no longer extreme and dramatic, the lines are soft, archiving the punk and gothic effect. The eye is enhanced by warm palettes ranging from browns to greys, to black, but also green and blue, with lots of mascara, false eyelashes are out. Finally, lips, glossy ones are almost gone, in favour of matte lips, but with a soft finish, lipsticks are easy to apply: in just one swipe they give intense colour, maximum comfort and hold. Blurred lips are back, the colour on the lips appears blurred, without sharp contours, giving a natural, soft and slightly fuller effect. The colours? Red, cherry, plum, orangey red, but also nudes, which are not limited to classic beige, but embrace pinkish nudes and cool taupe, designed precisely for complexions with cold undertones".

Leading Eyes

The gaze returns to the foreground, eyeliner and mascara, eyeshadows in various colours. We saw them at Prada, a black smokey eyes, intense and deliberately imperfect: irregular shades and smudged pencil. At Roberto Cavalli, under the direction of Yadim Carranza for Kiko Milano, the look is enhanced by a taupe brown eyeshadow spread over the entire eyelid, up to the eyebrow arch and under the eye, creating a diffuse veil that suggests a dark aura without weighing down the gaze. Gucci also celebrates a total black make-up with a strong impact, as does Dolce&Gabbana where the eyes are enhanced by the iconic sharp line of eyeliner. The smokey eyes become a tapered cat eye, fading into grey and amplifying the gaze. Vivetta relies on light details by choosing a micro eyeliner under the lower rim that lifts the gaze and retracts inwards. Avavav reinterprets Twiggy's 1960s, with a thick, straight eyeliner and drawn lower lashes but with a contemporary twist. Space is also given to coloured eye shadows. Diesel chooses neon colours - particularly green and orange - for a halo smokey eyes not seen in a long time: a variant of the classic smokey that concentrates the light in the centre of the eyelid, amplifying depth and three-dimensionality. At Antonio Marras, we enter a narrative set in an enchanted rose garden. The protagonist is the Caragol, "snail" in Algherese. To seal the imagery, a precious beauty detail: two small golden roses applied above the inner corner of the eyebrows, evoking the snail's antennae. The colours used on the eyes recall the collection: sage green, burgundy and pastel shades that make each look unique and dreamy. Pure romanticism at Luisa Beccaria, the make-up by Mac Cosmetics favours warm-toned palettes on the eyes, such as orange and salmon, which counterbalance brick-coloured lips. At Giorgio Armani, mua Hirodi Ueda, Armani's Global Makeup Artist, enhances the eyes with semi-transparent shades in tones of amber, dove grey and brown, while the cheeks and lips are lit up with warm pink layered with a watercolour effect. Moschino goes for an electric blue reverse eyeliner, graphic and vibrant. The same shade also runs through N21's proposal, where the eyelids are veiled in a light satin blue, with a frosted and luminous finish.

Bold and nude lips

Lips play on a double register: on the one hand bold and bold, the majority, on the other nude and sophisticated, in a balanced balance between intensity and naturalness. At Jil Sander, lips are tinged with a glossy coral red, with a finish so bright it looks metallic. The focal point at Roberto Cavalli are the lips in an intense red modulated by a delicate black ombré, shaded along the edges to avoid sharp contrasts. Dark lips at Ermanno Scervino, Gucci, at Max Mara, here the shades are rust or plum also applied to the cheeks. At N21 the lipstick becomes shiny almost vinyl, hugging the lips in an irregular way, shaded on the edges, for a bouche mordue effect. An effect we also find at Vivetta Ponti, where the edges are blurred and velvety thanks to the new Powder Kiss Hazy Matte Lipstick by Mac Cosmetics. Natural lips at Diesel, at Missoni where the lipstick not only colours the lips but rediscovers itself as a blush, slightly reddening the cheeks; at Emporio Armani the lips are enhanced by a light gloss with a natural finish. Lips at Moschino sport a glass effect, discreetly reflecting light and adding a three-dimensional dimension. At Fendi, they are veiled in a discreet and sophisticated noisette shade that enhances the natural volume without altering the balance.