It’s true that the clothes on the runway at Australian Fashion Week have some serious sway on our wardrobes each season, but the same can be said about beauty.

The week-long event sets the agenda for hair and beauty trends in many ways: from the way we part our hair, to the colour we swipe across our lips, and even down to the shape of our eyebrows. So what have we learned from AFW 2024? Keep reading for the beauty trends we’re loving this year. 

Natural Curls Get The Girls

It’s time to break up with your straightener: natural curls reigned supreme on this year’s runways. 

At EM On Holiday and Liandra, hair had the kind of gentle bounce that comes from a dip in the ocean and not much else, while at Albus Lumen, locks were elegantly undone, as though models had simply run their fingers through them moments before taking to the catwalk. 

Silver Steals The Scene

While chrome has enjoyed a resurgence in fashion, it was also the colour of the hour when it came to beauty at Australian Fashion Week – a trend foreshadowed by many of this year’s international runways.

For his AFW debut, New Zealand designer Rory William Docherty added a touch of iridescence to the beauty look in the form of a silver winged liner, while at Albus Lumen, models’ whole eyelids were awash with a silver sheen, via a futuristic, cool-toned eyeshadow.

Anna Quan thought out of the box, dusting models’ eyes and forehead with shimmering silver, and Mariam Sediq took the obsession to a whole new level, sending one model down the runway covered in chrome body paint. 

Heavy On The Eyeliner

Move over, clean girl. When it comes to going glam, we’re taking our cues from Michael Lo Sordo’s Resort collection, where heavy-handed eyeliner reigned supreme. Makeup novices, rest assured, this look doesn’t require a painstakingly intricate application. Instead, Michael Lo Sordo decreed an era of grunge glam that takes its cues from the effortlessly smudgy shadows and deep shades of the ‘90s.

Side-Part Supremacy

Gen Z have been touting the superiority of middle parts for years now, but this year’s runways said differently. Models took to the runway at a variety of shows — from Rory Williams Docherty to Alix Higgins — with side parts in every variation, Sorry Gen Z, the designers have spoken.

Blurring The Lipstick Lines

If you love the look of bold lipsticks but tend to steer away from them for feat of smudging or blotting, this trend is for you. As demonstrated at Bec + Bridge the ‘blotted lip’ effect is in full effect this season. Think of it as though you applied your favourite red hue, before went out for a night of sipping cocktails and maybe even a few late-night smooches– leaving your pout looking effortlessly undone.

Kirsty Thatcher

Writer

Kirsty is a digital writer at ELLE and Marie Claire.

Having completed a Bachelor of Arts at The University of Melbourne (English Literature/Sociology), Kirsty set her sights on a career in the Australian media industry. After relocating to Sydney, she spent time working in print at JONES Magazine, before turning her focus to the digital landscape.

When she’s not dissecting the latest fashion and culture trends, you can usually find her ticking off restaurants on her ever-growing bucket list, or on the hunt for Sydney’s best beach.