The best beauty looks to steal from the Couture Spring/Summer 2020 fashion shows

The Couture Week shows recently wrapped up in Europe, and we're still thinking about all the breathtaking, colourful looks that came down the Paris runways this season. Highlights included Jean Paul Gaultier's swan song 50th-anniversary show at the Theatre du Chatelet and Giambattista Valli's stunning, feather-trimmed collection, displayed at the Jeu de Paume museum at an exhibition that was open to the public. 

For Spring/Summer 2020, a number of haute couture houses — including Chanel and Givenchy — opted for relatively low-key, natural hair and makeup styles that don't steal attention from the intricate apparel and statement accessories, while others went all out with fantastic looks that underline the designer's overall creative vision. Again this season there was an emphasis on individualism at several shows: instead of imposing uniform hairstyles and makeup colours on everyone, each model's beauty look was customized to complement their features and outfit. And of course there were many beautiful, intriguing beauty ideas that could easily serve as off-the-runway inspiration, too. It's all a matter of personal interpretation, and tweaking the trend to work for you.  

Here are some fabulous ideas for shaking up your spring beauty routine.

The show: Iris van Herpen

The look: Compared to the intricate, surreal clothes at the Iris van Herpen show, the iridescent makeup look by MAC artist Chiao Li Hsu was positively understated. But there's something dreamy about applying shimmer so loosely, and not just on the eyelids. 

The show: Chanel

The look: The makeup look by Lucia Pica at the Chanel show leaned elegantly into neutrals and soft, muted pinks. The hair, keyed by industry legend Sam McKnight, prominently featured both textured bangs and slicked-back, deep side parts. Be sure to make the part sharp and add a bit of a wave or texture below the ears. 

The show: Guo Pei

The look: The snow-covered brows by makeup pro Dominic Skinner created plenty of buzz following the Guo Pei show, but it's the rosy cheeks the models sported on the runway that will be easier to emulate IRL. Instead of highlighting the apple of the cheek or the temple, try applying a bright-coloured blush just below your cheekbone, for a less-expected highlighting effect.  

The show: Alexis Mabille

The look: There's something surprisingly charming about the pink and red glitter-lip looks that Lloyd Simmonds designed for the Alexis Mabille show. Styled with feathery headpieces (a trend!) and slicked-back hair, the crisply applied pouts take the idea of a 'bold lip' to a shimmery new level.

The show: Christian Dior

The look: The Dior show, inspired by goddesses, featured pretty netting headbands and braided crowns. But the look you'll want to steal right away will be the simple double eyeliner makeup created by Peter Philips. It looks great on various eye shapes and the painted gold detail between the lines adds a touch of drama. Note: a detailed how-to, including the exact products used, can be found online. 

The show: Schiaparelli

The look: All-over body embellishments were also in the air at Daniel Roseberry's second couture showing for the house of Schiaparelli. That incredible 'jewelry' worn by some models on their arms and faces on the runway? A major evolution from last season's pretty crystal embellishments, and each component painstakingly applied by makeup artist Erin Parsons and her team. It might be time to steal the kids' stick-on jewelry set…

Truc Nguyen is a Toronto-based writer, editor and stylist. Follow her at @trucnguyen.