Photos: Getty Images Save Story Save this story Save Story Save this story They say if you got it, you should flaunt it. The fall makeup trends of 2026 are all in service of letting your best features take center stage, whether you want the focus to be on your lips , your lashes, or your glowy natural skin.
For those who take pride in their pouty lips (or their ability to talk their way out of just about anything), a swipe of lipstick and nothing else is a cool way to look put together without the hustle of actually putting yourself together. If you prefer an air of mystery (and less trouble eating salad), a deep berry tint is ideal. If you’re feeling your skin these days, an almost-bare face will get top billing, or add a touch of balmy sheen to give the eight-cups-of-water-a-day energy. And if your eyes are your favorite feature, play them up with sculptural lashes, a soft smoky eye , or a simple wash of cool-toned eye shadow .
The key to these trends is to let your other features sing backup. That way, everyone will be forced to reckon with your greatest superpower. Below, the experts break down this fall’s biggest makeup trends.
Photo: Getty Images Photo: Getty Images Getty Images Photo: Getty Images Photo: Getty Images Photo: Getty Images A bare face with bold lipstick is the kind of off-duty model look that telegraphs: It’s not that I didn’t care to dress up for your party. It’s that I didn’t need to. To look polished and powerful, all you need is a slip dress, a tube of Dior Rouge, and the Prada heels you keep tucked under your desk for such occasions. Simple as that.
Los Angeles makeup artist Sarah Walsh saw the look trending on fall and winter runways. “Skin was left almost bare, just a bit of coverage, a little dew to highlight the high points, and some mascara,” she says. “It’s a high-contrast look that exudes confidence and power.” The color is choose-your-own-adventure. Bright poppy red for the life of the party (try MAC Silky Matte Lipstick in Lady Danger ) or a darker shade for a mysterious, who-is-she moment (Walsh likes Revlon ColorStay Suede Ink Lipstick in In the Zone , and Nars Explicit Lipstick in Ravenous is an Allure editor favorite).
Photo: Getty Images Photo: Getty Images Photo: Getty Images Photo: Getty Images Photo: Getty Images Photo: Getty Images We have to imagine that Eve, after that whole fiasco with the apple, decided what’s done is done and went all-in on a tasting tour of the Garden of Eden. She would have found that sin could be kind of a chic beauty trick. Once she made it over to the fig tree and took a bite of one of its juicy, purple fruits, she would have been left with the perfect jammy garnet lip stain.
This fall, “people want more visible color, but many do not want the maintenance of an opaque dark lipstick,” says New York City makeup artist Christian Briceno . Fortunately, technology has come a long way since the Garden of Eden, and you don’t need a fresh fig or blackberry to get a deeply hued but transparent tint. “The stain category has evolved. Newer formulas come in oils , serums, gels, balms , and soft-matte textures,” he says. “I like that the person's natural lip color participates in the final result. You get the emotional impact of a dark lip without making the mouth look flat or too constructed.”
Briceno starts by exfoliating the lips and applying a thin layer of lip balm , letting it sit for a few minutes, and then blotting off the excess. A smooth canvas is key. “Deep…