We’re in the midst of Milan and soon, Paris Fashion Week, with New York and London already setting the tone for the season. So far, we’ve seen collections that range from Jil Sander’s understated chic (and the return of colored tights) to Proenza Schouler’s silhouettes, balancing the structural with the sensual. When it comes to beauty, the mood has been just as varied: printed hair at Rio and LaQuan, yellow eyeshadow, blue lipstick, and plenty of looks leaning into a little more drama. Every season brings a new set of hair, makeup, and beauty trends to obsess over. But there’s one finishing touch that rarely gets the same attention: fragrance.
A beauty look can tell you a lot about the scent that goes with it. A tousled hairstyle might call for something soft and nostalgic, while dramatic eyes and sculptural hair feel better suited to a fragrance with just as much attitude. With this season’s Fashion Week beauty trends leaning into individuality, nostalgia, and a little more drama, we’re pairing some of the biggest looks with the fragrances we’d wear alongside them.
Fashion Week beauty trends, and scents that go with them
Nostalgia calls for something familiar
Nostalgia has been making its way into beauty for a while, and the recent runways continued to look to the past for inspiration. From ’90s-inspired smoky eyes, as seen in Luar, to updated versions of classic hairstyles, the beauty looks feel familiar without looking dated. There was also a return of chignons, curled bangs, and other polished styles with a modern finish.
The fragrance equivalent? Something that feels transportive. MAISON MARGIELA REPLICA Chasing Sunsets is inspired by Ipanema Beach at sundown, combining mango, tuberose, sandalwood, vanilla, and crystal moss. It has the kind of place-specific quality that makes fragrance feel like a memory, making it a natural companion to a beauty look rooted in nostalgia.
Image: Luar
Big hair deserves an equally expressive fragrance
Volume is back, but this season, it’s less about perfectly polished hair and more about movement, glamour, and a little undone drama. At Khaite, for example, model Kaia Gerber walked the runway with full, dramatic hair that brought an extra dose of confidence to the look.
When the hair is making a statement, the fragrance can afford to do the same. VERSACE Eros Flame fits the mood with its combination of chinotto, rosemary, black pepper, rose, geranium, sandalwood, oakmoss, vanilla, and patchouli. Warm, spicy, and unapologetic, it feels suited to a beauty look that isn’t interested in blending into the background.
Image: Khaite
Yellow eyeshadow, brighter fragrances
If there was one beauty trend that brought a playful pop of color to the runways, it was yellow eyeshadow. At Proenza Schouler, pastel yellow (seen everywhere on TikTok as butter yellow) appeared across the eyes, adding a soft, unexpected wash of color to the beauty look.
A look this playful calls for a fragrance with a little brightness of its own. MANCERA PARIS Intense French Riviera, with its citrus, sea salt, cedarwood, and ambergris, brings to mind sun-warmed skin and salty Mediterranean air. Fresh but with enough depth to keep it from feeling too sweet, it’s the olfactory equivalent of butter-yellow eyeshadow: unexpected, optimistic, and distinctly summery.
Image: Proenza Schouler
Fragrance is the final beauty step
Fashion Week beauty trends may be designed to be photographed, but fragrance is the part of the look that stays personal. The right scent doesn’t have to literally match your makeup or hair. Instead, think of it as another layer of the same mood. This season, that could mean pairing nostalgic beauty with a fragrance that evokes a memory, balancing dramatic hair with an equally expressive scent, or adding a darker fragrance to a smoky eye.
