This Was the Most Surprising Makeup Trend I Saw Backstage at NYFW (2024)

The whole "no-makeup makeup" thing has been around for half a decade at this point. It's not new or exciting, really. Leading the charge were Glossier's Boy Brow, Ami Colé's Hydrating Lip Treatment Oil, and Ilia Super Serum Skin Tint Foundation—all of which promised light, barely-there makeup. A far cry from the 2016 warm smokey eye and matte full-coverage beat.

But let's be real. "No-makeup makeup" was kind of a sham. Viral TikToks showcase 10-, 12-, 15-step routines with specific techniques, pricey products, and complicated tools... all to make it look like you're not really even wearing anything. What's the point?

2024, though, is ushering in a new season of no-makeup makeup...where people are just ditching it mascara, skin tints, blushes, and the like entirely. I started seeing the trend emerge over the summer, when the viral anti-mascara movement on TikTok and IG gained traction. Believers claimed that their eyes looked wider, brighter, and more awake without a clumpy mascara smeared on 'em (although the jury is very much still out on that). And more recently at NYFW, I watched models walk down the runway bare-faced for Prabal Gurung spring/summer 2025 show, where they exclusively wore Peach & Lily's glass-skin collection on their faces. This wasn't no-makeup makeup of seasons past, it was literally just no makeup at all.

Now as a makeup-loving editor, I fully anticipated to be bored by this vibe, but there was something about the whole thing that felt editorial and inspiring. Less really was more. With the swipe of a new Peach & Lily product that won't be released until later this year, models' cheeks were turned into shiny, lucid mirrors—and it required zero pigment or shimmers to do so. Sure, it's simple, but it felt equally as breathtaking to witness waltzing down the runway as a neon eye or bold lip.

Sil Bruinsma, lead makeup artist for the Prabal Show, says he wanted the look to exude "freshness and pureness," focusing on the glass skin look. FWIW, Peach & Lily coined this term with their viral, beloved (ahem, Cosmo Readers' Choice Award 2024 winner) Glass Skin Refining Serum.

"Glass skin is your healthiest skin yet—skin so healthy, there's a luminosity and smoothness that shines through," says Alicia Yoon, aesthetician and Peach & Lily founder. With this look, it wasn't about making your skin look filtered, or like the models were wearing makeup when they weren't. "It's about supporting your skin from the inside out— and it's for everyone, no matter your skin type, skin tone, or skin concern," she adds. "I have eczema, dry, sensitive skin, and I'm in my 40s," Yoon says. "My glass skin will look different from someone who does not have eczema and is in their 20s, but I can still achieve my glass skin goals, because it's about my skin being at its healthiest," she adds.

That bit about glass skin being for all skin types and tones is true FYI. At the Prabal show, the models didn't all just have perfect model-esque skin. Sure, it's easy to walk down a runway with no makeup when you don't have a single visible pore. But I saw models not only embracing their skin texture, breakouts, fine lines, and dark spots, but enhancing it all with luminous skincare.

First, Bruinsma cleansed the models skin with Power Calm Hydrating Gel Cleanser, then flooded the skin with hydration using the brand's lightweight essence. While the skin was still a lil damp, he patted on O.G. Glass Skin Refining Serum (it's loaded with hyaluronic acid, niacinamide, peptides, peach centella, and mountain yam extracts—all of which add a major glow to your skin right away and help hydrate from within). He followed that with a sealing, antioxidant-rich moisturizer for the face, then coated the lips in a peptide lip balm for a glossy finish. Lastly, Bruinsma liberally spritzed on the ultra-moisturizing Glass Skin Veil Mist.

On the day of the Prabal show, I had multiple active zits (damn you, hormones) and a smattering of acne scars I'd usually cover with foundation. Instead, I trusted the process and opted to try the protocol on myself, complete with a simple winged eyeliner and a glossy lip. I didn't even miss my full-coverage foundation—instead, I added the tiniest bit of concealer on my acne, blended it into the skincare underneath, and let my natural skin shine (literally).