Forget 'Clean Girl': The 5 Messy-Chic Beauty Trends Taking Over NYFW 2026

Images via Vogue Runway and @theimpression_. Featured Designers: Coach, Tory Burch, and LaQuan Smith.

If you’ve been feeling the pressure to look "polished" 24/7, I have some spectacular news: 2026 beauty trends are officially giving us a permission slip to be a little messy.

This season at NYFW, the runways traded the high-maintenance "Clean Girl" aesthetic for something way more human. We’re moving away from the slicked-back buns of last year and leaning into the newest 2026 hair trends—think "intentional bedhead" and grit. From smudged liner to "just-finished-a-coffee" lips, it’s a gritty beauty revival that makes imperfection high fashion.

Here are the top 2026 makeup trends you’ll actually want to try this fall:

1. The "Just Smooched" Lip

While Proenza Schouler went for a soft romance, LaQuan Smith took the "smooched lip" to a high-glamour, edgy level. It’s the perfect example of how the 2026 makeup trends are embracing the "lived-in" look without losing the luxury.

Photo by @theimpression_ for LaQuan Smith FW26.

• The Look: Soft edges, concentrated color in the center, and a matte finish.

• The Shopping List: VIOLETTE_FR Bisou Balm for that perfect blurred texture or REFY Lip Blush for a weightless flush.

VIOLETTE_FR 
BISOU BALM Sheer Matte Lipstick

$29

REFY 
Lip Blush

$24

2. Tornado-Struck Hair

Photo courtesy of Coach / Fall-Winter 2026 Collection.

If you’ve been fighting frizz, stop. As noted by Vogue, the breakout trend of the season is "roll-out-of-bed" hair. Coach fully embraced flyaways and accidental volume.

• The Look: Messy textures, unbrushed ends, and a "windswept" silhouette.

• The Shopping List: Oribe Dry Texturizing Spray or Amika Un.Done Matte Texture Spray for instant grit.

Amazon

Oribe Dry Texturizing Spray

$26.00

Amazon

amika un.done volume & matte texture spray

$17.00

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3. Indie-Sleaze Eyes

The smokey eye is back, but it’s heavier and more lived-in. Tory Burch leaned into that Y2K kohl-heavy look. It’s all about the bottom lash line—smudged, dark, and a little bit moody.

Photo via Vogue Runway / Tory Burch FW26.

• The Look: "Slept-in" eyeliner that intentionally pools in the corners.

• The Shopping List: MAC Eye Kohl or Lancôme Le Crayon Khôl.

MAC Cosmetics

Eye Kohl Eyeliner Pencil

$24.00

Lancôme

Le Crayon Khôl Eyeliner

$28.00

4. Sleepy-Girl Glam

Photo by Isidore Montag for Coach FW26.

ELLE is calling it: the "I woke up like this" energy is the definitive vibe for Fall/Winter 2026. This isn't about looking tired; it’s about a romanticized, "lived-in" aesthetic that trades airbrushed perfection for human texture. Think smudgy eyeliner that looks a few hours old and air-dried, tousled curls that embrace your natural frizz.

• The Look: Slept-in kohl liner and "tornado-struck" hair that prioritizes volume over neatness.

• The Style Note: To nail the 2026 hair trends version of this, skip the blow dryer. Apply a curl cream to damp hair, scrunch, and let the air do the work.

• The Shopping List:Glossier Boy Brow for bushy, un-groomed brows and Victoria Beckham Beauty Satin Kajal Liner for that perfect, blendable smudge.

Amazon

Glossier Boy Brow Volumizing Eyebrow Gel-Pomade

$38.99

Victoria Beckham Beauty

Satin Kajal Liner

$35.00

5. The Deep Side Part

Photos by BFA, @yourlovediaryy, @savtheselfiephotographer, and @saintp.png for LaQuan Smith FW26.

The middle-part reign is officially over, but LaQuan Smith just proved that "messy" doesn't have to mean "lazy." Instead of a precision deep part, the runway was dominated by the "Power Flip"—a heavy, side-swept style that looks like you just ran your fingers through your hair and let it fall where it wanted.

It’s the perfect example of the 2026 hair trends we're seeing: hair that looks powerful, unapologetically human, and slightly undone.

• The Style Note: To get this look, blow-dry your hair in the opposite direction of where you want it to lay. When you flip it back over, you get that instant, effortless volume without the "stiff" look of a traditional part.

• The Shopping List: Use a volume-boosting powder like Design.ME Puff.ME at the roots to keep the flip from falling flat.

Amazon

Volumizing Powder by DESIGNME

$27.00