3 Major Beauty Trends From NYFW, According To Beyoncé's Makeup Artist

No doubt about it: Fashion Week is different these days. Designer shows have morphed into a wide-ranging mix of livestreams, in-person presentations, showrooms, and digital look books, but luckily it hasn't made tracking beauty trends any less exciting — even for those who have seen it all. Take Sir John, a celebrity makeup artist who works with stars like Beyoncé and has noticed a few New York Fashion Week 2021 makeup trends that have piqued his interest.

"There's been an awakening of how we do things across the board [for Fashion Week]," Sir John tells Bustle. "It's no longer about everyone looking at just one thing or one area — everyone's sharing their interpretation of cultural happenings and showcasing all types of understanding of beauty." His take? Today's looks are more "for the people" than ever before, a change he very much welcomes.

Much like the fashion shows themselves, the pandemic has influenced general beauty themes. Sir John says he's seeing more minimalistic, pared-back looks, along with playful pops of color to pair with face masks. Here, he shares the three biggest makeup trends emerging from NYFW 2021 to keep an eye on — and how to try them for yourself.

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1. Radiant Skin

"This year more than ever, it's been all about skin," says Sir John. "Light-reflective skin and skin with vitality and luminosity [is in]." He's a fan because the focus on your complexion is all about "looking healthy and full of vitality," and achieving that radiance is all about wellness. Just look at the skin-forward beauty from this season's Fendi, 3.1 Phillip Lim, and Adam Lippes presentations as proof.

"So much of the skin's glow can be attributed to gut health, so I really recommend probiotics as part of the beauty regimen," he says. Retinol helps, too — he turns to the active ingredient every night with the Revitalift Derm Intensives Pure 0.3% Retinol Night Serum.

Pro tip: To show off your radiant skin with minimal makeup, Sir John loves using a tinted moisturizer — his fave is the L'Oreal Paris Skin Paradise Water-Infused Tinted Moisturizer. "The coverage is dewy and light, so it lets your skin shine through, and you can build with it for additional coverage," he says.

2. Playful Eyeshadow

Due to face masks, people have just the upper half of their face to work with, which is why Sir John says eyes will continue to be a big focus this year. "The eyes have a certain whimsical quality that we've really seen in the last year or so with washes of unexpected colors like pea green," he tells Bustle. "People don't want to be too serious." Splashy eye looks were seen on the runways of Anna Sui, Christian Cowan, and LBV, to name a few.

The more colorful and dramatic your look, the better — play with vibrant, out-of-the-ordinary eyeshadows and experiment with eyeliner. Sir John says his go-to liner is Le Liner Signature by L'Oreal Paris, which comes in a range of fun shades.

Pro tip: "For a bold liner to elongate the eyes, extend your liner out and up," Sir John tells Bustle. "The trick to making [it] even more bold is lining the top waterline with a pencil. This really gives the eye more definition and depth."

3. Bold Lips

Colorful, bold lips are also trending everywhere, including on the runways of Moschino and Carolina Herrera. "We want color that's going to last," says Sir John, pointing to long-lasting formulas (like Rouge Signature by L'Oreal Paris or Pat McGrath Labs' MatteTrance Lipstick Pave) that don't require touch-ups or lip liner before application.

Pro tip: "I recommend using a bit of eye cream to add moisture to the lips rather than lip balm because it delivers hydration at the cellular level without messing up the color," says Sir John.