The Best Beauty Moments From Paris Haute Couture Week 2026

By India Espy-Jones · Updated January 30, 2026

Its hate couture week in Paris and, as always, beauty is the perfect partner accompanying high-fashion looks. Hair was used as clothing at Charlie Le Mindu and Ashi Studios, nails were earrings at Robert Wun, and face-veiling fringes disguised the eyes at Christian Dior. All presented to the who’s who in the front row—many of whom brought it in the beauty department as well.

Ahead, ESSENCE rounds up all the beauty moments that made Paris Haute Couture Week even haute-r. 

First, The Front Row

Couture week is known for its frow (front row). While beauty trends are unfolding on the runway, they’re also being set by the glistening celebs on the front row. This season, Tyla and Olandria Carthen were among the stars at Valentino couture: the South African pop star in a hybrid sew-in bob and above-the-brow blush, and the Love Island favorite in a ‘70s style blowout with a fringe. 

Meanwhile, Rihanna was the most famous beauty spotted, attending Christian Dior in side tendrils and a twisted bun.

At Chanel, Grey Hair Was Aspirational

Model Stephanie Cavalli opened the Chanel Couture show, proving just how aspirational grey hair is. “I was tired of having to color it all the time, and feeling that sometimes the color would come out nice, but sometimes it wouldn’t,” she told Vogue. Although, it wasn’t her intention to make a statement. “I didn’t wear my hair like this to show that gray is great,” Cavalli adds. “But it turns out, somehow, that that’s true anyway.”

And, she wasn’t alone. On the front row, A$AP Rocky’s braids had a few grays peeking through as well. But, like Cavalli mentioned, it’s not something to be ashamed of anymore. In reality, grey hair is turning into something Black women aspire to have—and Chanel further proved it.

Fringes Continued… 

Got bangs? The over-arching message in Paris: Fringes are the epitome of high fashion. We saw them at men’s week first when hair artist Tomihiro Kono made angular, bicolored bangs for Kiko Kostadinov. Then, Rick Owens turned the cut into overgrown lashes and pastel hairpieces directed by digital artist Bernardo Martins (and styled by Duffy).

At the Dior couture show, the fringe continued. Similar to the angular cut from Mugler’s SS25 show, Dior’s reversed mullet was business in the back (with an ultra-sleek bun) and party in the front (a pastel chin-scathing fringe) all by hair maven Guido Palau.

Hair As Clothing At Charlie Le Mindu’s ‘Skins’ And Ashi Studios

Hair and clothes collided at couture week. Hairstylist Charlie Le Mindu—responsible for Doja Cat’s hair suit at Coachella—turned hair into a second skin of boots, jackets, and scarves for his SS26 couture collection. Meanwhile, at Ashi Studios, braids and curls were accents to the garments. 

For example, one model wore a full dress of hair, while another had a braid fixed onto the back of her corset all paired with either a bowl cut or a slick back (like Le Mindu’s show). 

Nails (And Hands) Were Earrings At Robert Wun

At Robert Wun, manicures were a big deal. Following the trend of beauty inverted with fashion, press-on stiletto nails—seen in matte white, silver sparkles, and ruby red—were earrings. And, the actual manicures made an equally impactful statement: one set was an elevated matte brown adorned with jewels and  encased in a purple coffin, while airbrushed black and white French tips were seen on another. 

Above-The-Brow Blush

We’ve seen circular blush, sculpted blush, and now, above-the-brow blush. At Viktor & Rolf, for one, models had face-framing below-the-chin braids with blush carried above the temple by makeup artist Ana Takahashi. And, front row celebrities were a fan of the blush look, too. Jodie Turner-Smith attended Schiaparelli with her blush applied high, as did Taraji P. Henson in an ultra-red look at Gaurav Gupta.