Vittoria Ceretti at the Venice Film Festival 2026
Courtesy of Armani Beauty
As the 83rd edition of the Venice Film Festival draws to a close, the first major post-summer red carpet has given us a glimpse of the makeup trends set to define the season ahead. The world’s oldest film festival, one of the Big Five, is a star-studded event set against a stunning backdrop. This year’s makeup trends point to a more restrained approach to red-carpet glamour, from softly sculpted eyes to healthy, glowing complexions.
Speaking to Hiromi, Global Makeup Artist at Armani Beauty, over email, she told me that the biggest beauty trend emerging from Venice is “understated, fresh and radiant beauty.”
“Skin looks luminous and healthy, with a real focus on letting the natural texture of the skin come through rather than creating a heavy, overly perfected finish,” she says.
This shift reflects a wider move towards skin health and longevity beauty, where the emphasis is on looking your best rather than striving for perfection. Hiromi also points to soft definition, subtle sculpting, softly enhanced eyes and lips, and color that feels effortless rather than heavily applied.
“The overall effect is very modern, which is polished and glamorous, but still looking like the most beautiful version of yourself,” she says.
For Hiromi, the key to modern red-carpet beauty is balance. “We can enjoy all kinds of makeup looks, such as a cool eyeliner, fresh rosy cheeks or a beautiful red lip,” she says. “I think the key is to keep the overall look balanced and, most importantly, to have fresh, radiant skin as the foundation for everything else. It’s about enhancing what you have, rather than masking it.”
This is supported by Molly Mcarde, global makeup category lead at Lush, who told me over email: “For me, I feel modern makeup glamour is shifting away from blanket transformation and relentless trend-chasing and is moving toward a genuine celebration of natural features.” She added that, as a makeup artist, her greatest joy comes from taking the time to study individual face shapes and use techniques to highlight a client’s favourite traits.
Across the Venice red carpet, that philosophy has translated into four key makeup trends: radiant, multidimensional skin; softly sculpted eyes; Sixties-inspired color; and individuality.
Delicately Framed Eyes
Vittoria Ceretti at the Venice Film Festival 2026 with delicately framed eyes and radiant, softly sculpted makeup.
Courtesy of Armani Beauty
Something we have seen a lot of at Venice is a look characterized by delicately framed eyes that are defined, but not overly graphic. To achieve this, Hiromi tells me that black pencil is used, kept very close to the lash line, with a touch applied along the lower waterline to softly frame the eyes. The result subtly elongates the eye without creating a hard line.
The look is typically paired with a fresh, radiant complexion, which keeps the overall effect from appearing too heavy or overpowering.
“The skin still has a natural luminosity and doesn’t feel overly perfected or heavy. Combined with the softly defined eyes and lips, it creates a beautiful balance that feels modern and understated,” says Hiromi.
“Delicate eye framing isn’t about skipping shadow—it’s about how intentionally you place it,” concludes Mcarde.
Individuality
Kendall Jenner at the Venice Film Festival 2026 wearing a natural makeup look that celebrates individuality.
Variety via Getty Images
Many celebrities, including Kendall Jenner, chose a beauty look that offered a more natural take on red-carpet glamour. Her makeup stayed low-key, with a fresh complexion and softly defined features that kept her natural beauty as the focus.
Rather than relying on dramatic color or heavily sculpted features, the look felt considered and pared back. The effect was polished without appearing overly made up, demonstrating how a more natural approach can still feel appropriate for the red carpet.
Kendall Jenner’s s look is a particularly clear example of this: the makeup enhances rather than disguises, creating a finished look that feels personal.
Modern Glamour: Radiant, Multidimensional Skin
Madisin Rian at the Venice Film Festival 2026 with luminous skin and a balanced modern glamour makeup look.
FilmMagic
Another strong trend at Venice was a beautifully balanced approach to glamour, where no single feature felt overpowering or competed with another one. “The skin, eyes and lips all work together in harmony, creating a look that feels polished, elegant and beautifully balanced,” says Hiromi.
She also tells me that red-carpet beauty is increasingly about enhancing natural beauty rather than creating a costume, with makeup designed to feel like a part of you and a natural extension of what you’re wearing.
“When the beauty look, the person and the clothes complement each other rather than compete, everything comes together to create the perfect overall vibe,” she says.
In looks such as Madisin Rian’s, luminosity plays an important role in achieving that balance. A glowing complexion keeps the makeup looking fresh and modern, while still feeling polished and sophisticated. The result is light and fresh without losing the occasion’s glamour.
To recreate the look, Hiromi recommends starting with well-prepared skin and applying a thin layer of mattifying primer, particularly on areas prone to shine. From there, build your makeup layers, letting each one settle before adding more. This helps maintain a fresh, natural-looking complexion while improving makeup longevity.
Sixties-inspired Color
Sydney Sweeney at the Venice Film Festival 2026 with 1960s-inspired eye makeup, defined lashes and a pastel pink lip.
Courtesy of Armani Beauty
A return to a 1960s-inspired aesthetic was also prominent on the Venice red carpet. Sydney Sweeney’s makeup played with subtle contrasts, pairing fully defined lashes with an elongated, softly smudged liner that stretched across the eyes. The eyes were softly sculpted, creating depth and definition without feeling heavy.
Her pastel pink lip added a timeless quality to the look, balancing the more defined eye makeup and keeping the overall effect fresh. Mcarde told me that she is seeing more ‘60s-inspired looks on the carpet, but with that modern twist.
“What makes this revival so exciting is its versatility: whether played out through pop-of-color graphic liners or monochromatic palettes, its timeless nostalgia is reimagined for modern beauty,” she said,
The result looked polished and sophisticated on camera, but the soft application kept it from feeling overly done. It offered a modern interpretation of 1960s glamour, combining structure and definition with a more seamless finish.
Hiromi tells me this reflects a broader move toward more considered, sculpted makeup, where light and shadow enhance individual features rather than create one defined shape for everyone.
“With Sydney, the eyes were cleverly sculpted to work with her natural bone structure, creating depth and definition while keeping everything very balanced. I think this personalized approach feels very modern,” she says. Ultimately, she explains, it is about understanding the face and enhancing its natural architecture to bring out its most beautiful proportions.
It also reflects a wider shift towards individuality and personalization in beauty. Across the Venice red carpet, there was no single formula for glamour. Instead, makeup was adapted to complement the individual, their features and their overall styling.
Be the first to comment