IN THE MOOD FOR UNDONE MAKEUP

There's something about black eyeliner against bare skin that never really dates. Kate Moss knew it in the ’90s, and judging by the makeup at Gucci this season, she still does.

Closing Gucci's autumn/winter 2026 show, Moss wore a smoky black eye with the kind of undone finish that has appeared in countless photographs of her over the years. It was a reminder of just how good a heavily lined eye can look when the rest of the makeup is kept simple.

Elsewhere on the runways, makeup artists have been experimenting with similar contrasts. At Proenza Schouler, Thomas de Kluyver worked black kajal across the eyelids and beneath the lower lashes, while Dior offered a softer interpretation with traces of kohl against luminous skin. Prada's smudged eyeliner and dishevelled hair leaned further into the grunge references.

I like that the skin has been left alone. There's no heavy foundation competing with the eyes, no need for a complicated lip combination. The eyeliner can be as dark as you like without the makeup feeling overdone.

It's also a look that feels easy to translate beyond the runway. A little black pencil worked into the lash line, smudged with a finger rather than carefully blended with three different brushes. The sort of makeup that looks just as good after dinner as it did when you left the house.

And while I've grown fond of the clean girl staples, I'm quite happy to see black eyeliner back in the conversation.

With love (and frankness),

Bea x