Fashion and beauty go hand in hand, which is why major fashion weeks of the world also make an extra effort to project trends in beauty as well as style in garments. It’s also why some of the biggest cosmetic manufacturers like MAC and Toni&Guy affiliate with fashion weeks to market their new ranges of products. We haven’t achieved that level yet but, thanks to Nabila’s vision and her team’s execution, hair and beauty does play an integral role in fashion weeks in Pakistan.

Here are some significant trends we spotted on the FPW runways…

All that glitters is not gold, it’s gotta

If eyes are the windows to your soul, eyelashes certainly are the hinges that open them. Eyelash statements made a dramatic, fluttering customization this fashion week. We saw the models blink gold, yes quite literally. Each flutter and blink of the eyelid gave out a glinting gold gleam, adding extra allure to the look. We were intrigued when we later learnt that it wasn’t just glitter-play on the eyelids; it was shimmering bits of bright solid gotta in disguise, glued to the lashes, winking sparkles from the runway.

Pretty in plaits – multiple braids that open up the face

While flowing manes of hair and high-buns have dominated the runway fashion for the longest time, multiple braids are back with a vengeance this season. Sleek, thin plaited hair bestowed the models an air of sophistication and grace as they pranced across the runway. Long ropes of elegantly braided hair accentuated the forehead, trailed down the sides to shoulders, completing the urban-chic look and the bold makeup they wore. This winter hold fast to your knotted hair, opting for multiple braids for the chic runway look. Sleek, long braids are here to stay.

Tinted, bold brows

The brow obsession is here to stay and has undergone the most tedious experimentation over time. Thanks to Cara Delevingne’s bushy brows, the fashion industry has universally established that fuller brows are the deal-seal and are past the Nike-sponsored arched brow trends. This time thick, tinted brows dominated the runway. Models wore dark, bold blues, browns and mossy-green brows that strengthened their distinct looks and added more boldness. We are hoping this is the commencement of the tinted brow trend.

Highlighted T-zones

Makeup is always evolving and embracing new trends. Lately highlighters were all the rage with women dusting it religiously over their face to glow like J.Lo. Cheekbones do not get that extra sheen on the runways this time; we saw models wearing blinding highlighters particularly on their T-zones. The T-zone is the area across your forehead and down your nose making a ‘T’. Highlighting the T-zone has the bedazzling affect in making bold statements with makeup.

Till death do us (centre) part

This is the most classic hairstyle, especially when it comes to eastern weddings, and it never goes out of style. Sure enough, the centre parting played an important role on the runway and we loved the clean way it was managed. We have to say that the centre parting is integral to the teeka and we do frown upon side-parted styles that carry the teeka like an out of place ornament.

Bold dark lips

Winters generally do beckon bold, darker lips with women switching to shades of red, burgundy and maroon. Models wore bold lips of harlot red,

deep blacks and purples to herald the change of lip colours for the season, and we are nodding our heads approvingly.

Charleston inspired waves

Charleston inspired hairstyles from the 1920s took over the runway, with models wearing their hair in waves that adorned their foreheads. While not every face cut will be able to pull off this classic look this winter, it’s still a beauty trend we hope stays for a while.

- Photography: Faisal Farooqui @ Dragonfly

Hair and makeup: Nabila