18 Beauty Products That Models and MUAs Swear by Backstage at Fashion Week

London Fashion Week is officially over, and this season served a whole load of stunning beauty looks. From the bejewelled, studded eye looks at Simone Rocha to Molly Goddard’s sky-high ponytails, the London looks for A/W 22 were truly exceptional. But while I was tiptoeing my way through the backstage crowds last week at Emilia Wickstead to see if I could grab a few seconds with the lead makeup artist, Naoko Scintu (she was creating the beauty looks with By Terry), I realised something quite important: Fashion week beauty has barely changed.

No, I’m not talking about the looks that make it onto the runway but rather the backstage heroes that makeup artists and models swear by to see them through fashion month. As I scanned the tables, analysed the contents of spilled kit bags and caught quick glances whenever a model opened up their handbag, it hit me that throughout the many years that I have attended fashion week, the products that beauty insiders lean on have remained more or less unchanged.

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(Image credit: KAY JORDAN COURTESY OF BY TERRY)

From glow-boosting moisturisers and lip-smoothing balms to strand-setting hair sprays and cuticle-softening oils, there are a whole bunch of beauty products that carry fashion month along without necessarily making the headlines. Keep scrolling for the insider beauty products that I see crop up season after season.

MAKEUP

1. Dior Dior Addict Lip Glow

2. MAC Studio Face & Body Foundation

3. By Terry Brightening CC Serum

4. Elizabeth Arden Eight Hour Cream Skin Protectant

SKINCARE

5. Egyptian Magic All-Purpose Cream

6. 111Skin Rose Gold Brightening Facial Treatment Mask

7. Weleda Skin Food

8. Fraicheur Ice Globes

9. Embryolisse Lait-Crème Concentré

10. Bioderma Sensibio Cleansing Micellar Water

11. Carmex Lip Pot

HAIR

12. GHD Platinum+ Black Straighteners

13. L'Oréal Paris Hairspray by Elnett

14. Schwarzkopf Got2b Glued Blasting Freeze Spray

15. Color Wow Dream Coat Supernatural Spray

16. L'Oréal Professionnel Tecni.Art Pli Shaper

NAILS

17. Nailberry L'Oxygene Nail Lacquer

18. CND Solaroil Treatment

Next up, these are the only beauty tips that matter, according to our beauty-editor DMs.

Freelance Beauty Editor

Shannon Lawlor is a renowned beauty journalist and has contributed to Who What Wear’s beauty content since 2020. As a leading beauty editor, expert and brand consultant, she has over eight years of experience working for some of the industry’s most esteemed titles, including Who What Wear (of course), Glamour UK, Stylist, Refinery29 and Fabulous.

Having also worked behind the scenes with some of the industry’s biggest brands and retailers, Shannon has a unique insight into what people really want from their beauty routines. Understanding that beauty lovers seek honest, open and responsible advice, she has it made her mission to demystify the intimidating world of beauty, taking a no-frills approach to the most relatable topics.

While Shannon is the first to admit she doesn’t hold the answer to every beauty question out there, she is dedicated to sharing her expert insights in a bid to help. As a self-proclaimed lazy girl, Shannon has an affinity for easy-to-use, foolproof beauty products and has made it her mission to scope out the best of the best.

When she’s not working, Shannon is likely soaking in the bath or giving no-holds-barred beauty reviews on Instagram from her bathroom floor.