Dark Romance Is the Season’s Hottest Beauty Trend—With Photos

Collage: Allure; Source images: Wuthering Heights: Warnerbros; Beauty looks: Launchmetrics; Remaining image: Getty Images.Save StorySave this storySave StorySave this story

We are in the throes of a romance resurgence: Readers are devouring love stories en masse (romance was one of the most-consumed audiobook genres on Everand and Spotify in 2025), and the genre is inspiring big-screen adaptations (like the upcoming The Love Hypothesis, starring Lili Reinhart). People are also finding love in places they never expected (like hockey rinks, thanks to Heated Rivalry).

Yes, reading romance is hot right now in more ways than one, and it’s showing in the latest beauty trends too. With the much-anticipated releases of Wuthering Heights, Dracula: A Love Story, and Practical Magic 2, hair and makeup are leaning toward the “dark-romance” aesthetic for 2026. But unlike the dark-romance trope in novels and fanfiction, which centers on taboo relationships and morally gray characters, these looks are less about shock value and more about heightened emotion. They imply physical intimacy in some way: tousled hair, a blushy blush, and smudged liner—a good, old-fashioned romp (or the thought of one).

But the inspiration for the dark-romance beauty trend goes beyond today’s love-story-heavy zeitgeist. Joseph Carrillo, a New York City-based makeup artist, sees it as a collective desire for escapism. “The world is in chaos,” he says. “We’re tired. We’ve been living with hyper-edited faces and overdone routines for years. Romantic makeup lets people look human again. It’s about mood, feeling, identity.”

Devin Toth, a New York City-based hairstylist, adds that the renewed appetite for romance reflects a longing for connection. “People are tired of feeling so detached,” he says. “They’re ready to embrace desire and beauty in real life again.”

We’re in our yearning era, folks. Here’s how it’s showing in our hair and makeup.

Makeup

Dark-romance makeup isn’t about depth of color, though it could literally be dark, if you so desire. It’s about the mood. “It’s emotional, not theatrical. Dark, but soft,” says Carrillo, who sees it as “cheeks flushed but not contoured, and lips that look kissed, washed with gloss or softly stained.”

Margot Robbie’s makeup in Wuthering Heights, by hair and makeup designer Siân Miller, captures this perfectly. Robbie’s character, Cathy, appears with soft, balmy lips and noticeably flushed cheeks. “We wanted a weather-beaten look for the characters,” Miller previously told Allure. She used Rare Beauty Soft Pinch Liquid Blush, Merit Flush Balm, and Pat McGrath Labs Divine Cream Blush on Robbie’s cheeks throughout the film. Robbie’s blush during the press tour also has this vibe, but in a more wearable-for-everyday way.

Courtesy of Warner Bro. PicturesGetty Images

For lips, Carrillo recommends dabbing on Rare Beauty Soft Pinch Liquid Tint Oil in Affection for a sheer, comfortable wash of color. “Think bitten, blurred, effortless—never lined or trying too hard.” Carrillo says that if you decide to opt for a more literal take on the trend, make sure your lip look still appears a little imperfect. He recommends berry, wine, oxblood, and deep rose-colored products or "anything with warmth or translucency so it still feels romantic," he says.

You can also look to past runways for inspiration, particularly Di Petsa’s for spring 2025, Badgley Mischka fall 2023, and Who Decides War fall 2023, where models walked down the runways with stained, smudgy lips, and flushes that looked like they were born from fervor.

LaunchmetricsLaunchmetrics

These looks occasionally edge into goth territory (at the end of last year, Pinterest predicted “vamp romantic” looks—gothic hair and smudged-kohl smoky eyes—would take off in 2026), but the makeup we’re discussing here isn't as starkly contrasting (or as spooky). The biggest difference between goth and dark romance comes down to complexion. Nirvana Jalalvand, the makeup artist behind Jenna Ortega’s Wednesday Addams, says she approached the moody, macabre teen's complexion with cool contrast tones. “I don’t warm up the skin at all,” she says. “There’s no blush—it’s literally just the base and then the contour."

The choice to play up the cooler and lighter tones of Ortega's skin also helped create a “more-powdered look,” that's quintessentially goth, says Jalalvand. It's a major departure from the blushy, post-hookup complexion associated with dark romance. Carrillo notes that while dark romance is still moody, it should feel fresh. “Skin should look alive and luminous,” he says. Carrillo suggests using Glossier Cloud Paint Plush Blush in Plume or Glow Recipe Dewy Flush in Watermelon “if you want it to feel fresh and juicy—like you just felt something.”

Eyes are also approached differently. While gothic eye makeup can appear severe (à la the graphic liner looks that Cassandra Peterson wore as Elvira or the sharp shadow shapes of Juju and Gilli), dark-romantic eyes skip “harsh edges and heavy mascara," says Carrillo. "Lashes should stay fluttery, flirty.” He recommends sweeping on a pencil liner—like the soft, easy-to-maneuver MAC Eye Kohl in Teddy—and smudging it along the lash line. “The goal isn’t precision,” he notes. “You want that ‘I slept in my makeup and somehow look better’ effect.”

Hair

Dark-romantic hair is loose, windblown, and far from polished. Think of Cathy wandering the moors in Wuthering Heights, or Kate Sharma from Bridgerton riding her horse in the rain, before [redacted]. (You won’t find spoilers here, we promise.) “It has a lived-in, piece-y look,” says Sarah Hindsgaul, Los Angeles-based hairstylist and brand founder. It’s melancholic but free, she adds, “like she’s just been running around fighting for her love.”

April Kayganich, a Los Angeles-based hairstylist and curl expert, says that historically, these hair looks have not been inclusive. “The imagery that pops into my head and references I've seen for this look are typically soft waves, or a soft curl."

But according to both Kayganich and Hindsgaul, the key to achieving the heroine-yearning-in-a-meadow vibe is playing up your hair’s texture. “It doesn’t matter what your hair’s curl or wave pattern is,” says Hindsgaul. She points out that Robbie’s hair in Wuthering Heights is straight, but you can still see a softness that looks lived in.

Courtesy of Warner Bro. Pictures

Hindsgaul’s observation is spot-on: Miller has explained that Robbie’s free-flowing hair was intentionally designed to represent the character’s youth and brash yearning.

To achieve that look at home, Hindsgaul recommends building volume and enhancing your hair’s natural texture. She suggests thoroughly washing and towel-drying your strands first. (She’s partial to using the Crown Affair hair towel because “it’s huge and absorbs so much water.”) Then, reach for a mousse, like her brand’s The Soft Hold Mousse, which defines your hair’s kinks and curls while keeping it flexible: “You just apply your mousse everywhere and turn your head upside-down,” then gently scrunch your hair upward. (We also love the Best of Beauty-winning Lottabody Wrap Me Foaming Mousse, especially for coarser textures.)

Hindsgaul suggests finishing the look with a diffuser on all hair types—even fine and straight. “On straight hair, you might not get an actual curl pattern, but you can get texture out of it,” she says.

Kayganich recommends approaching curly and coily hair similarly: Rake two pumps of air-dry cream (like the Hairstory Hair Balm) throughout hair while it's wet. “You want to use as little product for that soft, touchable look,” she says. Then, use a curl foam (like The Doux Mousse Def Texture Foam) before you hit your curls with a diffuser. Take a beat before reaching for your dryer, though. “If you let the hair air-dry for 10 to 20 minutes before going in with your diffuser, you're going to have a more relaxed, stretched-looking curl.”

For tight coils, she recommends doing a two-strand twist or bantu knots, especially “if you're looking to manipulate your hair for a more stretched look.” Your first steps are the same—rake curl cream and foam throughout wet curls—before putting them into your protective styles. Then let your hair dry completely. This is key, says Kayganich. “If you take the style out before it is completely dry, you won't have any set curls,” she says. For this reason, she recommends getting a bonnet dryer or even a hood dryer at home or starting that style early in the day.

Once your hair is dry, “untwist and gently separate,” she says—and skip the hair oil. “Some people might want to put hair oil on their hands to prevent frizz, but a little frizz is the moment.”

LaunchmetricsCourtesy of @_thehalfricanCourtesy of @_thehalfricanGetty ImagesLaunchmetrics

More dark, romantic beauty inspiration.

Courtesy of @sarahhindsgaulLaunchmetricsGetty ImagesGetty ImagesLaunchmetricsLaunchmetricsGetty ImagesGetty Images

Shop our dark, romantic makeup and hair picks.

MakeupSave to wishlistSave to wishlist

Rare Beauty

Soft Pinch Liquid Blush

$25

Ulta Beauty

$25

Sephora

Save to wishlistSave to wishlist

Merit

Flush Balm

$30

Sephora

$30

Merit

Save to wishlistSave to wishlist

Pat McGrath Labs

Divine Cream Blush

$29

Nordstrom

$29

Ulta Beauty

$29

Sephora

Save to wishlistSave to wishlist

Rare Beauty

Soft Pinch Liquid Tint Oil in Affection

$24

Ulta Beauty

$24

Sephora

Save to wishlistSave to wishlist

MAC Cosmetics

Eye Kohl in Teddy

$24

Nordstrom

$24

Ulta Beauty

HairSave to wishlistSave to wishlist

Crown Affair

Hair Towel

$59

Sephora

Save to wishlistSave to wishlist

Lottabody

Wrap Me Foaming Mousse

$6 $5 (17% off)

Amazon

$5

Walmart

Save to wishlistSave to wishlist

Hindsgaul Hair

The Soft Hold Mousse

$38

Hindsgaul Hair

Save to wishlistSave to wishlist

Hairstory

Hair Balm

$37

Amazon

Save to wishlistSave to wishlist

The Doux

Mousse Def Texture Foam

$15

Amazon

$15

Walmart

Meet the experts

AccordionItemContainerButtonLargeChevron

• Devin Toth is a New York City-based makeup artist.
• Joseph Carrillo is a New York City-based makeup artist.
• Sarah Hindsgaul is a Los Angeles-based hairstylist and brand founder.
• Nirvana Jalalvand is a London-based makeup artist.
• April Kayganich is a Los Angeles-based hairstylist and curl expert
• Siân Miller is a London-based hair and makeup designer who created the looks for Wuthering Heights.

Read more about the latest trends:

• Bangs Are Getting Bolder in 2026
• The Biggest Hair Trends of 2026 Bring the Drama
• Makeup Is Getting a Colorful Vibe Shift in 2026
• 6 Nail Polish Colors That’ll Be Everywhere in 2026