At Paolina Russo AW26, makeup artist Vilde Feste turned teenage nostalgia into a runway-ready flush, blending cool-toned blush, glossy skin, and sketch-on freckles into a beauty look that read like a love letter to adolescence
If Pretty in Pink's lead Molly Ringwald had grown up watching YouTube tutorials and shopping Mac at the mall, she might’ve worn this look to prom. At Paolina Russo’s autumn/winter ’26 show, key makeup artist Vilde Feste delivered a cool-toned flush that felt like the '80s John Hughes classic by way of Korean TikTok – small-town nostalgia with the makeup magic of modern formulas.
“The inspiration was growing up in the suburbs – video games, sports, arts and crafts,” said Feste. “So the makeup became something your younger self would wear and apply.” On skin, that meant pastel tones of lilac and taupe; a high blush placement that hugged the under-eyes; and softly contoured lips with blurred edges. Glossy cheekbones bounced light, while freckles and beauty marks were sketched back in to keep things real.