Can Clean Beauty Make It at London Fashion Week? Absolutely.

With London Fashion Week just wrapping, it feels like the perfect moment to answer a question I get all the time: does clean beauty have a place in the fashion industry? My answer — without hesitation —  yes, absolutely.

Fashion Week makeup may change with trends each season, but makeup artists backstage kits always rely on four fundamentals: pigment, finish, durability, and brushes. (Never underestimate the power of a good brush!) Clean beauty can deliver all of these — and often does it better.

Natural Skin: Where Clean Beauty Shines

Fashion and editorial makeup are known for bold colours and experimental approaches, but underneath every look is one non‑negotiable: flawless, natural skin. No makeup lead wants a model’s complexion to look heavy, cakey, or overworked — especially under runway lighting.  Real looing skin is a big deal.

This is where clean beauty truly excels.

High‑quality clean foundations tend to be:

• lightweight

• skin‑like

• breathable

• skincare‑infused

And of course some clean brands miss the mark — but that’s true across the entire beauty industry. The good ones know how to knock it out of the par

My go‑to? MÁDARA Skinonym Foundation. I first discovered it at London Fashion Week while assisting on Crystabel Riley’s team — she’s one of the OG clean beauty makeup artists, and Skinonym is always in her kit.

Why it works backstage:

• light but buildable coverage

• beautiful real‑skin finish

• not too shiny under runway lights

• reliable staying power

• skincare‑rich formula (peptides, antioxidants, hyaluronic acid)

As someone who started my career as an in‑house Sephora makeup artist, I’ve worked with every foundation under the sun. The ones I choose for my kit even if I were not a clean MUA — from a quality standpoint — are clean ones.

Another important factor when building your makeup kit, is to have your clients needs in mind.  Models skin gets battered during Fashion Week: constant travel, little sleep, multiple makeup applications and removals every day (being a fashion model is harder than you might think it looks!). Using makeup formula's that are kind to skin and health is, in my opinion, a reasonable ask from a client.  The same is obviously said for why I have clean skincare in my kit as well.

Colour & Pigment: Clean Beauty Has Caught Up

When clean beauty first emerged, pigment was its biggest weakness. Shades were limited, vibrancy was lacking, and longevity didn’t compare to mainstream formulas.

But not anymore.

Clean beauty has had more than twenty years of formulation evolution — and some of the greatest minds in makeup chemistry are now working in the clean space. (Vic Casale, the chemist behind MAC’s iconic, long lasting colour system, is one of them.)

Brands like ĀTHR Beauty and Ere Perez  prove that clean colour can absolutely deliver. Now when a makeup designer asks you to overline a red lip, you can do it with ease (I mean not literally, its probably the hardest makeup technique to master!) but the products you are using can do it with ease!

Sustainability: Where Clean Beauty and Fashion Align

When a fashion brand brings in a clean‑beauty‑focused makeup team, it’s usually because they value sustainability and ethical production. I’ve noticed that clean teams often work with designers who prioritise conscious living, eco‑friendly practices, and better working conditions.  These shows are always the ones where I feel really well looked after!

Fashion Week is notorious for low or no pay, but clean teams tend to operate differently. There’s a shared ethos of respect, wellness, and sustainability — and it shows in every part of the production.

Conclusion

Clean beauty isn’t just holding its own at London Fashion Week — it’s helping shape a more ethical, sustainable, and skin‑friendly future for the industry. It brings together creatives and brands who care about conscious choices, and it proves that high‑performance makeup doesn’t need to compromise on ingredients.

Amy xxx

p.s Why not explore our clean beauty favourites used backstage at Fashion Week?