“Butterfly Bridges” Are an Ethereal New Makeup Trend Flooding the Runway

The butterfly bridge makeup trend currently fluttering across the runway is electrifying, ethereal, simple, and bright. The look stretches along the crevices of the nose, the inner crescent of the eyes, across the bridge of the nose, and even up toward the inner corners of the brow bone. These vibrant eyeshadow blends bring all the attention to the center of the face, creating a shape that mimics the wings of a butterfly. It is the next wave of minimalistic beauty, giving the wearer freedom of individual expression without requiring much additional makeup. 

My first encounter with the butterfly bridge eyeshadow look was through the photos Deviate – a woman-led, genderless, Detroit-bred fashion label – showcased on Instagram. Makeup artist Kabuki, a painter by nature, was behind the looks for the brand’s spring/summer 2023 New York Fashion Week debut. 

Kelsey Tucker, the creative director of the brand, tells Allure that for the show, she and stylist Aryeh Lappin created a mood board inspired by Edvard Munch’s painting “The Scream.” She describes the aesthetic as “1930s film noir and gothic glam” with a fusion of Alexander McQueen’s runway beauty moments seen throughout the late ’90s and early 2000s.

All that goes on backstage before a model hits the runway is a collaboration between the designer and the makeup artist. Tucker says she mimicked “the scream eyes” for Kabuki, with her hands pressed against her face and her mouth wide open. From that reference, Kabuki created the final look that we would then see throughout Deviate’s NYFW presentation. The end result was much less terrifying but just as dramatic.