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Those who lived through the 10 years known as the 80s know the period was a very interesting moment in history. Beauty had some highs and lows during the the decade. The good news is that the trends of 80s makeup are making a major comeback some 40 years later.
After four decades, we are again ready to welcome the return of bright, badass eighties makeup that will take you out of the comfort zone. Basically, this is the essence of the decade’s makeup. And it’s all about being able to stand out from the crowd. Imagine Whitney Houston, Madonna in her early years, Cyndi Lauper and more.
Before we go through the trends of 80s glam makeup, we have to mention that ladies of the 80’s wore a lot of different products. But hey, those girls just wanted to have fun, right? With that in mind, continue reading some of the makeup trends that are making a big comeback.
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80s Makeup Inspiration
Blue, Purple, and Pink Bright eyeshadow
Being a cool girl in the 80s meant having a vibrant eyeshadow. And your normal colors didn’t do the trick. Back in the this decade, if you wanted to be cool, you had to have some unusual color for your eye makeup. Think of blue, pink, and purple. And some girls even combined all of these colors at once. Talk about colorful makeup.
Related: 1980s Fashion Trends | Everything You Need to Know
Rocker Eye/Pink Lip Combo
Nowadays, we see some ladies rock the pink lip, or the rocker eye. But rarely we see these two combinations together. Rocker eye makeup look can be easily achieved with a blendable gel eyeliner. That is what made the 80s a “hot mess”.
When done lightly on skin, the look works wonderfully. Take care to define your lower lashes. If you want to be as authentic as possible, strive for that raccoon look of the 80s. You can pair it with dark lip liner for a really bold look.
Muted lip
This sophisticated look has been around for a while. Some few years ago, designers like Gucci, Stella McCartney, Victoria Beckham, Valentino, Ralph Lauren, and others opted for lips either dabbed with balm or blotted with the faintest hint of color.
Muted lips are not “naked mouths”. The latter is an overall rejection of makeup, while the former is a sophisticated look that can be created by a makeup artist. This is a great way to get a simple 80s look, by going for a naked lip and colorful eyes.
Sunny Shades
In the 80’s, men and women loved to dress up for going to the beach. And that meant a lot of coral lipstick, shimmery-gold eye makeup, and other sunny shades incorporated in your routine. You can definitely see why this trend is making a comeback. Ladies nowadays love to look like bronze goddesses, and the 80s-inspired makeup trends make that possible.
Lash-to-Lid Eyeshadow
This is something our parents used to do a lot. The latest trend for eyes to hit Instagram is a wash of powdery shadow extending from lash to lid. It is very easy to master the technique, and you can even use your fingers. You can use Hollywood makeup tips to get the best looks.
Heavy eyeliner
As mentioned previously, raccoon eyes were popular back in the days. Folks were keen on creating them on purpose. To get the look, you had to trace the tops and bottoms of each lid with matte black eyeliner, and then smudge it all together. The result was rock-n-roll vibes that you have to love. Nowadays, we use a gel pot or satin crayon for this particular look.
Neon everything
We talked about how colors were a huge part of the 80s-influenced makeup. And that means a lot of neon colors. Back in the days, you could see neon colors like blue on leg warmers and fanny packs, and even on headbands. The neon colors made their way to the lipstick industry, producing colors like electric pink, which can flatten nearly all skin tones.
Bold and Bushy Brows
Thick and natural eyebrows are now more popular than ever. That is an 80s-era makeup trend that we managed to incorporate easily thanks to models like Cara Delevingne. You need to brush a brow gel, tinted or clear through your eyebrows in the morning, and go from there. Bold eyebrows go great with dramatic eye makeup in blue.
Draping
Speaking of interesting and unique techniques, we have to speak about draping, or contouring with blush. The technique is known as “color grow”, and it has been around for a while. With this technique, you use a blush not only on your cheeks, but you blend it all over. The result is a higher and sharper cheekbones that look as intense as ever. Blush colors like bright pink and fiery red stand out on the skin.
Statement Lashes
Some 10 years ago, everything else than black mascara was a no-no. Nowadays, however, colored mascara is making a big comeback. The plain old black is just way too boring. We have burgundy to complement any eye color, or turquoise for those with hazel eyes
The vibrant mascara is so popular, you can even mix and match the shades by applying one color on the top, and another one to the bottom lashes. The result is more flair than ever with styles like bright blue mascara.
Metallic lipstick
Thanks to the 80s makeup making a comeback, we have frosted lips again. Today, there are more options to choose from than in the 80s. Back in the day, you had only baby pink. You can play around and match your lipstick to your eye shadow by using hues from the same color family.
Why is 80’s beauty making a comeback?
The 80s were a time of extremes in fashion, music, and makeup. But they were also a time of major creativity from New York to Paris. In that era, people heard for the very first time of things like vibrant mascara. While nowadays coating your lashes with shades of burnt orange, green, or cobalt blue is normal, back in the 80s, vibrant mascara was a revolution with bold colors.
The good news is 80s vibes look better than ever. Nowadays, we have retro-influenced beauty, but done in a sleeker way. For more great beauty hacks and advice check out this article we found over at the Top Review Zone, it has 20 beauty ideas that will leave you feeling just as great as you did in the 80’s.
Famous 80s Hair and Makeup Icons
Whitney Houston
Whitney Houston was a legendary singer who garnered a total of 9 Grammy Awards, 1 Primetime Emmy Award, and 12 Billboard Music Awards in her lifetime. The song “I Will Always Love You” is the singer’s signature ballad that is considered a staple in popular music even up to this day. Aside from her career as a singer, Houston was also a celebrated actress.
When Houston started her career in the mid-’80s, she instantly captivated her audience and became an icon in music, beauty, and fashion. From loud makeup, colorful blush, and big hair looks to her ruffles and sequins, the star was on top of it all.
The icon also could add vibrant lip colors as well as blue eyeshadow often. Her style was all the rage in the 80s, especially for a woman who wanted to flaunt a glittering look during parties.
Madonna
Madonna, whom we all refer to as the “Queen of Pop” has sold more than 300 million records worldwide, placing her on the Guinness Book of World Records as the best-selling female recording artist of all. The singer’s signature songs include “Material Girl” and “Like a Virgin,” which stayed on Billboard Hot 100 Chart’s number one spot for six weeks.
When Madonna appeared on the music scene in 1983, the queen automatically reigned supreme with her iconic short frizzy blonde hair color and rebellious fashion, which greatly influenced the style of that decade.
When it came to makeup, the pop singer often sported bushy eyebrows as well as dramatic eyeliner. And you also can’t forget her signature beauty mark. She was also known for her leather ensembles and leopard prints which she made a stock outfit among the women of that generation.
Cyndi Lauper
Cyndi Lauper is a singer, songwriter, and actress from America who rose to fame in 1984 with her song “Time After Time,” which bestowed her with both the Best Female Performance and Best New Artist Awards from the Grammys. She was one of the most celebrated pop stars in the 1980s and has garnered 5 Grammy Awards, 1 Primetime Emmy Award, and 1 prestigious Tony Award.
Lauper’s bold fashion style consists of mixing and matching clashing colors, patterns, and textures which makes her stand above the rest. As far as makeup goes, she wasn’t afraid to experiment either with bold blush, lip liner, and blue eyeshadow looks. Lauper’s intense and unique style resonated with the decade’s fashion and even inspired the rebellious fashion of the coming generations.
Brooke Shields
Brooke Shields is a famous American model and actress who rose to popularity in 1980 when she starred as Emmeline Lestrange in the commercially successful film The Blue Lagoon. Shields started her career at 11 months old and became the youngest fashion model featured on the cover of Vogue at the age of 14.
Aside from Shield’s glamorous magazine and red carpet ensembles, women of the 1980s, were also craving to copy the model’s voluminous locks, bushy brows, and signature thick lashes. In candid photos, Brooke could often be seen with a natural makeup look using neutral hues but would go for more bold color with editorial works. The hair may require a little maintenance, save for it provided the ’80s women with more style variety than other hair styles.
Debbie Harry
Debbie Harry is an American singer better known as the lead vocalist and co-founder of the rock band Blondie. In 1981, Harry started her solo career and released her album “KooKoo” which became certified gold in the US.
With Harry’s international success in the music scene, her bold fashion style and two-tone bleached-blonde hair instantly became popular among those people who follow the New Wave subculture.
Cheeks with blush, blue eyeshadow, and red lipstick were also staples of her 1980s beauty look. Harry’s different approaches to creating a unique but functional fashion style were a massive source of inspiration for the women in the 80’s.
Janet Jackson
Janet Jackson is the only singer in history to have seven songs, all from one album to hit Billboard’s top 5 list. She is known as the youngest sister of Michael Jackson but has made a name for herself with her numerous accolades in the music industry.
The 1980s was the era when Janet Jackson went into the limelight and transformed into one of the most iconic singers and fashion icons of the decade. She rocked the high-waisted pants, leather motorcycle jackets, and statement belts that women started raving for in the decade. For 80s-inspired makeup, a girl next door look was the look for Miss Jackson.
Joan Collins
Joan Collins, an English actress and author, became famous for her portrayal of Alexis Colby in the 1980s soap opera Dynasty. Collins has received a plethora of accolades in her career as an actress and is still active in the industry.
In 1985, Dynasty became the number-one show in the United States, and this brought Collin’s influence in fashion to greater heights. For beauty, draped blush and vibrant eyeshadow looks were favorites of the icon.
The shoulder pads, fabulous jackets, sequins, big earrings, and that little black dress that the actress wore in her portrayal as Alexis Colby made her one of the most notable fashion icons in the ’80s.
Tina Turner
Tina Turner is often referred to as “The Queen of Rock and Roll” for a good reason. She is also considered one of the greatest singers, winning a total of 11 Grammy Awards and selling over 100 million records worldwide.
Aside from her iconic hair, Turner also inspired the women of the 80’s with her signature denim jackets and leather hot pants that showcased her amazing legs. For 80s makeup, a powerful red lip was her signature weapon.
She was also adored for her fringe outfits that accentuated her dance moves when she was performing on stage and her black stilettos that became a powerful indicator of the decade.
