Anyone who grew up in the 1980s can attest to the fact that it was a very bold and colorful time. The makeup was bold, the hair was high, and the clothes were neon. And just like other periods in history, 80s trends have come into fashion. And one of the hottest trends in makeup from the 80s.
30 years later, makeup trends from the 1980s are making a comeback. This includes bright eyeshadow, bold blush, and heavy eyeliner. In this article, we will provide you with tips on how to apply makeup from the 80s.
Makeup from the 80s
Similar to 80s fashion, 80s makeup was bold and bright. While today’s makeup trends lean toward accentuating your best facial features, the 1980s were all about playing it all up with bright colors. Following are some tips on how to play up makeup from the 80s.
Foundation
If you grew up in the 80s, you know that foundation was key to your look. Forget matching your skin tone perfectly to your foundation. Foundation in the 80s was at least two shades paler than your natural skin tone. And it was applied in multiple layers. and then later heavily reapplied. No one was ever out in public without their liquid and powder foundation in their purse!
Blush
If the foundation was applied in layers, it was no match for blush. Blusher was one of the main components of makeup in the 1980s. Contrary to today’s delicate blush looks, 80s blush started at the hollow of the cheek and ended at the temple. And it consisted of deep plum or bright pink shades accentuating the cheeks.
Eyeliner
While the raccoon look for eyeliner is frowned upon today, it was considered normal in the 1980s. As far as makeup from the 1980s, the rule for eyeliner was that the heavier, the better. Although other shades were used occasionally, the popular look was matte black eyeliner applied along both the bottom and top of the eye. It was often smudged heavily to achieve the rocker chick vibe. In fact, it is quite common to light the eyeliner pencil with a match or lighter to make it smudge smoother.
Mascara
While black mascara was trendy, it wasn’t considered uncouth to sport bold colors such as blue and purple, which were applied heavily on the lower and upper eyelashes.
Lips
Frosted lipsticks were all the rage regarding makeup in the 1980s. Frosted pink hues were very trendy. However, reds and metallic lipstick were popular for a bold look. Not to mention, black lipstick was popular with the goth and punk crowds. Lip liner is trendy as well, but it is typically at least a shade darker than your lipstick color to create a bold look.
Eyebrows
Thick eyebrows were totally the look in the 80s! Full eyebrows were trendy as opposed to arched, thin, carefully plucked eyebrows. Those with thinner brows filled their eyebrows in to make them appear fuller. Most people also left their natural eyebrows alone, as thick brows were considered cool and hip.
Eyeshadow
There are many looks for eyeshadow today…natural, bold, blended, dramatic, and so on. But today’s eyeshadow looks generally don’t run the entire canvas of the eyelid as they did in the 80s. Lash-to-lid eyeshadow is one of the most crucial components regarding makeup from the 80s. Typically one applies bold colors in combinations of a variety of blue, purple, or pink hues.
When it comes to personalizing your makeup from the 80s, it is best to use 80s movies or television shows from the 80s. We’re talking about shows that were filmed in the 80s, not those solely based on the 80s. And keep in mind that the 80s Party Girl look is different from the Punk Rock look. As well, the 80s working girl’s look is quite different from that of the 80s teenage girl who spent her weekends either at the mall or the skating rink. Choose your 80s, look carefully, and don’t be afraid to be totally awesome and stand out from the crowd!
