Makeup of the 80's

A Trip Down Memory Lane

  Makeup of the 80's era can be summed up using the B's: Big, Bold, Bright. The 1980s was a time in my life that I would rather forget. Yes, I had the three B's much like every other woman.   I can confidently add one more B to the list: Bad!   Oh, I thought that I looked beautiful in my teased, over-permed hair and my overly exaggerated, heavily lined eyes. I had the mauve lipstick in a frost and liner to match. I find it quite amazing that I ever found a husband. But them again, when I look back at our pictures, he was quite a catch in his muscle shirt and zebra-striped weight lifting pants. Wow!

The Three B's

  Big : Eighties makeup was exaggerated and big. Big hair complemented the big style. With emphasis was on big shoulders and big hair it is no wonder that the makeup had to be big. Lots of heavy mascara and liner, lots of eye shadow in heavy tones of blue and green; these were common traits. Women took makeup into the workplace as part of the total power look. The heavily lined lips and lipstick added a sense of power and prestige. A full set of makeup was applied each morning before setting off to work. This was an important part of being taken seriously in the work place.

  Bold : Color trends were bold. Blue, green, mauve, fuchsia, and orange were among the bold color palette of the 1980s. I remember buying my first complete set of glamour makeup sporting the ever so popular fuchsia and orange combination from Mary Kay Cosmetics. Unfortunately, the fluorescent lights did not agree with the blue undertones in these colors. Which brings another aspect of boldness to the table. Women asserted their boldness in the 1980s with much pride. Little did we realize how the florescent lights made the complete look we left our homes wearing look strange. A boldness was placed on the lips and eyes with heavy liner on both. Rouge was also very bold. But we did think that we looked good.

  Bright : The pallets used in the early eighties were bright, especially for night time makeup. Blue was very popular. Companies such as Avon and Mary Kay offered complete palettes to the guess work out of choosing a color scheme.   Women   became polished, put together, and powerful. Eighties makeup minimized flaws and gave power to women. We had bright power suits and bright lipstick.   Jewel tones such as fuchsia and turquoise were popular among the bright 1980s colors.

How to Apply Eighties Style Makeup

  1.   Begin with a cleansed and moisturized face.

  2.   Apply corrections as needed for the eye area and correct areas of redness.

  3.   Eighties makeup emphasized matte foundation that matched the skin tone leaving no line of demarcation. Bronzer was also popular. Try brushing bronzer over the foundation for a tanned appearance.

  4.   Apply loose powder to set.

  5.   Line the upper lid in black.

  6.   Apply a fuchsia shadow to the mobile eyelid. Then, apply a paler pink or white shadow to the arch of the brow as a highlighter. You can use blue and white shadow or blend fuchsia and orange for a fun evening look.

  7.   Apply black mascara.

  8. Brows were bushy in the 80s. Groom and brush.

  9. Line the lips using a fuchsia liner slightly exaggerated and apply fuchsia lipstick.

10. Apply pink rouge to the cheeks.

The End of the 1980s

  Towards the end of the 1980s, makeup began to change to the natural tones and practical style that became associated with the yuppies as they were called. Makeup was natural as it became a status symbol of showing off your well-cared for skin. Women wore earthy tones and bronzer with liner and a nude matte lipstick. Some gloss was worn to show the natural beauty of the full lips. Hair was simple. Bobs and long, straight hair were popular using hair bands to pull back and emphasize the natural beauty of the face.

1980s Icons

  When choosing 1980s style makeup, look for icons of the 80s.   Stars like Madonna, Brook Shields, Olivia Newton-John, and Joan Collins are excellent icons. Television shows such as Dallas , and Designing Women are fantastically fun to watch and reminisce. The 1980 were fun and exciting in a bold manner. The makeup is meant to enjoy.