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Do you recall the dark lip liner and the neon eyelids that everyone obsessed over throughout the 1980s? Makeup in the 80s consisted of layers of blush, bold eye shadows, and unblended makeup. Looking back, the makeup trends during this decade were pretty iconic.
When it comes to beauty and fashion, the 80s were all about bold expressions. From bright lips to colorful and flashy lip colors, the decade celebrated colors in full swing.
In this guide, we are going to highlight the hottest 1980s makeup trends. Don’t worry – we’ll also offer a tutorial so you can emulate the 1980s celebrities and legendary makeup icons.
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Makeup Trends Of The Iconic 80s
The 80s consisted of a plethora of trends. Here’s a quick recap of the overall vibe the decade embodied.
Heavy and pale foundation was the go-to first step when applying makeup. Bright and strong blush colors filled the makeup bags of every makeup enthusiast. The vibrant pigment was applied generously on cheeks for a noticeable pop of color. The 80s eyeliner moment will always be iconic — lining the eyes in a dramatic and thick fashion.
Pops of color didn’t end on the cheeks – eye shadows were colorful and bright as well, and usually smudged. Lips were a focal point as well, using bright and contrasting lip-liners and lipsticks. The eyebrows weren’t neglected, they were groomed with a hint of eyebrow gel to create the effect of naturally thick and busy eyes.
Top Tips For Creating The 1980s Look
To fully capture the aesthetic of the decade, here are some tips to follow to ensure you achieve the perfect 1980s makeup looks we all know and love.
Face
When beginning your face makeup, it’s important to remember that during this decade they focused on heavy blush and foundation. This was the highlight of the 80s makeup trends. But you may not want to paint your face using the same daring colors. So you can stick to alternative makeup trends that correspond to the latest trends.
For example, you can choose a light-medium coverage foundation with some translucent powder to create the desired base. For blush, you can go for a coral cream blush to add a bit of color to the apple of your cheeks.
Eyes
The 80s eye makeup can be described as eccentric, daring, and fun. The makeup of the decade truly revolved around the eyes. When exploring beauty trends of the decade, you probably came across dark shades, rainbow hues, or smokey eye makeup. You can use black eyeliner or apply a double coat of mascara to create the same effect.
Choose saturated hues and contrasting colors, too. This is essential for 80s makeup. Electric blues and black are among the most popular colors. Some other popular hues were purple, green, blue, and fuchsia.
Cheeks
The cheek makeup of the 80s was unique — and something many swear against in today’s trends. Women applied strong shades of blush and did not blend the colors together. Bronze, reds, corals, and pinks are essential for an 80s makeup look.
Lips
Orange hues, pinks, and red lip shades are perfect for painting your lips like the models from the 80s. Even with a pop of color on their eyelids and bright blush, women did not stray away from adding even more color on their lips. Though, a nude or glossy lip would certainly remain on par with the 80s trend — especially if you do go all out on the eyes.
Eyebrows
Most who plucked their eyebrows to be on trend in the 80s would probably advise you to avoid doing so. Keep your eyebrows how they are when creating the 80s makeup look — unless you are fully all-in for the thin brow look. Just use a dash of brow gel to tame unruly brow hairs and you’ll still be on par with the trend.
Beauty Marks
Moles and beauty marks were a famous trend from the 80s. Think of Madonna and other celebs who seemed to have beauty marks on their face throughout this decade. More often than not, they used black liner or something to that effect to create it. Similar to how people give themselves freckles with makeup products now.
If you already have a mole or beauty mark on your skin, you’re set. But if you want to add one, you can use black or brown eyeliner or lip liner to create one. Soften its appearance (to make it look real) with a brown shadow.
If you want to add a beauty mark to your skin, this faux freckle product will help you add one (or many) anywhere you want on your skin. It will last throughout your day and look completely natural.
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When adding a faux freckle to your skin, sometimes a black eye liner or lip liner doesn't look right on your skin color, or it just looks too harsh. This Rare Beauty lip liner is creamy and waterproof, and comes in a few brown and neutral colors that may work better for you.
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When creating your own beauty mark or freckle, you want to make sure it looks natural. You can soften the appearance of your faux freckle with an eyeshadow palette like this one. There are a variety of shades that may work well with your skin tone and can use to soften your freckle.
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Hair Styles
Feathered bangs or big hair is what comes to mind when we think about the popular hairstyles of the 80s. Even men liked growing their hair during this decade. You would spot many cans of aerosol hairspray on everyone’s vanities — tools to tease, grow, and fluff hair out would be present too. The classic perm was also a hairstyle that ruled this time period.
If you want some volume in your hair, use this reparative blow-dry mist for a noticeable bounce in your hair for soft, shiny, and a visibly healthy blowout. The best part about this spray is it works well with any hair type.
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When getting your hair big, bouncy, and voluminous, using a styling cream can help you achieve the look you’re aiming for. It will also help your blowout turn out shiny while defining any natural texture in your hair.
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One thing about the 80s is that people were serious about their hair spray. This texture spray will give your hair volume while enhancing texture for that perfect lived-in look and feel.
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The Ultimate 80s Makeup Tutorial
When thinking of the 80s, remember that the decade was all about mixing daring and bold colors to achieve a powerful look. You don’t have to copy the exact colors and techniques to look like a model on an 80s magazine cover. The key is to choose the most popular trends that suit your taste and style.
Emulating the makeup of any trend can be so fun. Here’s a brief, step-by-step 80s make-up tutorial you can follow whenever you’re feeling like transporting back in time.
Base Layers For Your Skin Type
You want to ensure you’re choosing a good-quality primer and apply it to your face before diving into the rest of the makeup process. If you prefer to skip over a primer, that’s fine! Remember — use what’s best for your skin and your specific makeup preferences.
Apply your go-to foundation to your skin. Sometimes those who have oily skin will see better results when using a powder-based foundation. If you have dry skin, opting for a fluid or cream based foundation may work best for you. Again, it’s up to you!
Once you have your foundation on, you can apply a setting powder on your nose, chin, temples, and cheeks to prevent any creasing.
This is the perfect light coverage skin tint. It evens out your skin’s appearance without hiding freckles or beauty marks. The formula is very thin and breathable. Your skin will look glowy and healthy each time you apply it.
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The translucent loose setting powder from Laura Mercier is lightweight and easy to apply. It blends into your skin effortlessly, and sets your makeup for up to 16 hours.
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A 24-hour liquid foundation that provides buildable coverage is ideal for those who go back and forth with the amount of coverage they prefer. There are a number of shades to choose from and they all have a flawless, natural, matte finish.
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If you’re looking for flawless and poreless-looking skin, this foundation is perfect for you. It’s long-lasting and feels weightless on your skin. It’s a matte finish that will look amazing under your blush and bronzer.
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Some skin types benefit from a setting powder more than others. If you need to reduce shine and blur imperfections, this is the perfect setting powder for you. It’s extremely fine and has a variety of finishes that you can pick from.
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Highlight Like Madonna
Whether you want to create a punk, darker, or gothic look, you’ll want to contour your face to really embody the 80s. Choose a bronzer or blush that is two to three tones darker than your skin tone for a distinct look. If you’re interested in a bright and colorful look, choose a blush that is two to three tones lighter than your skin. Apply it to either side of the nose as well as on the hollows of your cheeks. Any amount of blush will work.
This blush from Dior is so pigmented, everyone in the 80s would have loved it. It gives you a glowing effect while adding a bit of color to your cheeks.
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If you’re more into a bronzed, neutral look rather than a bright and bold colorful one, you will enjoy using this matte bronzer. The shade options are all neutral, but can be built up as much as you want. If you just want a little bit of bronze or a lot, you can apply as much or as little as you need.
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This blush is iconic, and will help you achieve the 80s vibe easily. There are various finishes available, and so many good shades for everyone.
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There are a good amount of options available for this stick blush, but the radiant finish is perfect for someone who doesn’t want to add noticeable pops of color on their cheeks. This finish will add warmth to your face, and a glow you’ll love. Plus it works with any and every mascara, eyeshadow, or lip color.
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If you feel like your makeup needs a little extra shimmer and glow, this liquid light serum highlighter will give you a beautiful radiant finish. Soft gold, rose gold, and pink pearl are the three shades available, and all of them would help your 80s look come alive.
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Bold, Bright Eyes
The 80s eyeshadow looks set the decade apart from makeup trends that occurred before and after. To achieve the look, pick an intense eye shadow and apply it using a thick shadow brush. Choose a darker shade for applying on the fold of your eyelid. The best eye shadows for recreating the 80s -style makeup are purple, red, orange, warm pink, and neon. Blue was often a favorite as well.
If you’ve been searching on Pinterest for 80s-inspired makeup looks, you’ve most likely encountered a few goth and punk makeup looks. These styles were extremely popular throughout the decade as well. If this is your cup of tea, opt for darker shades and heavy use of eyeliner. A nice dark lip would look incredible as well. Blue, teal, and purple also align with the gothic aesthetic.
For a bright and bold eye look, avoid covering the entire eyelid with one eyeshadow. You can create a lightning screw to make it look more like the 80s. An eyeshadow palette will come in handy as they provide you with a good variety of eye shadow colors to add more charm to your look.
A great deal of eye shadow and mascara will make your eyes pop just as the top celebrities did on magazine covers and at concerts throughout the 80s. When choosing a mascara, make sure you apply a volumizing one, as this will help open up your eyes — creating that bright-eyed look. Feel free to have fun with your mascara. Try out a pretty blue or a fun purple for a little switch up from black or brown.
While the eyebrows were not as much of a focus as they are today, people still filled them in slightly. This pencil will add a little definition to your brow while filling in sparse spots.
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A clear brow gel is perfect for setting your brow hairs and making them look good without having to fill them in with color. Since your 80s inspired makeup is so busy, this will help keep your brows look put together without too much effort.
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This eyebrow gel-pomade is similar to the clear brow gel, but it adds a hint of color to your brows without the hassle of filling them in with a pen. This is a quick and easy way to enhance your brows and keep them in place.
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A vibrant cobalt blue eyeliner would make you feel like you’re living in the 80s. Urban Decay’s waterproof eyeliner pencils also come in a hot pink, deep green metallic, and a shimmery purple shade. There are also neutral and your classic black options. The possibilities are endless.
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An eyeshadow palette with a variety of colors to choose from will help you find your ideal 80s look. You can go for more neutral colors or try out the bold, bright one for a fun change.
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If you want to go all out with your eyeliner, and have a steady hand to do so, you will love this gel eyeliner. You can create any sort of winged liner you desire, and the liquid liner will glide on smoothly. It’s also highly pigmented, and will last up to eight hours.
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This palette features 18 rosy tints and earthy shades that can create the perfect 80s eye. The shadows are velvety-soft and the color applies beautifully.
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The creamy texture of this eyeliner pencil is dreamy. It glides on smoothly and provides an intense color that won’t budge for at least 12 hours. It comes in black and navy blue, and would look amazing with your 80s makeup glam.
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If you’re not really interested in blues, purples, and bright pinks, this neutral, peach-toned palette is your ideal choice. There are six shades with a range of matte to shimmer finishes. These allow you to still have fun with your makeup while bringing out your inner-80’s self.
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Stand-Out Lips
Pucker up! Choose a bright shade that compliments your eye makeup when picking your lipstick. You don’t have to choose subtle colors for lip shades either. Have fun with it and step out of your comfort zone if you want. If you’re in the mood for a shiny look, add a gloss to your lips. But if you prefer a more matte or bold lip, no gloss is needed.
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Fenty Beauty has the best variety of lipstick shades. You can pick a neutral, go for a chocolate nude, or rock a vibrant magenta pink shade. Plus, the formula feels so nice and smooth on your lips.
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This sheer, matte lipstick crayon feels incredibly soft on your lips. The shade options scream the 80s — especially the bright blue pink shade. Your lips will experience 12 hours of weightless wear and all day hydration.
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The best part about this product is you can apply it on your lips and cheeks. The range of shades are beautiful and nicely pigmented. If you want to sport a red lip, the fiery-red color is the perfect shade to embrace the 80s.
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Not everyone is a lip stick fan, and this glossy lip oil works as a lip gloss while protecting and enhancing the lips. While there are slight pigments to each shade, they all help bring out your lips' natural color.
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A matte lip was so iconic in the 80s. This weightless air-whipped lip cream will hug your lips with rich color while hydrating them. The finish will look velvety matte no matter which shade you pick.
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Pair The 80s Look With Modern Guides
Isn’t the 80s makeup fun? Now that you’re in the know with the most popular 1980s makeup trends, you’re set to have fun with creating the look you would’ve sported back then — or for whenever you feel like channeling the iconic decade. Whether you want to be like Madonna or Jane Fonda, the decade presents endless makeup trends for styling a unique look.
If you love colors and don’t mind painting your face with bold eye shadows and dark lip shades, you will love makeup trends from this decade. Follow our guide anytime you’re eager to create an eccentric 80s look.
We recommend always using quality makeup products to avoid any skin irritation or breakouts.
