Makeup of the 70s: History and Characteristics

|Laura González Becker
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In the wonderful 70s, the social revolution started in the 60s continued and gave rise, not to one, but to several trends both in the fashion world, as in makeup. These trends still influence us today, so if you want to fully immerse yourself in the 70s makeup culture, don't miss any detail of today's article!

HISTORY OF 70s MAKEUP

The liberation of women and the feminist movement gained more and more strength, influencing and changing many aspects of life, including, of course, makeup. Feminine but natural looks gradually became dominant, along with many other trends.

And indeed, the the 70s cannot be characterized by following a single trend, but it is not a period defined by a single trend, rather it is a time when several converged, giving rise to very different styles.

The hippie style of the 60s continued in this decade, with very natural looks, as well as the funky, the punk or the glam rock, characterized by being a bet on color, excess, and shine.

Farrah Fawcett became a beauty icon for millions of women (and men) around the world. Her fresh and relaxed style, super natural, it set trends and conquered thousands of young people, who imitated their looks to wear them day to day.

Although if there was one makeup trend that stood out above the rest, it is undoubtedly the disco style. Influenced by movies like “Saturday Night Fever”, the 70s disco makeup is characterized by being much more striking, with the use of shiny colors like silver or gold tones; very defined lips and very shiny skin. One of its greatest exponents? The singer Donna Summer.


CHARACTERISTICS OF 70s MAKEUP

As you can see, given such a confluence of trends, it is complicated to establish a single reference makeup from this era, so we will give you different guidelines you can follow to recreate a makeup of the 70s more natural one or a more disco style to wear at night.

FACE

The prevailing trend on the face was to wear a tanned and bronzed skin. The use of self-tanners spread like wildfire. Both during the day and at night.

PÓMULOS

Blush was applied in just the right amount and naturally, using quite pink and nude tones. Although for night looks it was much more marked, applying it in a thick, well-defined line that went from the temples towards the cheekbone height. Earth or pink tones were the best allies to highlight the features of this area of the face.

OJOS

As the punk trend resurfaced, the style of smokey on the eyes. With it, you can define the gaze very well, lengthening and beautifying the features. You can achieve this by applying dark eyeshadows on the mobile eyelid and blending them outward, following the line from the lashes to the outer end of the eyebrow.

If you don't like applying dark tones because you think they make your eyes look smaller, apply light shadows in pink tones and finish them with a touch of shine with bright colors, silver or gold. The ideal look to be the center of attention at any party!

And if you're short on time and can't spend much time on makeup, we recommend applying another basic of 70s makeup: black eyeliner on the mobile eyelid, following the lash line. That said, always very thick.

Whichever eye makeup you choose, there is one requirement you cannot overlook if you want a seventies look in your gaze: well-defined eyelashes. Apply lots of mascara or opt to use the best friends of women in the 70s: the false eyelashes.

CEJAS

As for the eyebrows, the more thin and better plucked. Super defined and shaped slightly raised curve upwards. Since it is a very characteristic shape, you can help yourself recreate it with an eyebrow pencil; and, if you have very thick eyebrows and don't want to lose density, try brushing them very well and applying some wax-type product that leaves them completely immobile.LIPS

In 70s disco makeup, more striking and dark tones like red were indeed used, but in everyday life, it was most common to apply lipstick in lighter shades. 

That said, the key to achieving a seventies look on your lips is outline them with a much darker tone than the lipstick.

We hope these tips encourage you to recreate 70s makeup. As you can see, many of these techniques are still used today, so it won't be difficult for you to recreate them.

70s makeup conquers the new generations

The seventies have returned with unstoppable force, but this time with revolutionary techniques and products that Farrah Fawcett never imagined. The data confirms that the "Dreamy '70s" makeup is officially in the top beauty trends of 2025, led by a new generation embracing vintage glamour with modern tools.
Why this revival now? The answer lies in generational rejection of extreme minimalism. While the "clean girl" loses strength, the disco glam and natural glow from the 70s offer the bold expression that Generation Z seeks. On TikTok, the tutorials of Farrah Fawcett makeup they accumulate millions of views, with influencers like Jackie Wyers modernizing classic techniques.
The technical revolution is impressive: the bronzers under de SHEGLAM recreate the sun-kissed look with cruelty-free formulas that last 12 hours. The glittery shadows are now waterproof and photogenic, perfect for festivals and digital content. The graphic white eyeliner are achieved with precision tools that the original disco queens never had.
*Revealing fact: Searches for "70s makeup tutorial" have increased 280% in 2024, with Farrah Fawcett as the most requested reference. The strategic highlighting techniques and dimensional glossy lips dominate trends, perfectly adapting to social media aesthetics.

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