80s makeup: history and trends

80s makeup was bold and unapologetic: full-coverage foundation, strong blush swept up towards the temples, bright eyeshadow (blue, fuchsia, green, purple), plenty of eyeliner and mascara, intense lips and thick, natural brows. The point was for the makeup to be seen, not hidden.

In this article we look at how women did their makeup in the 1980s, where the look came from, who made it famous and how to wear an 80s makeup look today without it feeling like fancy dress.

The history of 1980s makeup

After the disco shimmer and earthy tones of the 70s, the 80s arrived with more colour and more volume in everything: clothes, hair and faces. It was the decade of music television, aerobics, women moving into management roles and urban subcultures. Each of those worlds had its own way of doing makeup, but they all shared one idea: makeup was a form of self-expression and it had to show.

Music videos put made-up faces into millions of homes, and beauty magazines started suggesting complete looks, from base to nails, in colours that had only been seen on stage before. Makeup products changed too: more eyeshadow shades, coloured pencils, coloured mascaras and highly pigmented powder blushes. That is why, when people think of 80s beauty, the first thing that comes to mind is a face full of colour.

Key features of 80s makeup

If you are wondering what real 80s makeup looked like, these are the elements that appeared in almost every look of the decade.

Full-coverage, matte skin

Foundation was applied with plenty of coverage, often a shade lighter than the skin, and set with powder for a matte finish. Nobody was after today's "no-makeup" glow: the face was an even canvas for colour.

Strong blush

Blush is probably the most recognisable part of 1980s makeup. It came in hot pink, coral or plum, applied in a diagonal stripe from the centre of the cheek up to the temple. Rather than a natural flush, it was used to sculpt the face and define the cheekbones.

Colourful eyeshadow

Electric blue, turquoise, green, fuchsia, purple or orange: 80s eyeshadow was fearless. The usual approach was to blend two or three colours, sometimes covering the whole lid up to the brow, and it was very common to add colour along the lower lash line as well. Bright green and blue became the decade's signature eyeshadow shades.

Eyeliner and lashes

Black or coloured pencil went along the waterline and under the eye with a smudged finish. Lashes were loaded with mascara top and bottom, and blue or purple mascara was a common sight. The boldest looks added false lashes.

Intense lips

Reds, fuchsias, corals and cool pinks with a glossy or satin finish. Lips were often lined with a pencil slightly darker than the lipstick. In darker styles (new wave and goth), wine shades and near-black browns were also popular.

Thick, natural brows

After the thin brows of the 70s, eyebrows grew in the 80s. They were full, straight or gently arched and brushed upwards. That fluffy brow is very much back today.

Coloured nails

Nails finished the look: long, painted red, fuchsia or neon, and sometimes matched to the eyeshadow.

80s makeup styles

There was no single 80s makeup look. Each cultural movement had its own:

• Power dressing: the executive woman in a shoulder-padded suit wore polished makeup, with a matte base, defined blush and red or hot-pink lips.
• New wave and punk: dark, smoky eyes, graphic eyeliner, pale skin and dark lips, plus colourful eyeshadow in geometric shapes.
• Pop and glam: the most colourful of all. Bright eyeshadow in two or three shades, striped blush, fuchsia lips and lots of shine.
• Hip hop: lips lined in brown or wine tones, defined brows and more radiant skin, worn with big hoop earrings.

80s makeup icons

Much of the 80s look spread through music, film and magazine covers. These are some of the faces that shaped how a generation did their makeup:

Madonna

Dark, full brows, red or fuchsia lips, black eyeliner and a drawn-on beauty spot. Her early-80s makeup was copied all over the world, along with the lace, hair bows and stacked bracelets.

Cyndi Lauper

Maximalism in person: multicoloured eyeshadow up to the brow, fuchsia blush and hair dyed in impossible shades. The perfect reference for an 80s party look.

Grace Jones

Graphic, sculptural makeup: metallic eyeshadow, sharply defined cheekbones and glossy lips, always with a runway, art-piece feel.

Boy George

One of the big names of the new romantic movement, proof that in the 80s makeup was for men too: very even skin, drawn brows, coloured eyeshadow and defined lips.

Diana, Princess of Wales

The decade's most classic version: blue eyeliner or kohl on the waterline, rosy blush and pink lips. Simple makeup that is still very 80s.

Brooke Shields

Her thick, natural, unplucked brows became the model to follow and explain why full brows are a hallmark of 80s makeup.

How to wear 80s makeup today

To recreate 80s makeup without looking like you have just left a costume party, pick one star feature and tone down the rest. These steps work both for everyday wear and for a themed party:

1. Skin: use a light or medium-coverage base and set only the T-zone. Skin that is a little more radiant than in the 80s makes the colour look current.
2. Blush: apply it from the centre of the cheek towards the temple, as they did back then, but blended out. A cream texture you work in with your fingers is easier than powder. A blush stick in Vamp or Spice gives you that intense 80s flush and, since it also works on lips and eyelids, lets you wear the whole look in one shade, just like back then. It is water-resistant, vegan and fragrance-free.
3. Eyes: choose one colour (blue, green or fuchsia) and wear it on the lid or just along the lower lash line. Add plenty of mascara.
4. Brows: brush them upwards and fill any gaps with fine strokes, without drawing a rigid shape.
5. Lips: if your eyes are colourful, keep lips softer; if you want an intense red or fuchsia, tone the eyes down.
6. Glow: finish with a highlighter stick on the top of the cheekbones. Its fine pearly sheen, with no chunky glitter, nods to the shiny 80s finish without overdoing it.

For more textures and shades to complete the look, you will find all the divain Care makeup in one place.

80s hair and makeup: hairstyles and fashion

80s makeup only makes sense alongside the hair and clothes that went with it. Hairstyles had volume everywhere: curly perms, teased fringes fixed with hairspray, side ponytails, mullets and asymmetric cuts. Accessories (headbands, bows, fabric scrunchies) were part of the look.

In fashion, shoulder pads, power suits, shiny leggings, acid-wash jeans, aerobics leotards and big earrings completed the style. If you are getting ready for an 80s party, big hair, strong blush and one bright eyeshadow are enough for anyone to recognise the decade instantly.

Frequently asked questions

What was 80s makeup like?

Bold and very visible: full-coverage matte foundation, strong blush from the cheek up to the temple, bright eyeshadow in blue, green or fuchsia, eyeliner and lots of mascara, red or fuchsia lips and thick, natural brows.

What eyeshadow colours were popular in the 80s?

The most typical were electric blue, turquoise, green, fuchsia and purple. Two or three shades were blended together and colour was often worn along the lower lash line too.

Did men wear makeup in the 80s?

Yes, especially in music. The new romantic, new wave and glam movements made it popular for men to wear eyeliner, coloured eyeshadow, even skin and defined lips, with Boy George as one of the best-known examples.

How do you do 80s makeup for a party?

Sweep blush in a stripe from the centre of the cheek towards the temple, pick a bright eyeshadow for the lid or lower lash line, load up on mascara, brush your brows upwards and finish with fuchsia or red lips. Big hair completes the look.

What hairstyles went with 80s makeup?

Curly perms, teased fringes set with hairspray, side ponytails, mullets and asymmetric cuts, almost always with plenty of volume and finished with headbands, bows or fabric scrunchies.