Makeup is just as important as fashion. According to Place (254), women in the 1980s began displaying individuality, experimentation, and nostalgia. However, with these experimentations came the risk of wearing too-hard-edged and artificial looks” (Astley, 468). Makeup bases became monochromatic with peachy pinks while bold eye colors and richly hued lipsticks became more playful. This created an illusion of beautiful, healthy skin but also looked like a mask on women’s faces. The emphasis was on glowing pinkish skin that appeared well-cared for. Additionally, during the retro era of the 80s colorful trends caught women’s attention.
In the 90s, makeup trends preferred luminous skin and yellow-based foundations for a more natural look compared to the peachy-pink tones of the 80s. Multipurpose products were also hitting the market, with blushes doubling as eye shadows and tinted moisturizers serving as foundation.
The counterattack against matte finish was in full effect all over the place, with the preferred look being glowing rosy cheeks, dewy skin, and glossy lips and lids” (Astley, 468). While the 90s look had a similar post-shower shimmer, innovations in the makeup industry can now deliver a luminous and fresh glow.
We have had the so-called natural look for a while, but it has always been achieved with quite a lot of makeup and a matte texture. Now, there is enough confidence to bare the skin, let it show, and let it shine. After all, skin is not naturally matte,” says makeup artist Linda Cantello (Astley, 468).
The trend in makeup has undergone a revolutionary change over the past decade, resulting in groundbreaking maquillage that complements the daring look of contemporary fashion.
One of the makeup trends in the 1980s was to achieve a perfect, flawless, and smooth face while still maintaining a natural look. However, applying too much foundation created a mask-like effect that covered pores and prevented the skin from breathing.
Foundation makeup is used to improve the appearance of complexion by blending skin tones, covering blemishes, and creating a smooth, healthy glow. The goal is to create a smooth illusion of the face, make pores less visible, and even out the color of the skin. Foundation also hides flaws such as dark under-eye circles, redness, and pimple scars. In the 80s, different foundation formulas were already available including cream, liquid, stick and cake foundation.
During the 80s, makeup style featured matte foundation coverage. The technique used for face makeup was layering of foundation and powder. After applying the foundation, whether it was a cream or liquid type, loose powder was used to set it in place.
The layering of foundation can achieve a dramatic look, which was a popular trend in the 80s. To achieve this glam look, it is important to have perfect skin without any shine. Layering also helps the foundation stay in place for hours without needing to be retouched.
Base makeup and foundation transformed matte skin into a luminous, highlighted, and dewy finish in the 90s. According to Conway (353), natural skin tones with a very natural finish were fashionable during this decade.
Lip color refers to both lipsticks and glosses, which add color to the lips while protecting against issues such as dryness and chapping. They can also be used to enhance or correct the shape of one’s lips for a more balanced appearance. In the 80s, bold lip colors were popular among women, with fashion often matching the chosen lip color.
Lip shades during the 80s were intense and rich. The newest pink was raspberry, and the newest orange was coral. True red was always a classic. Matte lip colors dominated over glosses because they provided pure pigment to the lips, although they could be drying. Matte lipsticks were longer lasting than glosses because they adhered better to the lips. In addition to the matte lipstick trend, lip liners also gained their spotlight in the 80s as a base for matte lipsticks and for drawing the shape of lips after applying lipstick.
Lips were the focus of beauty trends during the 90s makeup era due to the variety of textures and types of lipsticks available in the market. These ranged from cream, satin, shimmery, and frosted. New formulations included special moisturizers such as shea butter, which was a featured ingredient in mid-90s makeup and skin preparations (Chalfin, 16). Shea butter was added to lipsticks to prevent chapping and drying of lips even if the lipstick had a matte finish. Lipstick shades in the 90s varied from strong and juicy colors like caramel, burgundy, and berry to wild pinks and violets like fuchsia, lavender, and orchid. Daring colors were already being applied for everyday makeup. Brown-based shades were used for women with fuller lips while glosses were used for women with thinner lips. The advent of glosses was favored over matte lipsticks since they hydrate and moisturize the lips better. Shimmery lipsticks and frosted lipsticks gained popularity among women during this time.
Advanced technology has been used to manufacture lipsticks that contain more emollients, emulsifiers, colorants, preservatives, and binders. Eye makeup is available in a wide range of colors from pastels to deeper shades and tints of blue, gray, green, brown, beige, purple. Eye shadows add color and personality to the face while also sharpening or softening the eyeball and creating an illusion of depth or bringing out deep-set eyes. The prevailing formulation for eye shadows in the 80s was powder-based.
Eyes were the focal point of beauty in the 80s. According to The Soft, Sexy Look of Spring” (257), canary yellow, purple, and various shades of green ranging from khaki to moss were popular retro looks. The jewel-tones that dominated the 80s have now been replaced with softer colors such as turquoise for blue, taupe for brown, and soft gray instead of black. Pink is also considered a neutral color that provides a warm contrast to these soft shades. Eye shadows now come in palettes featuring artful mixtures of neutral tones with occasional vivid color accents.
When applied to the lids, eye color or shadow compliments the eyes by making them appear brighter and more expressive. Eye colors can match the color of the eyes or be lighter or darker. Eye makeup colors may match or coordinate with a woman’s clothing color as desired.
Eye shadows in the 80s were concentrated with mica, a highly reflective mineral that gives sheen and brightness to eye colors. Mica was used to achieve a shiny and iridescent bold eye color that would grab the attention of the crowd. In the 90s, the trend in eye makeup shifted to creating a subtler wash of color using soft neutrals and earth shades with less noticeable iridescence and more glossy finish.
Eyeliners are used to create a line on the eyelid close to the lashes, making the eyes appear larger and the lashes fuller. They come in different colors and forms. In the 80s, thick black eyeliners were one of the most popular trends.
Thick black eyeliners were paired with several coats of black mascara to emphasize the eyes. Black mascara was also layered, producing a clumpy and spidery effect. In the 90s, companies created mascaras for different kinds of lashes: volumizing for thin lashes, lengthening for short lashes, curling for a speedy makeup routine, and colored for a change of look. The most popular trend in the 90s was curling the lashes and foregoing the black clumpy and spidery look of mascara which can add years to your present look or using a colored mascara.
Cheeks look best natural, dusted with just a hint of color. Powder blushers add color to the face and give more dimension to the cheekbones. Blushers also harmonize the balance between eye makeup and lipstick. In the 80s, pressed powder blushers were popular. They are similar to face powder formulations but use a greater range of color pigments.
In the 90s, different formulations emerged such as cream, gel, and liquid blushers. The trend focused on long-lasting effects for rosy cheeks depending on skin type and which formulation is best suited. According to Conway (353), Liquid blush became popular in the 90s.
The makeup trend of the 80s was all about extremes, with unique and attention-grabbing makeup becoming popular as women became more aware of using cosmetics to enhance their facial features. This was in stark contrast to the 90s makeup trend, which focused on subtle, elegant color blending that accentuated natural features without overpowering them. Women aimed to look like themselves and avoid looking overly made up. These were the major trends in the cosmetics industry during both decades.
References:
- Astley, Amy Taran. “Change of Face.” Vogue Magazine, September 1993, p. 468.
- Chalfin, Brenda. Shea Butter Republic: An Indigenous Commodity Goes Global. UK: Routledge, 2004.
- Conway, Julia. Makeup Artistry. New Hampshire: Harcourt Heinemann, 2004.
- Place, Stan. The Art & Science of Professional Makeup. Kentucky: Thomson Delmar Learning, 1989.
- The Soft, Sexy Look of Spring. Glamour Magazine April 1988: p.257.
