neutral lip color tones were a popular look. In 1987...you couldn't escape dark eyeliner paired with bright eyeshadow and bold lips.
Fuschia, Rose, and wine colored lipsticks were popular, most were frosted. Any blue, purple, or pink eyeshadow will do. I wore a Covergirl quartet eyeshadow set that was more earth toned (frosted gray, rust, lavender, and pink pearl) with Teal eyeliner almost the entire decade. Many wore a Smokey eye for daywear.
During the 1920s, the "looks" of the Hollywood movie star began encouraging women to wear makeup. This caused the beauty industry to flourish and makeup began to be sold to the masses (and continues to in the present-day).
Using a foundation one or two shades lighter than your natural skin colour was one of the first steps to achieving a perfect eighties look. Concealer was used to unify the tone in those areas with imperfections on your face and finish with a thin layer of translucent powder for the best unified looks.
These days, our auras are colorful, and our vibe is bright. That's perfect for the latest trend, new wave makeup, though it's worth noting that it's less of a newcomer trend and more of an evolution of past looks. “New wave makeup is inspired by makeup from the 1980s,” explains Miami makeup artist Natalie Dresher.
For lipstick, hot pink and fuschia were among the most popular hues of the decade—the more pigmented, the better. Classic red lipstick also enjoyed a renaissance during the '80s, thanks to some of the era's most popular musicians and tastemakers.
Though cosmetics were used discreetly by many women, makeup in Western cultures during this time was generally frowned upon, particularly during the 1870s, when Western social etiquette increased in rigidity.
A number of bags were popular in the 1980s, including belt bags made of a variety of materials. Some designer handbags carried by celebrities of the era include the Hermès Birkin, Louis Vuitton Bucket Bag, the Chanel Gold Chain Classic Flap and various Prada nylon bags.
Whether you wanted bold red, frosted pink, or metallic mauve, there were a variety of options to match your style. Lip liner was common, used in a slightly darker shade than the lipstick color to create a solid outline.
Tube of Ancient Red Lipstick Unearthed in Iran. Researchers say that a small vial of deep red paste found in Iran's Jiroft region is likely an ancient tube of lipstick. The mineral mixture, housed in a decorated stone tube, could be nearly 4,000 years old, making it among the earliest ever discovered.
Historically, makeup was never something associated with gender in the first place. In Ancient Egypt, for example, the use of eyeliner and other cosmetics was a sign of wealth—usually one that men donned to signal their status to passerby's and strangers.
A: A classic 90s makeup look often features thinly plucked eyebrows, matte brown or mauve lipstick with visible dark lip liner, frosted eyeshadow, and matte foundation. The eyes often had smudged black or brown liner, while cheeks remained neutral with minimal blush.
Velour, velvet, and polyester were popular fabrics used in clothes, especially button-up and v shirts. Looser pants remained popular during this time, being fairly wide but straight, and tighter shirts were especially popular, sometimes in a cropped athletic style.
Take a look back at a few of the many styles of women's shoes from the '80s, including spike heels, wedges, flats, pumps, penny loafers, moccasins and boat shoes, just to name a few!
JEWELRY STYLES
As the decade opened, the focus in jewelry was on gold and diamonds. Thin gold chains were worn in multiples as bracelets and, in various lengths, as necklaces, often with gold charms and small gem-set pendants.
Of many colorful makeup trends, blue eyeshadow is one that truly reigned supreme and is emblematic of the '80s. Back in the day, bright baby blue shades were opaquely swiped across the lid for an almost pop art-esque aesthetic.
By the late-80s and early-90s the New York hip hop and streetwear scene had caught on, and puffers, bubble coats and padded varsity jackets were worn by skaters and rappers, including Tupac, P Diddy (aka Puffy) and Salt-n-Pepa.
Neon Hues and Bold Eyes:
One of the defining characteristics of '80s makeup was its fearless use of color. Neon hues dominated eyeshadow palettes, with shades of electric blue, hot pink, and vibrant purple adorning eyelids with unapologetic boldness.
Ray-Ban® Wayfarer™ sunglasses were the height of fashion in the 80s after Tom Cruise famously donned a pair in the hit movie Risky Business. They also featured in other popular Hollywood films like The Blues Brothers and Ferris Bueller's Day Off.
Fashion in the 1980s was bold, fearless, and simply unforgettable. From the gritty underground punk scene to the colorful leg warmers and neon colors of the aerobics lifestyle to oversized blazers with epic shoulder pads, we're constantly seeing the influence of '80s trends in today's fashion.
The modern version made from nylon and other synthetic materials came into use in the 1980s and they were especially en vogue in the 1990s, but gradually their popularity fell into decline by the mid-2000s. Their use was satirised by the American humorist Weird Al Yankovic in his song "White & Nerdy".
Despite historical precedent that the opposite should be the case, makeup sales are beginning to decline. Data from NIQ shows that total makeup sales dropped 1 percent from January through October 2024, with the downturn accelerating particularly during the last 12 weeks of that period.
Chalk and white lead pigment for whitening the face. Wine dregs to color the lips. Kohl was the primary material for eye makeup, which had been popular for centuries in ancient Egypt.
4,000-year-old lipstick discovered in Iran believed to be the world's oldest: Study. The Bronze Age artifact is carbon dated between 1936 B.C. and 1687 B.C.