Historically Accurate: 1980s Makeup Tutorial

Travel back in time with me to the one of the BEST decades: the 1980s! I'll show you a historically accurate makeup tutorial based on the trends of the time period and also include some fun facts! :)

Missed a past era? Catch up on the entire series here:

PRODUCTS USED

Eyes
- NARS Eyeshadow Primer
- MAC Follow Your Fancy pigment
- Ben Nye Azalea pigment
- MAC Stars 'N Rockets
- MAC Electric Eel
- MAX Factor 2000 Calorie Waterproof Mascara
- Red Cherry false eyelashes #WSP

Face
- Bare Minerals Stroke of Light in Luminous #1
- LA Girl HD Concealer in Classic Ivory
- Dr. Jart BB Cream
- Rouge Bunny Rouge Highlighting Liquid in 'Sea of Clouds'
- MAC Pink Vivid pigment for blush

Lips
- Milani Pink Frost lipstick
- NYC Clear Lipgloss

Nails
- 'Glowstick' by Orly

♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥

S N A P C H A T

I N S T A G R A M

T W I T T E R

F A C E B O O K

S N A I L M A I L
P.O. Box 284
Ellenton, FL 34222

♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥

Thank YOU for watching!
XOXO!
Z

[myomadd]

I swear, in the early 2000's, I used to go to the bakery every Saturday. The head baker was almost always at the counter on Saturdays, and she looked EXACTLY like this. The hair, clothes, makeup, and all. She was in her 40's and she usually had blue and pink eyeshadow EVERYWHERE. She was 80's incarnate, despite what people said about her look, or the rapidly evolving fashion industry. She's pretty much what inspired me to be more individual in my makeup looks.

[RosieWynnn]

In the 80s, my mother told me her everyday look was a thick, purple winged liner with a peach color in the crease, electric blue mascara, a really bronzy blush, sometimes she would draw in a beauty mark, and a frosty peach lipstick with hot pink gloss in the center. She also mixed her foundation with moisturizer.

[moxyoonyx]

Primers? Matte makeup? Foundations that resemble skin? Lip glasses? Pore minimizers? Quality sponges & brushes? Kiss proof lipstick? Airbrushed makeup? Serums? Hairspray that doesn't give you helmet hair? Nail polish that isn't super thick? Uh, like no way! Our makeup quality was crap! But we rocked it the best ways we could. Thank God for cool music, John Hughes, the Cosby Show & valley girl lingo to help get us through. Thanks so much for the flashback... Its an amazing reminder just how far cosmetics have come since then. New subbie

[Annashark]

Damn I just thought when watching these. Just think in 10-20 years time if anyone makes videos of makeup history and they do the 2010's... "This make up era was heavily inspired by the Kardashians".... Oh Lord. ahah anyway I love these!

[RobinFinnell]

OK, as a teen that lived in HS through the 80s let me offer my historical perspective. I graduated in June of 87.

While we looked at all the fashion magazines with the circus colors on the eyes, most of us knew that we couldn't accomplish that ridiculous artistry with the little triangular sponges that came in the drugstore brands of Cover Girl eyeshadow. Yes, we tried on occasion, but most of us ended up with the neutrals and the "raccoon rings" of eyeliner around the eyes. You nailed the "non blend" of that circus-frosty colored look, but most of us just followed the instructions on our Maybelline eyeshadow inserts. ;)

Also, there was no eye primer at Walgreens, we simply put liquid foundation on our whole face, including our eyelids.

The 80s were very different in the early years as opposed to 1989. Your "off the shoulder" sweater style, hair and makeup was definitely 1985-86, my junior year.

My signature makeup look was wearing gold frost lipstick to de-accentuate my very thin lips and a brown or purple eyeshadow pallette to make my green eyes pop. It's very similar to what I wear today, but in a different, less sophisticated way.

[RockGirl]

This was good, but being an old eighties girl myself one critique.  You chose the Madonna look, which wasn't popular among everyday looks.  Lighter eye shadow with dark blue or black eyeliner was however.  Enjoyed it though!

[stephaniewright]

Speaking as someone who was a teenager in the 80s, some of this you got right, and some of it eh... In the 80s, eyeshadow trios became extremely popular. You'd put the medium color on your lid, the darkest on your crease, and the lightest all the way up to your brow bone. That was the most common application. We still do similar to that now, but back then we didn't really blend. Also, blush usually came as a duo. The lighter color was on your cheekbones, with the darker color underneath in the hollow - sort of like contouring is done now. And it was very angular, as you said... Blue eyeliner became popular because the thought was it made the whites of your eyes look whiter, and therefore your eyes brighter. Eyeliner was both worn under the eye and on the lower waterline. Most girls did not line the top lid. And if you wore blue liner, it was almost always with blue mascara. :-)

[Balendula]

This was more of a late 80's/youth/party look popularized by Madonna. I would love to see a more natural "babe" look such as Heather Locklear or Brooke Shields.

[shannonohearn]

I found a makeup book in my friends garage. I still have it. It has a lot of really cool, classy kind of looks from the 80s. It has everything from skin care, to eyeshadow, to how to apply blush according to your face shape. I know the bright neon colors are more fun to do but I wish someone would do a tutorial based on the more average everyday looks of that time. I like how light and blended their makeup always looks and I can never seem to replicate it. 

[vintageglam]

I'd love to see the 1970's recreated. The disco glam style and the natural boho!

[maggiemooz]

Oh my goodness...this SO brought me back to the time when my school's girl's bathroom smelled of Aquanet hairspray! And yes, I did sport teased bangs that reached the ceiling and black eyeliner only on the lower rims + cherry red Wet N' Wild lipstick back in the day :D Thanks for the throwback,

[doriandavies]

She should totally have done a new romantic 80's look! Best look of the 80's so far!

[chibilaichi]

I remember the 80s, and during that time, I was into hot pink. *Everything* had to be hot pink, from my eyes shadow (mixed with blues and purples), my lips were hot pink, my cheeks were hot pink, and even my shoelaces were hot pink (while my shoe itself was lime-green). Ah, the 80s; such a relaxed time when we didn't give a care about what society thought about us.

[AJ_]

This takes me back to my childhood. Bright colors (lots of neon), big jewelry, Aquanet hairspray and "radar dish" bangs... Wow. I honestly don't miss the fashion/makeup trends from then, but the 80s had the BEST music and movies.

[emmapampling]

I am glad I came across this video - my sister in law is holding a 1980's themed birthday party next month and this has helped me immensely! thank you! :)

[SuperPsychoterror]

There were multiple social crowds during the 80's and she did the makeup for most women who were in the "pop" crowd, hence the "Madonna" bow in her hair, etc. I was in the Headbanger/ Metal crowd and they still had the big hair but their makeup was a little more conservative (Less eyeshadow, more eyeliner) and not borderline circus. 

Great video and spot on for the women who were in the pop social circle.

[Sunscorched]

In 80's UK, peach was *the* colour to have! Clothes, makeup, accessories... Peach, peach, peach LOL

[tammyeaton]

I graduated from high school in 1989. I MISS the 80s!!! I was glad to see colors vs. the DRAB(I was 9 in 1980) combos of toffee, brown and gold. I also had light blue, cobalt blue, raspberry mauve, and banana yellow mascaras. FUN!!! L’Oréal had an opalescent pink lip gloss in pots that was the consistency of motor oil!!!

[jacquihida]

Wow, I did this make up tonight for an 80’s themed disco! I loved it! And got complimented by a young woman who was also a make up artist! Thanks for a great tutorial.

[sherrywilson]

That was, like, TOTALLY AWESOME! I WAS A TEENAGER IN THE '80'S. Imagine having to unlearn all that when I got older! lol! Loved this stroll down memory lane. Thanks!