Just like fashion trends, makeup fads come and go over years and sometimes evolving into something better. As society has changed so has the ideal face of makeup. Whereas before trends moved slowly and were influenced by the glamour of film starlets, political factors and innovations of the time. Now we’ve entered an era where social media Influencers, fashion runways, movies and other forms of media give birth to new creative trends daily. But just like fashion, old beauty trends continue inspiring others to this day in some form or another and make their return every few years or so.
We love nothing more than gathering inspiration from the past beauty looks and reinventing them for the modern-day. From the flushed cheeks of the ‘30s or the supermodel looks of the ‘90s here’s a look at the retro makeup trends that have made their way back in style and some that continue to be prevalent classics.
Scroll below to check out vintage makeup looks that are on-trend right now:
1. Heavy Blush
In the early ‘30s, women loved a flushed healthy look as rouge became more popular. Along with this came the blush contouring technique that was used to accentuate their features. Now while many prefer to go more subtle with their blush it’s actually very trendy to go a bit more heavy-handed and opt for a modern monochrome look. When done well, you can achieve an absolutely stunning glowy look for spring and summer.
2. Simple Smokey Eye
Before we got the intense smokey eyes we all know and love today, women in the ‘30s opted for more simple looks. Most of these looks were always sans drama or a winged liner. While a dramatic winged liner is always a classic a pulled back soft smokey eye and just a touch of mascara looks good on everyone no matter the season or decade.
3. Red Lips
Nobody can fault a great red lip, they’ve been an ultimate classic statement throughout the years. First rising to popularity in the 40s and 50s with winged liner, red lips have been around for aeons for a good reason. Whether you pick a matte, gloss or tint you can always find a red to flatter your face.
4. Exaggerated Eyes
You know those cut-crease looks you’ve been seeing everywhere? You can thank ‘60s icon Twiggy for that! While recently you might associate it with beauty YouTubers, ‘60s celebs were rocking these looks decades ago. We can thank Twiggy and others for the long spidery lashes paired with the cut-crease that involved drawing a distinct line across the crease of their eyelid. Typically paired with winged black eyeliner and completed with more eyeliner and mascara on the lower lash line. All this worked to make your eyes look wider and more open. Makeup from this era was all about the eyes with bare lips and little colour elsewhere.
5. Naturally Sun-Kissed
With many women’s liberation movements happening in the ‘70s many opted for barely-there or natural makeup looks. It was all about the glowing skin and enhancing their natural features with highlights and lip gloss. Today this vintage look is reflected in the fresh no-makeup looks that make it seem like you got a full nights rest and woke up like this.
6. Graphic Liner
On the flip side, the ‘70s also had moments of experimentation, especially with the punk-rock movement. Bold eyeliners were the rage and the graphic eyeliner looks that were super popular then are back in style with a new burst of creativity.
7. Bright Eyeshadow
The ’80s are known as the decade of bright and colourful even neon fashion choices. This included bright makeup looks too, namely bold eyeshadows. Neon pinks, purples, blues, turquoise and oranges all were particularly popular which is exactly what we see today. There’s no limit to what you can or can’t do anymore.
8. Warm Nude Lipstick
While the ’80s were all about excess, the ‘90s flipped it and reversed it in terms of makeup trends. Everything from foundations, eyeshadows and blushes and lipsticks were all about being more subtle and neutral. But what truly marked the decade was influential supermodels like Kate Moss and Naomi Campbell who rocked chic nude lips with warm brown tones. It was the shade of the decade that we still love today.
Which vintage makeup trend do you wish would make a comeback? Let me know in the comments below.
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