Makeup in the 80’s…yes, girls wore a lot of it because after all didn’t girls just wanna have fun? Let’s face it, if you wore makeup in the 80’s it was common to layer it on pretty thick. The more color you added the better. Pop icons like Cyndi Lauper, Madonna, and even Boy George helped pave the way to the art of not only wearing makeup but inspired everyone to take their makeup application skills to the next level. Let’s take a look back at some of the more popular trends.

Neon Blue Eyeshadow

Breaking out the neon eyeshadow palette meant serious business when it came to makeup in the 80’s. TV shows helped influence fans and their selection in makeup. Plenty of contoured eye shadow, heavy blush, and a ton of glossy red lipstick were seen from the classroom to the boardroom. There was nothing subtle about wearing makeup in the 80’s.

Sunny Shades

This makeup trend gave way to a sun-kissed more natural glow. Many used Coral lipstick, shimmery-gold eyeshadow, and bronzer to achieve this look. Think Christie Brinkley and the tanning salon.

Cat Eyes

The sexy cat eye look was an 80’s trend that had every woman looking smokin’ hot. Even though this trend was popular decades ago, it continues to be a bold go-to evening look today. To achieve this look it was all about knowing how to blend the colors well with a makeup brush.

Rocker Eye/Pink or Red Lip Combo

The dark, rocker eyes may have resembled a raccoon but it was the splash of pink or red lipstick that made this a fun look in the 80’s. Let’s face it, this look made everyone look like they were ready to debut on MTV.

Strong Blush

Blush was one of the more recognizable aspects of makeup in the 80’s. Blush was applied generously. It was important to contour with bright pinks, bronze, coral or red blush as it helped make your cheeks pop.

Natural Eyebrows

Does anyone recall the conversations women had about eyebrows back in the 80’s. Thanks to icons like Brooke Shields, it was okay to rock a heavy, more natural-looking brow. It wasn’t until the 90’s that we were all forced to tweeze our eyebrows to within an inch of their lives.

Color Clash Eye Makeup

Contrast and chromatic clashes were extremely popular in the 80’s. It was okay for women to use strong, saturated colors for their eye makeup. To recreate this 80’s makeup style, line your eyes with a black eye pencil and then work through the lids up to the eyebrows using pigmented colors like fuchsia, electric blue, orange, green or purple. Finish the look with a touch of eyeliner and mascara sometimes in teal, bright blue, or even purple.

Now that we’ve revisited the 80’s makeup trends, I know you are dying to channel your inner 80’s makeup artist. Go ahead, get creative and bring some color back into your makeup palette and have fun creating a new eccentric look for yourself. It’s okay to mix it up a little…after all, we are trying to bring back the 80’s. Good news is, Halloween is just around the corner if you aren’t comfortable rocking your 80’s makeup style year-round. Hmmm… is anyone else feeling like an 80’s style Halloween theme party is in the making?