Gimme! Gimme! Gimme!
As a decade of extremes, the ‘70s delivered the barest of minimums or the total maximum — especially when it came to makeup.
In need of a party look that’ll turn all eyes on you? Or you just want to upgrade your daily makeup routine? Let these 25 funky ‘70s makeup looks inspire you!
1. Priscilla Presley Doe-Eyes
Bold eyeliner for sultry glances and white pencil that makes the eyes appear bigger. This balanced look is great for day and night makeup — Priscilla proved it.
2. Bushy Brows
Even though a number of people were still fans of the ultra thin eyebrow look, the natural look of the bushy eyebrows took over the scene quickly. The fact that it’s modern even today speaks for itself.
3. Orange Makeup
Monochromatic makeup looks weren’t unusual in the ‘70s. A popular one was orange or peach makeup, worn famously by Lauren Hutton. The key is to color-coordinate your eye shadow, blush and glossy lips.
4. Twiggy’s Signature Look
Twiggy’s iconic signature look consisting of pastel eyeshadows, feathery eyelashes, rosy cheeks and soft pink lips was another one of the ruling trends of the ‘70s. Adding a liner cut crease to a pastel base like in the photo above will make the look more dramatic.
5. Sculpted Cheeks
Since the ‘70s were all about creating dramatic eye-catching looks, sculpted cheeks were sought after, too. Contour your cheekbones, then make them stand out using blush in an orange or pink shade.
6. Bold Graphic Eyeliner
Besides eyeshadows, eyeliner was another product that could be found in any purse. Combining two or more bold and bright colors — preferably complementary ones — will make your eyes pop!
7. Glossed Lips
The Jane Birkin French-girl look was the girly-girl makeup style of the 70s. This look is very coquettish and it accentuates natural beauty and feminine features: minimal amounts of blush and mascara and a clear lip gloss that has a volumizing effect.
8. Cher’s Purple Shimmer
When Cher stepped out at the 1974 Grammys with iridescent purple eyeshadow, she stole the show — and you can too if you copy her look.
9. Maneater Eyeliner
The ‘70s had a look for everyone — there was even a version of today’s baddie. Back in the day, it was known as Charlie’s Angels signature look, featuring razor-sharp foxy eyeliner. A real maneater indeed!
10. Dewy Foundation
If you want to rock it like they did in the ‘70s, then the first thing you can do is throw away your compact powder and get yourself a water-based foundation. Get dewy looking skin with a natural glow and a youthful look.
11. Dancing Queen Eyes
I can’t talk about the disco era without mentioning at least one look that paid homage to it. Sparkly eyeshadow applied all the way up to the brow bone and under the lower lashes is the perfect look for when the Saturday night fever hits!
12. Statement Lower Lashes
Super-lashy look that usually calls for the use of false lashes (or some good mascara) was sported by many icons, Diana Ross included.
13. Underlined Eyes
Bold colors are a must when you want to create a ‘70s makeup look, but they don’t have to go on your lids. Play around and try underlining your eyes with a bright eyeshadow; combine that with a bold eyeliner or put some false lower lashes. You can even do both — like they did back then!
14. Metallic Eyeshadow
While shimmery and glitter eyeshadows reminiscent of disco balls are one way to go, a metallic, futuristic look is another bold trend to try. It will certainly draw attention to your eyes in the crowd of the club.
15. Bare Skin
The no-makeup makeup existed way before the term was coined, and one of the ‘70s stars who loved it was Ali MacGraw. Focus on quality skincare: keep it hydrated and nourished, and if you have blemishes; use light foundation and a concealer to achieve natural makeup look.
16. Blue Eyeshadow
Pastel, shimmery and light; or bright, metallic and heavy — blue eyeshadow was one of the most recognizable disco looks. It was a favorite of the dancing queen, Agnetha Fältskog, too.
17. Statement Red Lips
Jerry Hall is among women famous for favoring bright red lipstick back in the day. If you want to go ‘70s all the way, pair your favorite shade of red lipstick with thick eyelashes, smokey eye and winged eyeliner.
18. Cut Crease Eyeliner
The cut crease look is achieved by applying light and shimmery eyeshadows first. Then you simply ‘cut’ across the base using thick black eyeliner — technique that has been back for some time now. Nude lipstick and rosy cheeks complement this look that’s all about eyes.
19. Smokey Eye
Misty and well-blended are the synonyms of the look that was popularized by Donna Summer. Need more? Check out these smokey eye ideas and get inspired.
20. Bronzed Skin
The surfer look that began in the mid ‘60s with Sports Illustrated and tanned models reached its peak in the ‘70s. Nowadays you can get it with less fuss: all you need to achieve the Farrah Fawcett sun-kissed makeup look is a nice shade of bronzer and some fake tan you can buy in any beauty store.
21. Mix And Match
Sheer pastel eyeshadow and dark bold lip — another ‘70s staple look that proves there was a balance between girly-girl and maneater looks after all.
22. Rosy Cheeks
Blush was a must-have makeup product in the ‘70s. If you’re not a fan of sun-kissed skin and orange blush, then rosy cheeks is what you’re after. Don’t be afraid to apply a generous amount of blush: the doll-look is your goal.
23. Biba Look
Biba look, named after the fashion label Biba, essentially revolves around a distinctively rich and dramatic color palette reminiscent of ‘30s tea parties.
24. Soft Pink Lips
Baby pink ruled the ‘50s, and ‘80s were all about neon. The perfect balance was achieved in the ‘70s, with soft, rose-petal pink. It goes great with all skin tones and freshens up the complexion.
25. Freckles
It’s pretty clear now that the ‘70s were mostly about two extremes: either you go over the top with makeup, or you stick to the bare minimum. Bare skin or the no-makeup makeup look were among the trends and those graced with freckles could proudly show them off. If you’re not one of them, you can add faux freckles using makeup that will give you a cute girl-next-door vibe.