The history of makeup has always fascinated me—how trends evolved from pencil-thin brows to a more bushy look (and then back again), or from ultra-glossy to flat matte lips.
Here, I recreated three looks from three different eras: the 80s, 90s, and early 2000s. Components from each look can definitely be toned down, or taken away altogether, for a more wearable effect, but sometimes it’s fun to go all out! They’re perfect for a themed party or just a day you feel like paying homage to past beauty icons.
80s Glam
The first look I created was inspired by 80s glam rock, with a nod to Cyndi Lauper. Each look begins with the same base: concealer, foundation, powder, mascara, and brow gel. After applying my base, I used a shimmery teal shadow from my Elf Spotlight Ready Kit. I applied this shadow all over the lid using a flat brush, dampened for extra intensity. I then swept two shimmery purples through the crease with a fluffy brush, and winged out the shadow at my outer corners. Don’t worry about getting a perfect shadow wing, you can always fix it later with concealer. I also added a wash of dark blue on the outer corner. Next, I took the darker of the purples and smudged it along my lower lashline. To add dimension, I then added a light layer of silver shadow over the teal on my lid. I highlighted my browbone and inner corner with the same silver. To finish the eyes, I used a damp angled brush and a mix of dark blue and teal shadows to create a winged liner, separating the purple in my crease and outer corner from the purple on my lower lashline.
For the rest of the face, I went all out with the 80s blush contouring. I contoured my cheekbones the same way I normally would, but used a mixture of a matte pink blush and a shimmery maroon shadow from my Elf kit. I then applied Maybelline Vivid Matte Liquid Lipstick in Berry Boost on the lips for a bright pop of color!
90s Supermodel
While I am by no means Cindy Crawford, I can emulate her classic 90s brown smoky eye and matching lip. Here, I used my Urban Decay Gwen Stefani Palette on the eyes. (This palette is no longer available, but any neutral browns will do.) Starting with the same base, I applied a matte peach shade all over the lid, making sure to really pack it on. I then mixed a light, cool-toned brown with a slightly deeper, warmer brown, and swirled both shades through the crease and outer corner. For extra intensity, I mixed the warm brown with a deep plummy brown and added that to the outer corners as well. I finished the look by highlighting the inner corner and browbone with a matte cream shade from the Urban Decay Naked 2 palette.
The rest of the face was very simple—peach blush from my Elf palette, and a peachy-brown lip courtesy of Buxom Wildly Whipped Soft Matte Lip Color in Centerfold. Any brown or mauve lipcolor will do.
2000s Pop Star
I am living for the current resurgence of certain early 2000s beauty trends and glossy lips have been my go-to ever since I first started dabbling in makeup. After the base, it was time to go wild with glitter and shimmer. I mixed two silver shades from my Elf palette, and used my finger to swipe them on all over the lid, and slightly above the crease. I topped the shadow with NYX Liquid Crystal Liner in Crystal Silver. I then highlighted my inner corners with a shimmery lavender from the Elf palette, rimmed my upper and lower lash lines with black eyeliner, and called it a day.
For the cheeks, I highlighted the tops of my cheekbones with more of the silver glitter liner, and topped my apples with a rosy pink blush from the Elf palette. For the lips, you can either go concealer-nude with gloss on top or do a baby pink look like me. I swiped on Maybelline Baby Lips in Pink Punch and topped that off with an obscene amount of the new Maybelline Shine Shot Prismatic Lip Topcoat in 02—a clear, iridescent gloss with lots of glitter.
by Ariel Wodarcyk