1980's Historical & Modern...

The 80’s saw a diverse range of styles and trends with hair and makeup from the dramatic bold eyeliner worn by Siouxsie Sioux to the more subtle, pastel shades that Brooke Shields wore, with many more in-between. When it came to hair, bigger was always better. Both men and women would curl, tease and crimp their hair in order to achieve the most voluminous look possible. In this blog post I am going to dig deeper into the trends, fashions,  styles, icons and products of one of the most recognisable eras for hair and makeup...

The Style... 

The 80’s was a time of experimentation when it came to makeup therefore people began using it as a way to express themselves. Makeup was worn by both men and women and the androgynous look seen on icons such as Boy George and David Bowie became popular amongst society. New colour combinations and bright shades were common in this era as people took inspiration from those in the public eye such as Madonna and Cindie Lauper. This was a time where everybody was creating unique, unnatural looks therefore makeup was sometimes applied to create different shapes and patterns on the face. Neon shades of blue, pink, green, yellow and orange were some of the most popular colours seen within looks during this time. The lips were also usually bright as people loved to apply pink, red and orange lipsticks, however towards the end of the 80’s darker colours such as burgandy became more fashionable.

Brands & Products...

Dior, Avon, Estee Lauder, Miss Selfridge and Maxfactor were all popular makeup brands throughout the 80's however Maybelline seemed to be the most successful with their range of eyeshadow and blush shades.  People bought hair products from the brands Salon Selectives, Finesse, Aussie and Wella Balsam, some of these products are still being bought and used to this day!

Noxzema the Original Deep Cleansing Cream was possibly the most popular skin product of the 80’s. This cream was the solution to having the clearest, acne-free skin as it both cleaned and moisturised, leaving the skin feeling soft rather than tight and dry. 

Maybelline Eyeshadow Palettes were modelled by Madonna but worn by everyone throughout the 80’s. Maybelline was known for creating the biggest range of eyeshadow shades imaginable which were included in their mini palettes. 

                                                            

Maybelline Brush/Blush came in a range of different shades to suit the different skin tones and was owned by every makeup lover in the 80’s. Everyone wanted to get their hands on this product as this era was mad for blush with everyone applying it very heavily to create the rosiest cheeks possible. 

                                                          

With everybody wanting the most voluminous hair possible, the Aqua Net hairspray was very popular. The super-stay hairspray meant the hair would stay in place all day after it had been styled. This was a must-have in the 80’s in order to give the hair as much height as possible for as long as possible. 

                                                      

The Conair Crimping Iron was the go-to styling tool for those looking to have the boldest of hairstyles. This product had the option of 5 different styling heads which meant many looks could be created. The tool could create different types of curls and crimps which was perfect for achieving volume.

                                                            

The L’Oreal Studio Line consisted of mousses, sprays and gels which helped sculpt perfect side pony-tails, mullets and of course the perm. The range claimed to "Sculpt your hair any way you like it” and was a very successful, popular range in the 80’s. 

                                                      

My historical (true to the era) 80's look...

The historical 80's look that I have designed is heavily influenced by the Punk music scene / subculture of the 80's and I have took inspiration from many icons from this time. 

Although the Punk subculture emerged in the UK during the 70’s, it was still very much growing throughout the 80’s and to this day is still active. The music genre is recognised for its short, fast-paced songs alongside the subculture that developed from it. The 80’s saw more aggressive, faster subgenres emerge such as street punk, anarcho-punk and hardcore punk. The subculture involved a diverse sense of fashion and other forms of expression through the means of makeup and hairstyles. Body modification (facial tattoos and piercings), bold unique makeup and brightly coloured hair that had been back combed and teased or styled into mohawks and mullets meant that the punk appearance was one that will never be forgotten. The punk subculture is known for being massively expressive and for the distinctive, experimental makeup worn by both men and women. It was common for eyeliner to be used heavily to create a large wing or different shapes and patterns on the face. The eyebrows wasn’t always kept to their natural shape as they were blocky and defined. Bright eyeshadows were popular whilst the dark shades of purple and black were used for the lips. The complexion was very pale as people used lighter foundation than their skin tone, although a great amount of blush was used which often contoured the face. Fashions of this subculture involved distinctive DIY clothing, often consisting of deliberately distressed clothing, studded leather jackets and unique jewellery.

Siouxsie Sioux

Siouxsie and the Banshees singer, Siouxsie Sioux, is an icon from the 80’s punk scene known for her bold appearance. Siouxsie’s foundation was practically white and she defined her brows with a black eyeliner to accompany her dramatic eyeliner looks. Her hairstyle consisted of backcombing and teasing her straight, black hair which created a messy, voluminous look. 

Joan Jett

The Runaways front woman, Joan Jett, wore an excessive amount of blush which contoured and gave a harsh facial structure to her pale complexion. Her brows were defined in an arch and she used black eyeliner on both the top and bottom lash line as well as on her waterline. Joan Jett wore dark eyeshadow usually in the shades blue, black or grey however she always kept her lipstick shades quite natural, opting for subtle red and pink tones. In the 80’s Joan’s hair was styled into a short black mullet which had been backcombed to add volume. 

Beki Bondage

Vice Squad singer, Beki Bondage, was on of the female punk icons the 80’s that applied her makeup more naturally/subtly. Beki chose natural lipstick shades and only wore a small amount of eye makeup, however she liked to make her eyebrows darker and more prominent alongside using pink blush to give her face a rosy, more defined appearance. Beki’s hairstyle was very distinctive as she dyed her hair natural colours such as pink and blue, before crimping and teasing it to make it messy and voluminous. Her fringe was also crimped and backcombed, framing her face. 

Jordan Mooney

Model and actress, Jordan Mooney is well known for her work with Vivienne Westwood and she was a huge fashion icon in the London Punk Subculture. With her distinctive makeup she is recognised for using an excessive amount of eyeliner to create harsh shapes and patterns on her face. The design would cover the majority of her face and was usually created using the colours black and red. Jordan had bleached platinum blonde hair which she backcombed and spiked up using hairspray. 

My historical 80's look...

I have created a historical 80’s look taking inspiration from the punk subculture of the era and the different icons that I have previously discussed. For the base I will be applying a foundation that is paler than my models skin as this will create the pale complexion seen in the 80’s. I have taken into consideration that the look I am creating is to be used in a music video therefore the makeup will need to be applied thicker in order to make it visible on the video, as the studio lights and camera flashes could make the makeup less prominent. I will be setting the foundation with a pale powder to help it stay in place during the filming process as my model may sweat under the bright lights, therefore the powder will assist the makeup in being long-lasting. When choosing my powder I have ensured that it doesn’t contain titanium dioxide as this would cause ghosting and flashback from the camera flashes and studio lighting. In the 80’s blush was used excessively to give the face definition so I will be applying a heavy amount of blush to contour the face. I will be using a highly pigmented pink shade of blush as this was a popular choice in this era, and I need to apply a greater amount than usual as they had it very bright and the studio lights could wash the colour out therefore adding more will ensure the colour is visible on camera. I will be defining the brows, creating an unnatural arch with dark brown / black eyebrow gel, and for they eyes I have chosen to use blue and black eyeshadow to create a sharp grungy wing, with black eyeliner in the waterline. This eyeshadow was inspired by many of Joan Jett and Siouxsie Sioux’s looks. I will finish the eye look with black mascara both on the top and bottom lashes, and I have chosen a dark, burgundy shade for the lips which will complete the makeup look. It was most common for punks in the 80’s to have messy, back combed hair and they often crimped it. In order to create a hairstyle that accurately reflects the 80’s punk subculture, I will be crimping the roots of my models hair before backcombing it thoroughly, which will create the messy, voluminous look that I want to achieve. I will be using hairspray and dry shampoo to give the hair height and shape, and the hairspray will also ensure that the hair stays in place throughout the duration of filming the music video. To complete my historical look, I have created an outfit that screams 80’s punk. I have paired black ripped jeans with an authentic DIY punk vest top and a pair of black Dr Martens boots. The vest was made and worn in the 80’s by the frontman of the UK punk band Resistance 77. The punk subculture is known for its distinctive, DIY accessories so I have chosen to add a popular padlock necklace, some barbed wire earrings alongside many chains on the jeans. 

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OUTFIT & ACCESSORIES

 Modern 80's Look...

My modern 80's is inspired by the disco / nightclub scene throughout the era and I have taken influence from many of those in the public eye during this time.

When you think of the popular trends from the 80’s the first things that come to mind are the brightest neon colours and huge curly hair. This era had a huge love for discos and nightclubs and the go to makeup consisted of highly pigmented neon eyeshadow, bright, bold blush with accentuated the cheek bones and vivid lipstick shades. People were influenced by icons such as Madonna, David Bowie, Whitney Houston, Cindy Lauper, Boy George and Debbie Harry as they were known for their distinctive disco makeup. When it came to the hair, bigger was always better and everybody, both men and women, wanted the most voluminous hair possible therefore they would curl, perm, crimp and backcomb it in order to give the hair height. Neon colours wasn't only seen within makeup from this era as the majority of clothing was bright and eccentric as the fashion was quirky with materials such as vinyl, leather and mesh being popular. The 80's style is very much back in fashion today with bright makeup being worn by many, curled hair everywhere and even some of the clothing worn nowadays is heavily influenced by the era. 

 

   

My Modern 80's Look...

Taking inspiration from the bright eyeshadow colours worn by Cindie Lauper and Madonna I have designed a look that is a modern take of the 80's. To start, I will be applying foundation that matches my models skin tone to create a flawless base, before applying contour, and highlight as these are essential products that are used nowadays. My models base will be set with translucent setting powder to make sure the makeup stays in place for the duration of filming, and I have made sure to choose a powder that doesn't contain titanium dioxide to prevent any flashback / ghosting from occurring when under studio lighting. In true 80's style I will apply blush liberally to the cheekbones to create that rosy look that was seen on every dance floor in the era. I have decided to create a modern fluffy brow that will keep the natural shape of my models brows. To incorporate all the neon shades from the 80's, I have designed an eyeshadow look consisting of almost every shade imaginable; pink, purple, blue, green and yellow! I will apply the eyeshadow to create a blend of colours around the eye before adding a shimmery blue eyeshadow to the centre which will really make the eyes pop. Of course I will be lining my clients waterline with black eyeliner, as most did in the 80's. When applying the vivid shades to my models face, I will need to apply more than usual to give a stronger pigment with will ensure the makeup isn't affected by any camera flashes or studio lighting, meaning everything looks bright in the music video. I will be applying a coat of mascara on both the top and bottom lashes before finishing the eyes with a par of false lashes. I want the main focus of the look to be the eyes therefore I have chosen a natural pink shade for the lipstick which I will then complete with a coat of lipgloss. As the 80's saw high voluminous curls, I have decided to use a chopstick curler in order to re-create some bouncy curls in a more modern style. As this is a modern take on the 80's, I won't be backcombing and teasing the hair as much as they did back then. To ensure the hair stays in place for the music video I will be using a lot of hairspray. The outfit I have put together includes a black mesh top and a neon green vinyl skirt, both of which would have been worn in many nightclubs throughout the era. As stated before, these materials were fashionable during the 80's, and are still in fashion nowadays. 

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OUTFIT

MY FAVOURITE 80's ICON...

My personal favourite music icon from the 80's is Debbie Harry, the front woman of the band Blondie. I admire Debbie Harry's grungy fashion throughout the 80's and love all the different makeup looks she wore. My mum introduced me to Blondie when I was little and I have always enjoyed listening to their music. To this day Debbie Harry still has her own unique fashion sense, in 2014 I went to see Blondie in Sheffield, in which she wore an extraordinary black and white striped co-ord, paired with white sunglasses.