Blend In With The Crowd
The use of cosmetics dates all the way back to the Ancient Egyptians. While people in that 4000-year period have been adorning their bodies with all manners of lead paint, arsenic, and henna, modern makeup as we know it is only a little over a century old. Let’s highlight some of the makeup trends of the past 120 years!
1. 1900s: Less Is More
Far from popular at the turn of the century, makeup was associated with loose morality. Since women of the night and disreputable actresses were the target consumer, cosmetics were not widely available for purchase. Well-bred ladies who wished to subtly enhance their appearance did so with a light powder, burnt matches (for darkening brows and lashes) and just a touch of rogue on the cheeks.
Gertrude Käsebier on Wikimedia
2. 1910s: On & Off-Stage
The popularity of theater divas such as Sarah Bernhardt and the arrival of the Russian ballet—whose heavy makeup was intended for harsh stage lighting—opened up the world of cosmetics in the 1910s. Many of our products had not yet been invented, so women had to be creative. They used burnt cork or crushed cloves for eyeshadow and combined petroleum jelly and coal for mascara.
3. 1920s: Film Stars & Flappers
As cinema boomed, women took makeup inspiration from early actresses whose dark, dramatic makeup was made for celluloid rather than daily life. These vampy looks featured smoky eyes, dark lips with a defined cupids’ bow, and thin, angular eyebrows. How else were you supposed to emote without synchronized sound?
4. 1930s: Glitz & Glam
With the country plunged into devastating economic depression, makeup became a little more wearable, but no less glamorous. Brows grew even thinner if you can imagine it, with a softer arch to highlight light-colored cream eyeshadow. Lips were slightly overdrawn, far heavier than modern formulas, and almost always red.
5. 1940s: Pretty & Patriotic
Women may have been joining the workforce while men were away at war, but that was no excuse for anything less than feminine perfection. Eyebrows were allowed to grow back to their natural shape, and eye makeup was much lighter for daywear: neutral eyeshadow with mascara on the top lashes only. The hallmark of 1940s makeup was a bright red rounded lip.
Unknown authorUnknown author on Wikimedia
6. 1950s: Femme Fatale
Perhaps one of the most iconic eras for makeup. Dramatic tapered brows were softened by girly pink lips and cheeks for a look that was both sweet and seductive. This look, especially among pin-up girls, is one of the most often imitated for its timeless elegance and winged eyeliner.
Studio publicity still on Wikimedia
7. 1960s: Mod-ern Makeup
Led by British supermodel Twiggy, the mods took the pastel eyeshadow of the 1950s and made it the star of the show. With graphic eyeliner, drawn-on bottom lashes, and falsies, this era was all about drama. The rest of the face skewed neutral with peaches and corals most popular for blush and lipstick.
Joost Evers / Anefo on Wikimedia
8. 1970s: Hippy Dippy
Inspired by Second Wave Feminism, many women abandoned cosmetics in an act of rebellion. Those who refused to part with their products opted for a more boho style, with natural, somewhat overplucked eyebrows, barely there eyeshadow, and glowy foundation.
9. 1970s: Disco Divas
On the other end of the spectrum, disco makeup was as bright and shiny as the dance floor. Brands took inspo from the glitz and glam of the 1920s with shimmering shadows, arched brows, and lots of glitter. Lips were painted in warm earth tones, but like the 1960s, it was all about the eyes.
10. 1980s: Material Girls
Similarly to how 1960s makeup took the soft hues of the previous decade and put them in your face, the 1980s rebelled against 1970s minimalist with one of the boldest movements yet. Neon eyeshadow was worn up to the brow, which was left soft and fluffy. Eyeliner and mascara deviated from the standard black with bright blues and electric purples.
11. 1980s: Back In Black
The polar opposite of the eye-popping neon trend in vogue, goth, punk, and other alternative subcultures created some of the most iconic looks of the century. Eye makeup was at its heaviest: eyeliner stretched to the ends of your brows, black eyeshadow was caked on, and brows took on geometric shapes. This look wasn’t everyone’s cup of tea, but it’s certainly eye-catching.
Original uploader was Mantaray100 at en.wikipedia on Wikimedia
12. 1990s: Au Naturale
Easy, breezy, and beautiful, 90s makeup was a breath of fresh air after 80s excess. One of the biggest trends was no makeup makeup, which gave the wearer an approachable girl-next-door look. Eyes were soft, brows were sculpted (many never grew back), and earth tones made a resurgence.
John Mathew Smith & www.celebrity-photos.com from Laurel Maryland, USA on Wikimedia
13. 1990s: Grunge Chic
Another defining look of the 90s was grunge. Inspired by gloomy Seattle landscapes against a soundtrack of Nirvana and Pearl Jam, grunge was matte, dark, and moody. Yesterday’s eyeliner was today’s smoky eye, lips reached their darkest non-goth shades, and makeup application was more about vibe than skill.
14. 1990s: All That Glitters
The prom queen to no-makeup-makeup’s girl next door, the 90s also saw a resurgence of iridescent eyeshadow and cool-toned lips. Baby blue or white eyeshadow as popularized by Britney Spears was all the rage for girls dreaming of big things.
Alexandra Lowenthal on Unsplash
15. 2000s: Ice Queen
Continuing with the frosty trend of the previous decades, 2000s makeup went even heavier on the shimmer. Body glitter was largely replaced by sparkly inner eyes, lips were glossed to high heaven, and the eyeshadows were so cool-toned you could catch a cold from them.
Ibrahim Iujaz from Rep. Of Maldives. Edited for enwiki upload by Daniel Case on Wikimedia
16. 2000s: So Emotional
More than just a phase, the emo and scene movements of the mid 2000s were about making a statement rather than looking pretty. Eyeliner was thick, smoked out, and tight around the lash line. Eyeshadow mimicked dark circles and the general vibe was something you did on a whim in your bathroom.
17. 2010s: Insta-Beauty
With the rise of Instagram and beauty bloggers, makeup was bigger and bolder than ever in the 2010s. These looks were done with filters and cameras in mind, and had a 24/7 nightlife glam that didn’t stop us from rocking them in the daytime. The poster child for Insta-beauty was the Instagram brow: an enormous, blocked out brow that could eat the 20s brow for lunch.
18. 2010s: Matte Is More
Alongside the Insta-beauty trend was the rise of matte makeup. Out were the glitters and shines of yesterday, and in was the full coverage you only got by piling products on top of each other and baking them. The undisputed queen of 2010s makeup was Kylie Jenner, whose Kylie Lip Kits defined half the decade.
19. 2020s: Graphic Prints
With TikTok taking over Snapchat and Instagram as the most popular social media of its day, and people having a mysterious amount of free time on their hands in early 2020, makeup took on a more avant-garde style. Partially inspired by the bold eye looks featured on Euphoria and partially because a lot of us had an excuse to stay inside, shadow grew brighter, brows grew thicker, and eyeliner turned faces into surrealist masterpieces.
Vince Mariel Conlu on Unsplash
20. 2020s: Clean Girl
Every coin always has two sides and the other side of 2020s makeup is clean girl beauty. This look is all about the skin with light, dewy foundation taking centre stage. Currently, glowy skin is best complemented by feathery brows and neutral eyes.
