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Shoulder pads. The Breakfast Club. MTV and the beginning of music videos. These are just a few of the defining features that cement the 1980s as iconic. Were we to go back in time, we’d find ourselves amid a sea of fuchsia-colored lips, metallic eye shadow, and bright blush placed at our temples. At home we’d have posters of Molly Ringwald and Rob Lowe on the walls, and our Walkmans would be blaring Whitney Houston’s eponymous album and Duran Duran on a loop.
In those days bigger-than-life hair and lipstick spoke for itself. The masses used Clariol Benders Hair Curlers to achieve Madonna-esque curls and glossed their lips with Maybelline’s Kissing Potions. In Hollywood and on dance floors across the world, people fluttered their blue-colored lashes to the beat of pop music.
We’ve seen Y2K and ’90s beauty blow up again in the last few years (hello, butterfly clips and tightliner), but now the ’80s are having their own beauty moment as people have grown bolder and louder in their style and self-expression. To channel these trends now, we tapped three makeup artists to see which ’80s makeup trends are making a comeback and the best products we can use to get the looks.
Meet the experts:
- J. Brandon Correa is a New York-based makeup artist and YSL Beauty ambassador.
- Carissa Ferreri is a Los Angeles-based makeup artist.
- Kanako Takase is a makeup artist and the global creative director of ADDICTION TOKYO.
- Danielle Waugh is a New York City-based makeup artist.
Bright blush
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True to the loud-and-proud theme of the ’80s, vibrant blush was all the rage. The bold, draped blush of the decade is back, but now we have better products to achieve the look and customize how pigmented we want to make it. Makeup artist J. Brandon Correa recommends using a buildable, pigmented balm: “It’ll provide a sheer, see-through shine to the cheeks, offering a natural flush of color that doesn’t overpower,” he explains.
Makeup artist Carissa Ferreri says to start below the pupil of your eye, then sweep into the hair line. Use a cream blush (like the YSL Beauty Nu Lip & Cheek Balmy Tint) for a softer and more skin-like effect. If you want something more dramatic, reinforce the pigment with a powder blush—we love the Patrick Ta Major Headlines Double-Take Crème & Powder Blush Duo, a compact that comes with a cream and powder blush in bold shades that could last through a high-energy dance party.
Blue eye shadow
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Of the many colorful makeup trends, blue eye shadow is one that truly reigned supreme and became emblematic of the ’80s. Back in the day, bright, baby blue shades were opaquely swiped across the lid for an almost pop art-esque aesthetic. We certainly don’t shy away from bold trends today, but we’ve adapted them to modern life as a more toned-down way to wear blue. “Try using pops of color that will add edge but not overwhelm,” suggests Correa. The Hung Vanngo Color Story Eyeshadow Palette in brilliant blue is a great selection to achieve this look. The various shades of blue in the palette enable you to play with different depths and undertones.
Punchy pink lips
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Bold lips have never completely fallen out of favor, but vibrant shades of fuchsia are forever associated with the ’80s. For a matte lip, look for a pigmented liquid lipstick with a long-wear formula like the Violette_FR Petal Bouche Matte in Coeur Infidèle. If you prefer a satin or gloss finish, Correa recommends using a pigmented balm that will “offer a vibrant pop of color with a see-through shine, paying a subtle homage to the ’80s without feeling like a costume.” The YSL Beauty Loveshine Lip Oil Stick in Electric Love gives you the pigment of a lipstick with the moisture of a balm.
Natural, fluffy brows
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Naturally full, bushy brows were the go-to look in the ’80s, before the pencil brows of the ’90s took over. To get your brows looking as full as possible, makeup artist Danielle Waugh recommends using a lash primer for a thickening effect. “Eyebrow gel is meant to tame brows, but if you want to create fuller brows, use lash primer instead,” she explains. The Dior Diorshow Maximizer 4D Lash Primer-Serum adds natural-looking volume without weighing down the brows. Then, Waugh says, follow up with a brow tint (like the Merit Brow 1980 Volumizing Tinted Eyebrow Gel-Pomade) to give the illusion of depth and fullness. “The two-step process is fail-proof,” she assures.
Colorful lids
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In the ’80s, those aforementioned bright lips were often paired with similarly bold eye shadow that covered the wearer’s entire lid and beyond. “Instead of opting for purple or blue eye shadow from lid to brow, try using a bright colored liner in bold and interesting ways,” suggests Ferreri. “Use a pigmented liner to create graphic shapes, or a pop of something unexpected in the inner corners of the eyes.”
The Urban Decay 24/7 Glide-On Waterproof Eyeliner Pencil comes in over 30 shades, enabling you to line your eyes in almost any color your heart desires. If you're looking to cover your whole lid, reach for the Danessa Myricks Colorfix Multi-Use Eye, Cheek & Lip Waterproof Liquid Pigment, which also comes in a wide range of shades including bright pinks, blues, and greens.
To pull the look together, she recommends keeping your base makeup fresh and minimal and your lip color neutral so there’s no over-competing.
Elevated grunge
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Cher’s ever-evolving beauty looks established her as a style icon of the ’80s, and one of the trends she kept going back to was a glam-grunge feel. Since then, Waugh notes, the look itself has evolved and the modern smoky eye has taken over. To replicate a look similar to Cher’s, Waugh suggests using a pigmented black gel liner like the Inglot AMC Eyeliner Gel, which allows for hyper-precise application and long staying power. For an easy, dark, smoky eye, we love the oh-so-convenient About-Face Smokestick in Smoking Gun, which features a thick, creamy black crayon on one end and a sponge packed with gray shadow on the other.
Metallic shine
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Metallic finishes were a major moment in the ’80s, whether on lips or eyelids. Correa points out that the trend used to have a grungier feel, but now it has evolved into something more elevated. Instead of looking for harsh, high-contrast finishes, he says, look for multiuse formulas with reflective particles that enhance your overall look. They’ll help you embrace the metallic trend in a more elegant manner. We love the e.l.f. Duochrome Liquid Eyeshadow for its long-lasting pigment and subtle chrome finish. For a metallic lip, try the Isamaya Metal Lip Balm, which comes in eight shades, all with shimmering metallic flecks.
Pink-and-purple combo
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The pink-and-purple combo was a big hit in the ’80s. “Wearing defused pink or purplish highlighter over blush at the highest part of the cheekbone and brushing up to the side of the temple gives an instant ’80s feeling,” says makeup artist Kanako Takase. “Also, layering a purplish pearl or sparkle on the eyelids can shift the look to the ’80s.”
In 2025, wearing both pink and purple on your lids can feel overwhelming, so you can instead try pairing a lilac lid with a petal pink lip. The Ilia Eye Stylus Shadow Stick in Nymph is a pretty lilac that pairs beautifully with the Anastasia Beverly Hills Universal Luminous Tinted Lip Gloss in Baby Pink.
Metallic lips
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Shine, glitter, and metallics were on everyone’s lips in the ’80s, from L’Oreal Paris ads to Grace Jones’s signature performance looks. Metallic lips have since taken on a softer, subtler look. Ferreri recommends updating the trend by dusting a shimmery powder, like Make Up For Ever Starlit Diamond Powder, right in the center of the lips and applying a tinted gloss (we suggest the Merit Shade Slick Hydrating Tinted Lip Oil) over it. Adds Ferreri, “You get a bit of shine and sparkle, but lips look plumper and more hydrated.”
Annie Blay-Tettey contributed reporting.
