Makeup 101: Theme Party Looks by the Decade

So it’s 9pm on a Thursday night and you just found out that you have a theme party to go to. Ballin right?

By Ali

Okay, so what are you going to wear, and just as importantly, what are you going to put on your face?

Getting your 70’s makeup to match up with your Flower Power dress can be tricky. So here’s a quick reference guide for how to do your decade makeup from “20’s Great Gatsby gal” to “80’s (Like a) Virgin.”

The Roaring 20’s: Skip your bronzer and opt for some light colored face powder; skin during this time was pale. Exaggerate your lip lines by outlining a cupid’s bow shape above the top lip and fill in with a deep red hue. Keep your eyes dark as well with thick coats of mascara and black liner. Keep shadow dark, either black or grey. This classic look will really help your eyes and lips pop. Accessorize with a feathered headband and dangly earrings.

50’s Desperate Housewife: Whether you are playing a housewife or Marilyn Monroe, the 50’s was also a classic makeup time. Like with the 20’s, keep lips a deep red and outline with a liner to help keep the color inside. Keep skin pale but accentuate your cheek bones with a rosy blush sweeping upwards to create a natural blush line. Contrary to the 20’s, keep your eyes light except for extra coats of thick mascara over curled lashes. Pull your hair back into a bun or create loose curls. Accessorize with a penciled-in Marilyn mole or pearl earrings.

60’s Flower Child: To create a mod, Twiggy-like look, focus on black and white. Paint your lips a pale pink and then apply false lashes and go over your bottom lashes with thick mascara. Try to find lashes that are spaced apart or get individual lashes so you can create clumps. Coat your lids with a white shadow and accessorize with both of the colors. If you want a flower-child hippie kind of look, choose a brighter shadow shade such as green. Braid you hair when it is wet, hairspray and unravel before you go out to create a messy crimped look.

70’s Disco Dancer: Think bright and sparkly! Choose a bright pink or fuchsia for your lips and shade your cheeks with a pink hue. Try to find a silver or gold glitter liner, or a fun color, like purple. Don’t be scared of chunky glitter to put over your lids. Accessorize with disco ball earrings and a flippy-‘do.

80’s Material Girl: To channel Madonna circa Desperately Seeking Susan paint your lips a bright pink. Darken your eyes but keep the rest of your face clear. Accessorize with a ribbon headband and large bow, or cross earrings. If you’re going for an 80’s jazzercise look instead, keep the bright pink lips but choose a bright blue liner or shadow. Create a wing by blending your blue hue outward and try blending several colors together like blue, pink and purple. Think chunky jewelry and bright scrunchies.