Makeup by the Eras/1970s: From barefaced to disco glam

Makeup in the 1970s was marked by contrasts. For the first time, many looks reflected nostalgia for past makeup trends. In the early years of the decade, women brou ght back the pencil-thin eyebrows of the ’20s alongside the same red lip that was a staple in the ’40s.

One of the most recognizable faces of the ’70s was Farrah Fawcett, so alluring and naturally beautiful with either no makeup or a very minimal, natural look. Going barefaced became more common as the decade wore on, a reflection of women’s liberation and feminism. The most radical feminists took to wearing no m akeup at all, claiming it was part of the objectification of women, according to hair-and-makeup-artist.com. Cosmetics sales plummeted, and manufacturers had to improvise by advertising to the “independent woman” instead of the homemaker or sex object like in previous decades.

Many adult women during this time period had been told to wear makeup most of their lives. Now, makeup products often were promoted as natural and “hardly there,” to match the new message that beauty came from within and was not painted on.

My favorite makeup look from the ’70s is disco. Disco-era makeup influences most of my day-to-day looks. I’m inspired by the glitz and glamor of fun colors, sparkles and bold lips from the dance floor when doing my own makeup, and that’s partially what led me to be a “bold glam” type of makeup artist.

Cher, Donna Summer and many other singers and punk artists inspired this makeup trend. The makeup was highly expressive and was worn by both men and women in colors ranging from blues and greens to earthy tones and purples. The eyeshadows could be  matte, but a pearlescent or iridescent sheen was in high demand, often applied to the brow bone.
The look I created for Kaitlyn Evans, a recent Lewiston High School graduate, was heavily inspired by the disco era.

The look:

• Kaitlyn’s brows were perfect as is, so I applied a clear brow gel to keep them in place.
  
  
• For her eyes, I applied a cream concealer as the base. I started by applying a light layer of a taupe eyeshadow to her crease and blending outward. Then I added a layer of blue to the lid and blended it to the taupe eyeshadow, creating a cut crease.
  
  
• I love the disco shimmer, so I put on a blue pearlescent eyeshadow on top of the blue, really making her eyes pop.
  
  
• After adding false lashes and a thin layer of liquid liner, I applied a darker blue eyeshadow as an eyeliner and did a double coat of mascara on her bottom lashes.
  
  
• Eyeshadow wasn’t the only glittery element of the era of disco. The foundations and powders used also had a radiant sheen. To simulate this, I used bronzing drops and e.l.f. Halo Glow foundation.
  
  
• I bronzed her face more with powder to accentuate the sunkissed look of the ’70s. Did you know SPF was implemented in this decade? By this time, dermatologists were noticing the damaging effects of the sun and began warning people of the dangers of excessive tanning and its links to cancer. In my research, it seemed like not a lot of people really cared about this. If you take anything from this column, I hope it is to wear sunscreen in this hot and toasty valley — and beyond.
  
  
• I finished off Kaitlyn’s look with a light pink, glossy lip.

For more 1970s makeup history, check out these sources I used for this column:

“Women’s 1970s Makeup: An Overview,” at hair-and-makeup-artist.com.

“ ’70s Makeup – Everything You Need to Explore About The Iconic Makeup Era,” at liveosumly.com.

If you are interested in being a model, please contact me on Instagram @blackmagic._beauty or Inland 360 at mstone@inland360.com.


Johnson, of Lewiston, creates makeup looks inspired by different decades in U.S. history, using you, our readers, as her models. She can be found on Etsy at BlackMagicBeautyShop and Instagram @blackmagic._beauty.