Make-Up Through the Decades: The Defining Beauty Trends of the ’50s to Today

In the world of fashion and beauty, what goes around comes around – and make-up trends are no different. Some decades are clearly defined by their iconic muses and specific looks, from Twiggy’s eyeliner to Kylie Jenner’s lip contouring and through to today’s penchant for “clean girl” aesthetic. But most of what we see trending on Tiktok now can be traced back to classic make-up looks that defined their own era.

So how much of the past 70 years of beauty do we see informing trends that emerge from editorial shoots and red carpets today? We look at the history of make-up trends by the decade to see how each era has impacted the best of beauty today.

1950s: Sculpted perfection

In an era of high glamour, we have some of the best examples: silver screen stars and Hollywood icons Elizabeth Taylor and Marilyn Monroe. The two favoured bold, flawless beauty looks with sculpted brows, seemingly airbrushed porcelain skin and their trademark glossy red lips that defined both power and sensuality, both on and off screen. 

1960s: Mod and the graphic eye

If there was a model that personified the graphic playfulness of the ’60s, it would have to be Twiggy. Her exaggerated lashes and black cut-creases called to mind the pop art of the era, while her nude (or very pale pink) lips challenged beauty standards of the previous decade that called for the impossible flawlessness of the screen siren.

1970s: Disco glow and shimmer

When you think of disco, you undeniably think of Donna Summer. The dance floor icon was dubbed the Queen of Disco for a reason: her flawless skin shimmered with a radiant glow, and she often looked to bold colour for her eyes and lips. To channel the era, find a highlighter that captures the shine of strobe lights and disco balls.

1980s: Colour and drape blushing

As we build on the colour story of disco, we move into the ’80s – possibly the most colourful decade on our list. And who was at the centre of the beauty boom? None other than Madonna. Her bold, draped blush, colourful eyeshadows and pop lips were undoubtedly part of her rise to fashion icon – a status she still holds today. Choose colour and don’t be shy about it.

1990s: Grunge, minimalism and matte

In a push back from the bold colour of the ’80s, the ’90s looked toward a return to natural aesthetics and earthier colour stories. Kate Moss was at the centre of it all: an almost bare face and clothed in the minimalism of Calvin Klein. To achieve her moody but minimalist look, all you need is matte brown eyeshadow and a lightly visible lipliner.

2000s: Pencil-thin brows

While the make-up looks of the 2000s oscillated between a return to glitz and an attachment to the minimalism of the ’90s, the one defining characteristic had to be the pencil-thin brows all the beauty icons sported: Naomi Campbell, Angelina Jolie, Christine Aguilera, Rachel Weisz. Supermodel Tyra Banks even posted this DIY flashback recently. 

2010s: Insta-glam and high contour

The Kardashian-Jenner era brought us back to high glamour; between Kylie and Kim, we were seeing heavy baking, strong contouring, defined lips and the strongest of highlighters catching the red carpet lights. Though we’ve left it all behind already, there’s still something alluring in the glam of a defined face; find that flawless look with a great foundation.

2020s: Clean girl and skinmalism

As a reaction to the high glamour of the 2010s, we once again see ourselves return to minimalism and so-called “natural” beauty on the make-up trend cycle. The defining look of this decade so far has to be the “clean girl” look, mastered by none other than Hailey Bieber. It’s all about skin health, minimal make-up application and the focus on a natural look that highlights your assets. Start with the skin and work up from there.

This article was produced by Broadsheet in partnership with Armani Beauty.