Blondie, Madonna, Bananarama – Oh My!

Looking back to the 80s we were lucky enough to be bombarded with a whole bunch of very talented and very beautiful women in the music scene. It’s been noted that there were more women topping the charts in the 80s than any other decade in music so it’s no surprise that these women had such a huge impact on 80s fashion and make up.

While the tunes are still playing on the radio—though not nearly as much as they used to—the only time anyone gets to enjoy 80s fashion anymore is by attending or throwing a 80s fancy dress party. Let’s face it; some of the 80s looks were WAY over-the-top and though some trends have returned, there were many that were just too harsh to bring back unless at a 1980 fancy dress party. Looks like those sported by Toyah and Anabella Lwin of Bow Wow Wow just wouldn’t fly these days, but, there are some looks that can still be incorporated into today’s fashion without evoking too many “is she crazy??” kinds of stares. Stars like Madonna, Blondie and the girl’s of Bananarama may have been a little too fashionable for some, but in terms of their make up they all often rocked looks that anyone could enjoy today.

They all had a lot in common aside from the blonde hair; red lips and a well defined eye. The eye shadows may have been a tad dark, but if you think about it, the make up was very similar to that seen on old Hollywood movie stars from the day of Marilyn Monroe. The pale skin, the dark eye and the red lips were very much a part of the Hollywood Glam era and Madonna especially did it justice in the 80s.
This same 80s make up look can easily be taken from your 80′s costume for an 80s fancy dress party and incorporated into your everyday life with a little bit of tweaking. A cat eye can be done subtly for an evening out or kicked up and exaggerated for a 80s fancy dress party. A red lip is a classic so that’s something that you can easily wear day or night depending on the rest of your make up or outfit. And, since tanning is officially out of style and very bad for your health, it’s safe to say that pale skin is in and easily made more even and beautiful with the right foundation and powder and a light touch!
So if you’re planning to attend a 1980′s fancy dress party or miss the 80s make up and want to bring it back into your life, have a look around the Internet for pics of your favourite female pop stars from the 80s or just pick up an old album cover and try to copy their make up techniques. And don’t forget to experiment and tweak as needed to bring your look into this millennium so that you can rock these looks at a 80s fancy dress party, at work or even just in the privacy of your own room while you bop around to Like A Virgin!