15 Once-Popular Beauty Trends From The 1970s

The 1970s were a seriously exciting time for beauty. The decade was ruled by hippie, disco, and punk vibes, which made for an interesting amalgamation of makeup and hair trends. While some embraced hippie-esque balayage (a dye method invented in the '70s), disco lovers were hitting the Studio 54 dance floor in lip glosses that sparkled as intensely as their outfits. Then there were the punks, who blazed their own trail and stuck two fingers up at society wearing seriously heavy eyeliner. But while the '70s were notorious for fashion trends that have since proven divisive, the era's beauty trends have fared a little better.

The decade that brought about major advancements in mascara also saw women embrace big curls, red nail polish, and glowing tans, as they felt more empowered than ever to express themselves. Hey, there has to be a reason why the '70s proved the most popular decade for fashion and beauty, with 30% of respondents in a 2019 study wishing they'd lived through the glory days of blue eyeshadow (via The Sun). But even though it may not be possible to go back, there are ways to bring the once-popular beauty trends of the time into the 21st century. We're taking a look at the top trends that deserve a place in your beauty routine — and the ones that deserve to stay buried.

In the 1970s, anyone who was anyone tried curtain bangs. Fans of Farrah Fawcett will remember that the style involves two pieces of hair on either side of the face that are slightly shorter than the rest. In the '70s, the pieces usually had plenty of volume and created a plumped-up, fluffy effect by flipping out away from the face, so they swooped down on either side of the forehead.

The hairstyle has had a huge resurgence since then, with scores of our favorite celebs giving us curtain bangs inspo, including It Girl Sabrina Carpenter and bang queen Zooey Deschanel. The modern twist on the classic involves adding more texture for extra edge, moving it away from the uber-feminine vibe the style had in the '70s. To achieve the piece-y look, try a salt spray like Pete and Pedro's sea salt spray or the Sun Bum Sea Spray.

A trend better left in the 1970s? Uber-thin brows. Though fluffier brows have risen to prominence in the years since (1990s thin brows  excluded), it was all the rage to pluck your eyebrows super thin back in the day. That's why so many older women have found themselves filling in sparse brows as trends have changed. 

But it wasn't just the thickness of our brows that was different in the '70s. The shape was also far more rounded. More modern brow trends involve creating an arch around two thirds into the brow for a more flattering, angular look. However, 1970s makeup tutorials suggested creating the arch directly above the pupil in the center of the eye, so the brow looked more like a thin rainbow.

We've learned our lesson in the wake of the repeated rise and fall of the worm-like brow. More recently, plenty of celebrities have embraced the bushy brow trend and looked chic doing it. Of course, you can style your brows however you prefer, but the trend now is to avoid over-plucking for a more flattering and modern-looking style. 

The shag haircut was massive in the 1970s, for men and women. The versatile style, which wasn't fully complete without flattering bangs, was defined by its extra choppy, layered appearance. "The shortest part of the cut sits in the fringe area, either as a full choppy fringe or more of a sweepy face framing shape, then flows forward, getting gradually longer to the nape of the neck," hairstylist Tom Smith explained to Cosmopolitan.

Gen Xers will have seen this unique cut on some of the era's most famous faces. Rocker Stevie Nicks loved this style, which became the cut of the moment again 50 years later. The shag was summer 2023's hottest cut, although the more modern version encouraged wearers to personalize the classic 'do with cuts that fit their individual style and flattered their face shape.

In the 1960s, heavy matte foundation was the go-to look. All that changed in the following decade, as the 1970s was more about glowy, natural-looking complexions. Actor, singer, and '70s icon Cybill Shepherd was one of the beauties leading the charge, regularly showing off gorgeous skin without piling on matte foundation or layers of drying powder. Her skin had an enviable glow without looking greasy or shiny, and she kept the uber-youthful look throughout the decade. The change in foundation finish may have been linked to the emergence of cream makeup products, which surged in popularity.

Cream foundations haven't left the shelves since, so you can still achieve a flawless, '70s-inspired finish. Try Covergirl's Olay Simply Ageless foundation or Elizabeth Arden's Flawless Finish makeup. For a two-in-one product that also offers a cream concealer, try the cream foundation by Ruby Kisses.

As we left the 1960s behind, curls reigned supreme for everyone, including The Supremes! The texture was everywhere, from more polished, bouncy blowouts to gorgeous afros and everything in between. Curls in the '70s were always full of movement and volume, and more was more — which we love. Though short pixie cuts were hot the prior decade, voluminous curls worked because longer hair was back on trend. "After a '60s trend for short hair, the '70s and '80s definitely saw longer hair making a return," hair editor Rachael Gibson told The Zoe Report.

Diana Ross — who also soundtracked the era with hits like "Ain't No Mountain High Enough," "Love Hangover," and "Touch Me in the Morning" — was one of the stars proudly leading the big, curly hair movement. The talented star repeatedly wowed with curls featuring plenty of body throughout the decade, switching up her look from a natural afro to more styled aesthetics. In fact, the star's '70s looks were so iconic that people are still referencing her trendy 'dos decades later. "Ultimate diva Diana Ross's hair embodied the spirit of the '70s!" From The Lab wrote on X in 2013.

Trendy women of the 1970s, like actress Raquel Welch, were chasing a healthy, bronze-y glow not just on their faces, but all over their body. The desire for a warm tan may have been due to more people across the globe taking sunny vacations, as air travel became increasingly accessible. Getting the perfect tan was also made easier thanks to advances in bronzing products. Towards the end of the decade, scientists were making strides in skin cancer research. Links made between skin cancer and sun exposure may have been the catalyst for an influx in bronzers and faux tanning products to help people get their glow fix.

Of course, bronzing products have maintained their popularity, with more than ever flooding the market in the 21st century. To get that '70s-esque bronzed look, try applying a powder product — such as Clinique's True Bronze Blendable Powder or L'Oréal Paris' Infallible Fresh Wear bronzer — lightly over the nose, forehead, and on the high points of the cheekbones.

One of the most iconic beauty inventions of the 1970s was the French manicure, which would shape manicures for decades to come. The iconic pale pink nail with a white edge was created by Jeff Pink — now Orly International's president and CEO — in 1975 and quickly became the talk of the town in Hollywood and beyond. It was particularly hot in Tinsel Town as it was perfect for actors who wanted a "done" look that wouldn't clash with the other trends and styles of the time. 

Actors also needed versatile nails that could seamlessly take them from work to the red carpet to their next role. "The directors would complain about how long it would take to change the nail colors on the actresses to match their wardrobes for different scenes," Pink told Who What Wear. "They asked me to make a color that would go with everything," he added.

We saw French manis on pretty much every big A-lister of the time, with Pink putting its initial popularity down to two of the era's biggest stars, Cher and Barbra Streisand. "After Cher and Barbra Streisand went on 'The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson' separately with their French manicures, people started talking about it," he recalled. But they weren't the only ones setting the trend. It was also seen on everyone from Olivia Newton-John to Faye Dunaway to Louise Fletcher.

Though hair dye had been around for a while by the time the 1970s rolled around, there was a new technique making waves — balayage. The soft, two-tone look, which was invented in Paris, quickly gained popularity in the West. It was likely a nod to the hippie culture of the time, as it created a more lived-in, casual aesthetic. It was also perfect for busy women joining the workforce (at the end of the 1970s, more than half of U.S. women worked), as it didn't require the same root upkeep as traditional dying. 

Balayage — which differs from highlights and babylights — is arguably just as popular in the 21st century as it was in the '70s. The look was huge once again around 2017 and has barely slowed down since. While we saw the likes of Carly Simon rocking it in 1978, it's been embraced more recently by icons like Gisele Bundchen and Jessica Biel.

Defined eyelashes were big (literally) in the 1970s. British model Twiggy notoriously began leading the trend in 1960s, as she was all about thick, spidery lashes, and was famous for putting the emphasis on her lower lashline. And the doe-eyed technique held strong into the next decade.

Achieving the spiky lash look only got easier across when Maybelline's Great Lash mascara hit shelves in 1971, changing the way may women used mascara. "The formula is water-based, which was groundbreaking and revolutionary when the product launched. At the time, most mascaras were solvent-based and tended to repel water, making it difficult to remove without an oil-based remover," Amy Whang, Maybelline's senior vice president of marketing, told Fashionista. 

The revolutionary mascara in the green and pink bottle became a huge hit since it was so much easier to remove, with Whang noting, "It's truly an American icon and that's why it remains Maybelline's number-one mascara year after year. The Great Lash formula has not changed since the original blend. It's one of the most closely guarded formulas in makeup."

Another makeup product that defined the era was glossy lipstick, with Clinique's Black Honey lipstick leading the way. The sheer shade was originally made available in 1971 and quickly became one of the most popular products of the time, as matte lips were considered outdated. Black Honey, alternatively, was barely there and added a healthy-looking shine and a little color to the lips. That was ideal for many women at the time, as some turned their backs on obvious lip products during the second wave of feminism.

We've seen this trend come back in a big way since. In 2021, Clinique's Black Honey went viral on social media, bringing a hint of '70s makeup to our modern collections. Seeing as we've become more in tune with choosing shades and products that work for our skin tones since, Clinique took the opportunity to expand the range. The company now offers the same formula in the color Nude Honey, a similar but slightly lighter shade, and Pink Honey, which is a pinker-leaning take on the popular '70s product.

Blue eyeshadow was the makeup product on everyone's lids in the 1970s, adding vibrancy to eyes across the world. And we're not talking a subtle layer of light blue above the eye. The eyeshadow mantra at the time was "The bolder the better." Women across the nation, including Twiggy and Cher, packed on the bold shadow — electric blue a particular favorite — often taking it up towards their eyebrows or creating a cat eye look by stretching it beyond the outer corner of the eye.

Blue eyeshadow has become increasingly polarizing since then. But that doesn't mean the bold aesthetic hasn't had its moment back in the sun. Blue makeup came back in a big way for summer 2024, and it wasn't relegated to just the eyelids, as we were also embracing everything from blue eyeliner to blue lipstick.

Prior to the invention of the French manicure (and for those who were later adopters of the look) the 1970s were about brown, earthy polishes. We saw the neutral color on fingernails in light and deep hues, with people across the country painting their nails the shade. The earthy hues were also huge in fashion and the home décor world at the time, popular in everything from furniture to wallpaper.

Neutral manicure tones have gone in and out of popularity since, but brown shades rose again with the minimalism trend of 2024. Just remember to think twice about the nail color if you have older hands, as it may not be as flattering as brighter colors. Celebrity and editorial manicurist Marisa Carmichael previously told Women in an exclusive interview, "[Dark polishes] can be stark and draw attention to imperfections."

If you were lucky, the 1970s were all about visits to notorious disco club Studio 54, and you had to look the part. Like the glitzy fashion of the time (sequin garments were huge), beauty looks also involved plenty of sparkle. On the lips, gloss was very much in, with women like Grace Jones and Jane Fonda rocking shiny products with a pearlescent, metallic, shimmer, or full-on glitter finish that sparkled under the disco lights. To get the look in a more modern way, try Revlon's Super Lustrous Glimmer Gloss, NYX's Butter Gloss, or KIKO Milano's 3D Hydra Lip Gloss.

In addition to sparkly products, there was some gloss crossover from the previous decade. In the 1960s, nude and pink lip glosses were big, and that continued into the '70s. However, we also saw the introduction of glossy brown shades that gave a little extra color in an understated way.

Alongside the rise of punk culture in the 1970s, an anti-establishment aesthetic began to take shape. And one signature look involved a lot of heavy eyeliner around the whole eye. Like many of the beauty trends of the time, more was certainly more, and the subculture defined itself with heavy, smudgy application that was as in your face as punk music. Though modern eyeliner is usually heavier on the upper lid, back then, punks made their bottom liner as thick as their top and often elongated the shape on the outer corner. Eyeliner wasn't just piled on by women, either. The era made it trendy for punk men to define their eyes too.

Liquid eyeliner first rose to prominence around the 1950s, but new developments in the '60s made application smoother and easier. That included Maybelline's first fluid eyeliner hitting the shelves, as well as advances in colored liquid liners. Bright eyeliner wouldn't develop into a major trend until the 1980s, though.

The iconic red nail polish trend of the 1970s was carried over from the decade prior, and it had more meaning in the 1970s than you might realize. Many women adopted the brave, daring color as a symbol of the feminist movement. The rich shade made a statement about traditional beauty standards, making it clear women were ready to be seen and heard.

Red nails were seen on countless runways and photoshoots, as well as on some of the biggest stars of the time, including Donna Summer and Liza Minnelli. The "Cabaret" star was one of the most glamorous and glitzy stars of the era, and she was spotted wearing classic, bright red shade multiple times throughout the decade. She also set a precedent for keeping her nails long when she wore the hue, inspiring many others to grow their nails long and apply lacquer in the vibrant shade.