Prom Makeup Looks: Weird Trends from 1920s to 2019
In my research for prom makeup ideas, I came across a whole slew of photos on Pinterest. What I noticed from all of the current trends is this: everyone is so shiny! Highlighter and glitter eyeshadow is abundant. It looks pretty, of course, but it got me thinking about all of the makeup trends throughout the decades and how people look back on all those old photos and either cringe or laugh as they say, “Look at my purple eyeshadow!”
Looking back on all the decades of makeup, I realize we retrace old haunts with eyebrows and lips, but we come up with a few new techniques along the way. Often times, these glam makeup looks are great for stage or photos, but how do they translate in real life and what will we say about them 20 years from now?
Take a look at these makeup trends from the 1920s to the 2000s. Which decade is your favorite?
1920s Makeup Trends
1920s makeup
The 1920s makeup trends featured smaller, heart-shaped lips, thin eyebrows which were sometimes drawn down dramatically for the “sad eyes” look. Overall, women looked “pouty”.
1930s Makeup Trends
The 1930s saw a higher arched, more fuller brow and lip (thank god). Eye shadow was less heavy and long, full eyelashes were the #1 trend.
1940s Makeup Trends
The tail end of the 1930s transitioned into the 1940s, which solidified the red lip and long lash trend for quite some time. In fact, much of the makeup trends from the late 1930s thru the early-1950s barely changed at all. In the 1940s it was all about the red, full lips and fuller arched eyebrows. Eyeshadow was rarely present for daytime looks and evening shadow was always neutral with a swipe of liner on the top lid.
1950s Makeup Trends
UNITED STATES – CIRCA 1950s: Portrait of woman in evening wear and jewelry. Original caption: Actress Gene Tierney is shown tending to the coals in a fireplace. Undated. (Copyright Bettmann/Corbis / AP Images)
The 1950s makeup trends did pave the way for new looks, especially color! We saw eyebrows get even fuller (thanks to Liz Taylor), eyeshadow colors were introduced in soft pastels and lip colors expanded to pinks and corals.
1960s Makeup Trends
The 1960s really pushed the envelope with looks that reflected pop culture. Artsy, bold influences showed up on the eyes and in color palettes. The cat eye was officially mainstream and lips were pale and neutral.
1970s Makeup Trends
The 1970s were all about glow, gloss, and shimmer. We saw more glam makeup emerge in this era for nighttime wear, and daytime makeup was usually fresh and natural with just a swipe of gloss and bold lashes. The trend of under eyeliner also became ‘a thing’ and expanded into the 1980s.
1980s Makeup Trends
This is where things got crazy. Much like the bold looks of the 60s, the 80s took a lot of its inspiration from British pop and punk. The result was bold eyeshadow colors and heavy eyeliner that would sweep all the way to the temples. It was so yikes.
1990 Makeup Trends
The 90s came and saved us from any eyeshadow color that wasn’t brown or tawny. And lips were darker and more on the natural sienna or burgundy spectrum. Eyebrows became a thing again, and we took to over-plucking sometimes! Overall, nothing too terribly cringe-worthy though. I can honestly look back at my photos from the 90s and not be too embarrassed by my makeup choices.
2000s Makeup Trends
The early aughts is when we started glowing–and we’ve never looked back! In fact, we’ve increased the wattage over the years to shimmer, highlight and glitter as makeup has never seen before. I wonder what we’ll think about all this glam makeup look 10 years from now? From around 2010, to about now, this is what we’ve seen makeup trends evolve into:
