Let me be honest about 70s makeup. Half of it was disco excess we do not need back. The other half, though, is some of the most flattering, warm, sun-drenched beauty ever invented, and that half is quietly everywhere again.
Think feathered lashes, terracotta lids, glossy lips, and skin that looks like a long weekend in the sun. I have recreated these looks on a lot of faces over the years, and the secret to making any of them work today is a lighter hand and the better, creamier textures we now have to play with. Here are the 70s trends worth reviving, with how to achieve each one now and who it flatters most.
The 70s Cheat Sheet
| Look | Who it flatters | Modern tweak |
|---|---|---|
| Terracotta and earth-tone lids | Every skin tone; glows on deep skin | Cream or satin texture over chalky matte |
| Feathered lashes | Sparse or straight lashes gain softness | Curl first, comb between coats |
| Glossy vinyl lips | Any lip; great on full lips | Tint underneath so color outlasts the shine |
| Sun-kissed bronzer | Warm and deep skin especially | Sheer, buffed, placed where sun hits |
Soft, Fluttery Feathered Lashes
The 70s lash was wispy and airy, never a heavy spider fan. That softness is the whole charm, and it is the easiest place to start a retro eye.
I curl thoroughly first, then comb a lengthening mascara through from root to tip, wiggling at the base for separation. While the first coat is still tacky, I add a touch more only at the outer corners for a gentle flick.
Prefer falsies? Skip the dense strips and choose airy, crisscrossed clusters, trim them to fit, and anchor with a clear lash glue. A finishing comb keeps everything separated. A set of wispy clusters runs about ten to twenty dollars and lasts several wears.
Frosted Pastel Shimmer Eyeshadow
Frosted pastels are pure 70s, and they update easily once you swap the chalky old powders for creamier formulas. Mint, lilac, and icy blue all work. The texture is what keeps them modern.
- Use a flat brush to pack color on the lid, a fingertip to boost the center, and a fluffy brush to blur the edge.
- Press, do not sweep, so fallout stays low and the shimmer stays bright.
- On deep skin, a more pigmented layer makes pastels register, so build it up into a saturated wash.
Two myths about 70s makeup, cleared up:
❌ Myth: 70s makeup means heavy disco glitter.
✅ Reality: The wearable half of the era was soft and warm: earth tones, dewy skin, feathered lashes. The disco glitter was the costume, not the everyday.
❌ Myth: Frosted pastels only suit fair skin.
✅ Reality: They suit everyone once you build enough pigment. On deep skin, a saturated layer of lilac or mint stays bright and modern.
High-Shine Vinyl Lacquer Lips
The 70s loved a lacquered lip, and the vinyl finish is back with better staying power. The look is glossy and almost wet, the kind of shine that catches every light in the room.
Making The Shine Last
I line softly to keep the edge crisp, then layer a juicy tint under a clear gloss so the color quietly stays put long after the high shine has worn off into something softer over the course of an evening. A tap of extra gloss at the Cupid’s bow lifts the center.
Keep the rest of the face quiet so the lips headline. Blot once, then reapply for a cushiony finish. A vinyl gloss costs $7 to $16 and you top it up every couple of hours.
Warm Sun-Kissed Bronzer Sheen
Nothing says 70s like skin that looks like it caught a long weekend in the sun. The trick is believable warmth, built from a sheer base and a few light layers. One heavy tan-in-a-bottle coat is exactly what makes bronzer look muddy and worn rather than sun-warmed, so patience and thin layers do more here than any single product you can buy.
I sweep bronzer where the sun naturally lands, across the forehead, the bridge of the nose, and the tops of the cheekbones. That sun-striping looks soft when you keep the tones warm and the hand light.
- Sheer out a dewy foundation first, then press liquid bronzer along the high points.
- Melt a peachy cream blush over the top so the warmth looks like skin.
- Match the bronzer to your depth so it warms the skin; on deep skin a rich amber-bronze glows.
👍Why the 70s revival works now
- +Earth tones and warm bronzer flatter almost every skin tone.
- +Most looks are soft and forgiving, so they are beginner-friendly.
- +Better cream textures make the frosts and glosses far more wearable.
👎What to keep in check
- –Glossy and vinyl lips need topping up through the day.
- –Frosted pastels can crease if you skip a cream base under them.
- –Bronzer goes muddy fast if the shade is too cool for your skin.
Soft Graphic Crease Liner
A line of inky pigment across the socket turns the 70s eye into something graphic and a little arty. It is bolder than a lid wash, and it photographs beautifully.
Map It Before You Commit
I map the crease with a soft pencil first so I can fix the curve before committing, then lock it in with gel or liquid. Keep the lid bare or softly blurred so the line stays the focus.
Start thin, extend slightly upward at the tail, and mirror the curve on both eyes. Short strokes beat one risky swoop every time. Finish with lifted lashes for clean definition.
Terracotta Crease With Olive Shimmer
Earth tones are the most wearable 70s eye, and they feel modern on everyone. Warm terracotta in the crease adds instant depth, and an olive or mustard shimmer on the lid gives that cool, sunlit contrast.
This is my go-to when someone wants color without the commitment of a bold lid. The shades are forgiving, they suit every eye color from the palest blue to the deepest brown, and the whole thing takes about three minutes once you have the two earth tones picked out.
- Sweep a matte terracotta, brick, or rust through the crease to warm the eye.
- Tap a soft olive or mustard shimmer on the lid or inner corner for contrast.
- These earthy tones glow especially richly on deep and olive skin; see more in our glowy makeup guide.
Pick your 70s starting point by how bold you feel:
🎯Soft and easy
A terracotta crease, dewy skin, and a peachy-nude lip. Wearable to the office, done in five minutes.
🎯Full retro
A floating liner arc, frosted pastel lid, and a glossy vinyl lip. Save it for a night out.
Soft C-Shaped Lifted Flush
Draped blush is the 70s cheek, and it lifts the whole face. You pull color from the apples up toward the temples and into the hairline, tracing a soft C-shape that frames the eyes.
I map that C with a fluffy brush, then blend outward so nothing streaks. A satin finish keeps it from going flat, and the lifted placement does the sculpting for you.
- Choose a satin peach, rose, or terracotta depending on your undertone.
- Blend upward and out, then anchor the edges with a little translucent powder.
- On deep skin, a brick-rose or warm berry drapes far better than a pale pink.
Layered Dewy, Radiant Skin
The glossy 70s glow came from light-catching layers built over sheer coverage. I build it the same way today. You start with hydration and end with a mist that gives the skin some bounce, and the layering is what makes it look lit from within instead of painted on.
Glow Without The Grease
A hydrating mist goes first, then a sheer, dewy skin tint. I tap a liquid highlighter on the high points, press a cream blush over it, and spot-conceal only where I need to.
The one trick that ties it together is strategic powder. Lock shine in the T-zone but leave the cheekbones glossy, then mist at the end so it looks like real, lit skin.
🅰️Glossy vinyl lip
Shiny, juicy, and youthful, but high-maintenance. You refresh it every couple of hours and keep the tube on you.
🅱️Defined nude lip
Polished and low-fuss. Built with taupe and brown liners, it holds far longer and suits a workday better.
Taupe And Brown Overlined Glossed Lips
The most wearable 70s lip was a defined nude, and taupe and brown liners are how you build it. The definition is what makes a nude look polished rather than washed out.
I shadow softly with a taupe first, then anchor the shape with a warm brown, overlining just at the Cupid’s bow and corners for subtle fullness. Then I blend inward so there is no hard edge.
Finish with a slick of gloss so the shade melts into a plush, light-catching pout. Match the browns to your own lip depth, going deeper on richer skin. The nude lip guide covers shades for every tone.
Soft Feathered Natural Brows
The 70s brow was full, fluffy, and softly groomed, never overdrawn. That natural fullness is exactly what feels modern again now. You enhance the shape you have. You let the texture lead.
- Brush the hairs straight up with a clear gel and pinch the ends so the arch stays soft.
- Flick hairlike strokes into sparse spots with a skinny pencil, staying light-handed.
- Warm the gel between your fingers first for a soft hold that stays flexible all day.
Sheeny Metallic Lid Shimmer
When I want the lids to do the talking, a sheeny metallic wash is the fastest 70s move there is. Champagne or bronze across the mobile lid, with a brighter foil pressed at the center, gives that groovy glow in one step.
- Apply with a fingertip for the most payoff, over a thin cream base so it grips.
- Diffuse the edges so the shimmer looks modern and worn-in.
- Pair it with a muted lip, and on deep skin a warm copper foil reads brighter than champagne.
Floating Crease Liner Arc
Lifting the liner off the lash line into a slim arc through the crease is the era’s disco wink, and it still looks fresh. The floating line opens the eye in a way lash-line liner cannot, which is why I love it on hooded eyes.
- Map the curve with a taupe pencil first, then trace it in waterproof liquid for a crisp edge.
- Keep the line thin and lift it slightly higher at the tail.
- Try chocolate, forest green, or cobalt, and pair it with softly defined lashes and clean skin.
Creamy Peachy-Nude Lips
After a graphic eye, I like to calm the mouth with a peachy-nude that brightens the face. A creamy satin formula is hydrating and softly retro, and it photographs beautifully under any light.
Warmth is the whole secret here. Peach brightens the face while nude grounds it, so the two together keep the lip from going gray. The classic mistake is reaching for a flat beige.
- Exfoliate, then dab balm and let it sink in before color.
- Outline softly and blur the edges so it looks like your own lip, fuller.
- Tap a peachy nude on and add gloss at the center for dimension.
Smudged Lower-Lash Smoky Definition
The 70s lower lash line was soft, smoky, and a little rebellious. I keep it worn-in and blurred, which is what gives it that sultry, studio-backlot feeling.
Where To Build The Smoke
I smudge a creamy pencil just under the lashes, then blur it with a brush or fingertip. Keep it tight near the inner eye and let it build heavier toward the outer third for a lifted shape.
Balance it with curled lashes and minimal liner up top so the eye does not close in. Set the smoke with a taupe shadow for a stay-put haze that lasts all night.
Gilded Inner-Corner Highlight
A glint of gold at the tear duct wakes up the whole face, and it is the smallest 70s touch with the biggest payoff. A tiny pop of warmth at the inner corner makes the eyes look bright, rested, and ready for a disco that you are almost certainly not actually going to on a regular Tuesday.
Choose a cream or foil texture, tap it on lightly, and blend it softly into the bridge of the nose. The damp-finger trick keeps it from going streaky.
Shade by depth: warm gold flatters olive and medium skin, rich gold suits deep skin, and a soft champagne works on fair tones. Anchor the eye with a coat of mascara and you are done.
70s Makeup Questions People Ask
?How do I wear 70s makeup without looking like a costume?
Lean on the wearable half of the era and skip the heavy glitter. A terracotta lid, dewy skin, and a glossy lip read modern. Wear one statement at a time and keep the rest of the face soft.
?Which 70s looks flatter deep skin tones?
Earth tones are made for melanin-rich skin. Terracotta, rust, and olive lids, a rich amber bronzer, a brick-rose draped blush, and a warm gold inner corner all glow. Build frosted pastels in a more pigmented layer so they register.
?What is the easiest 70s look for a beginner?
A terracotta crease with a peachy-nude lip. The earth-tone shades are forgiving, there is no precise line to ruin, and the whole thing takes about five minutes once you have the two shades.
Bring The 70s Back, Sunnier
What I love about reviving the 70s is how warm and forgiving the wearable half of it is. Earth tones, a sun-kissed glow, soft feathered lashes, and a glossy lip flatter almost everyone and ask very little in return.
If you try one thing, make it a sheer dewy base, a terracotta wash, and a glossy lip. Then play from there: float a liner, drape a blush, or gild the inner corners. Pick the piece that makes you want to put a record on, and wear it your way.
