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If Allure threw a party at Studio 54 in 1979, the room would be filled with ’70s makeup trends like glittery eye shadows, bushy natural brows, and graphic white eyeliner. (Bianca Jagger would have been invited, but we’d ask her to leave her white horse at home.) If we threw that same party again in 2025, we’d expect to see some familiar looks in the room.
The ’70s brought us disco, the women’s liberation movement, and Charlie’s Angels, so it’s only fitting that this groovy era would have spawned beauty trends that could still hold their own on TikTok. Would-be Fleetwood Mac groupies will relish in bare skin and thick, natural brows. Clubgoers will love bringing back glitter and spiked lower lashes. And Farrah Fawcett herself would approve of the pastel eye shadows and dewy foundation.
To help us bring these trends into 2025, we asked the pros to break down the best ’70s makeup trends and the must-have products to get the look.
Flushed cheeks
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It’s not just any blush. It’s blushy blush—the kind of color you’d get after drinking a Harvey Wallbanger and a few hours on the dance floor. “It gives a youthful, healthy appearance, and it’s perfect for adding some character to your makeup without having to learn any precise technique,” says makeup artist Michael Anthony, who likes a buildable cream blush for this look. “It's easier to add more blush than to take it away, so start with a small amount and build up the color gradually until you achieve your desired intensity,” he says. “Focus on the upper mid-face and across the bridge of the nose.”
Anthony likes YSL Make Me Blush Blurring Liquid Blush, a super-pigmented and blendable formula that he recommends building up with a sponge or your fingers. Pinky Nude is the same natural color you’d get from a night of heavy disco.
He also recommends Rhode Pocket Blush, a silky stick with hydrating ingredients like peptides and tamanu oil. We like Spicy Marg, which is a bit punchy for more of a head-turning flush.
Pearly shadow
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Shimmery, pearly lids are in the flower child starter kit (with long, wavy hair, micro braids, and a flower crown). While an allover wash of frost is a quick and easy way to get the look, makeup artist Jenny Patinkin also likes just a bit of light-catching shadow in the corners of the eyes or along the lower lash line for a more subtle touch.
The R.E.M. Beauty Midnight Shadows Lustrous Liquid Shadow in Lab Coat is the perfect frosty shadow and can be blended over the lid with your finger. And the Makeup By Mario Master Crystal Reflector powder shadow in Quartz will still give that summer-of-love magic, but it's a bit easier to control than a liquid. If you want more, you can always add it. Patinkin recommends applying the shadow before your undereye concealer, in case any shimmer sprinkles onto your cheeks during application.
Crease shadow
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“Unblended crease liner was the [’70s] precursor to the cut-crease trend,” says Patinkin. To get the look, apply a swipe of deeply pigmented shadow in the socket and resist the urge to blend the edges. Then choose color number two and apply it just to the lid. The result has a groovy, two-tone effect with lots of depth.
A pre-paired shadow duo will help take the guesswork out of mixing and matching colors. We like Nars Cosmetics Duo Eyeshadow in Kuala Lampur (a deep berry) in the crease and a shimmery rose gold on the lid.
Metallic shadows give more of a ’70s Bond girl look. Any two shadows in the Divine Bronze Luxe Quad: Venusian Sunrise—a bronzy quad palette—would give femme fatale. For the most contrast, try the dark brown in the crease and a wash of ivory below.
Blue eye shadow
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Says makeup artist Natalie Dresher, “Blue eye shadow gives chic PanAm flight attendant,” a glamorous, pond-hopping dream job in the ’70s. (The haul from London to Cozamel is always sexier with a chilled cocktail in hand.) It also happens to be a cheeky look in 2025, whether you keep it simple with a wash of baby blue or smoke out a swipe of deep blue eyeliner with a matching shadow.
Dresher recommends Stila Stay All Day Smudge and Set Waterproof Gel Eyeliner in Electric Lapis as the base for a nighttime look. Apply along lash lines and use your fingers or a dense shadow brush to diffuse the edges.
Complete the look with a similar rock ’n’ roll blue eye shadow like the Diorshow Mono Couleur in Blue Bayadère. And, if you want to redirect that PanAm flight into outer space, add a prismatic eye gloss for a look with even more shine.
Thick eyeliner
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Seventies-era Cher would never turn her nose up at an eyeliner moment, and in 2025, neither should you. Patinkin recommends sketching your desired shape with an eye pencil before going all-in with pigment. It will save you some serious heartache if you mess up.
The Urban Decay 24/7 Waterproof Waterline Eyeliner Pencil glides on easily and stays put for hours, which is essential considering the thickness of your lines. Once the shape is in place, fill in the gaps with the Armani Beauty Eye Tint Long-Lasting Liquid Eyeshadow in Ebony. The applicator has a sharp precision tip, but you could also use a smudge brush if you have more real estate to cover.
Monochromatic makeup
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Though the ’70s brought us a wide variety of makeup looks, they pretty much fell into one of two distinct vibes: the sparkle and excess of disco (your Donna Summers and Chaka Khans) or beachy Endless Summer (where you’d find your Goldie Hawns and Jaclyn Smiths). For the latter, simple, monochromatic makeup was key to looking youthful, natural, and sweet, like you were born on a beach and never left. It’s an easy trend to do in 2025: Look for multisticks that you can use on your lips, cheeks, and eyes, and use your hands to apply and blend.
If you could look up the perfect beach babe pink in the dictionary, Westman Atelier Baby Cheeks Blush Stick in Coquette would be pictured. The multistick looks great on the cheeks and lips with just a swipe or two of mascara to top it off.
Ilia Multi-Stick's hydrating formula is especially great for sensitive skin (thanks to avocado oil and shea butter) and comes in a few colorways that would bring the ’70s into 2025. A Fine Romance is great for a deeper, sexier flush, and Dear Ruby makes for something more cheerful.
Frosted lips
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Imagine being at the state fair with a swirl of cotton candy on a stick. If you just barely pressed your lips to the spun sugar, you might come away with that same sparkly, frosted, baby-pink color on your mouth. Luckily, Dresher says this ’70s look is trending in 2025, and you can buy it in a tube. Fenty Beauty by Rihanna Gloss Bomb Universal Lip Luminizer in $weetmouth is a dead ringer for the confection.
Freckles
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If your ’70s vibe is more “Summer Breeze” than “Saturday Night Fever,” a smattering of freckles across bare skin is all you need. Unfortunately, not all of us have been blessed with such natural cuteness, but there are ways to fake it (or even add more to your existing collection).
Freck OG is just subtle enough to tickle your nose with specks (too dark and it’ll look like your mascara exploded on your face). You can use a brown liquid (like this one in Big Truffle) or gel eyeliner to get the same freckle-smattered effect. A harder pencil will create uniform dots that won’t look natural.
Statement lower lashes
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If your upper lashes are the lead single on the album, your lower lashes are the underrated B-side. We often overlook them, but they’re sometimes even sexier than the hits. To get Ivy Getty’s ’70s Cher-inspired lashes, Patinkin recommends starting with a tubing mascara to avoid a wet, clumpy mess. "Point the applicator at a perpendicular angle to the eye and swipe mascara back and forth over the lower lash line," she says. If you want an even more dramatic spike, Patinkin recommends using small tweezers to pinch sections of lashes together into little packets of spikes.
“Caliray’s mascara works well for this look because you can control the application without getting big, wet blobs,” says Patinkin. “I find that it doesn’t flake off throughout the day.” Some of us don’t have the patience to flip the record over for the B-side (isn’t that what Spotify is for?) If that’s you, a pre-spiked lower lash strip will save you the time and effort.
White eyeliner
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Nothing pairs with a pair of bell-bottoms quite like cheeky white eyeliner. "Even the slightest bit can be so impactful when strategically placed," says makeup artist Kristine Studden. Line the inner corner of the eye to widen, the water line to open it up, create a white flick for a wink of fun, or try a negative-space liner for something graphic like Janelle Monáe. "The options are endless," says Studden.
Studden likes this trusty MAC liner in Pure White. "The color is really rich and pigmented, so it pops off the skin," she says. A pencil works especially well for inner corners and water lines. If you’re looking to create a sharp flick or play with more abstract shapes, a crisp liquid liner pen will glide on more easily. Stila’s Stay All Day Waterproof Liquid Eye Liner is a fan favorite.
Soft pink lips
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Every decade has its own pink. The ‘50s were filled with baby pink poodle skirts. The ’80s were all about neon. Millennials even have their own chewed-bubblegum pink. In the ’70s, pink was a soft, satiny, almost-nude shade. Charlie’s Angels pink. "Blow a kiss and beat the bad guys" pink. A ’70s pink lip is the perfect trend to bring into 2025 because there’s a hue for every skin tone. Not sure which pink is right for you? Reach for a color-changing balm (like Prada Balm in Astral Pink) that changes with your lips' pH.
Pastel eye shadow
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Somewhere during our Palm Royale binge watch, we developed a hankering for poolside vacations and pastel eye shadow. The Palm Springs vacation is pretty pricey, so we’re sticking with the sugar-sweet color wash shadow trend in light blues, lavenders, and pinks. (Pair this trend with the pink lips from above, and Charlie will make you an honorary Angel.)
Pastels, by nature, tend to disappear into the skin. To give the color some punch, Carrillo says start by covering the lids with a white primer or eyeliner. Then, pack on your eye shadow. This e.l.f. palette hits all the trendy ’70s hues—denim blue, lilac, sage, and then some.
Dewy foundation
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Foundation in the ’70s was hydrated and dewy, like you had just spent the afternoon at the roller rink and had a light glisten going. You know, the sexy kind. Not the drenched-in-sweat kind. "Dewy is and forever will be the fountain of youth," says Carrillo, who adds that a damp Beautyblender will help to keep things light.
Carrillo applies a buildable foundation with a "gorgeous sheen" on the face, ears, neck, and décolleté. For an extra “ABBA just came on and I hit the rink hard glow,” dab this shimmer-free highlighter along the cheekbones for a touch of sweet dewiness.
Bushy brows
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The "’70s bush" wasn’t a term coined for brows, but a bushy brow has ’70s free-spirit energy. In 2025, we curate where they land a bit more. "Just brush your brows lightly into place with gel," says Patinkin. “Step away from the tweezers.”
Patinkin highly recommends this clear brow gel. "It gives great hold without drying stiff or crispy," she says. If your brows are a lighter color or even just a little sparse, a saturated tinted brow gel like Glossier’s Boy Brow will help to give a bushier look without having to painstakingly paint on individual hairs.
Bronzed skin
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The very first Sports Illustrated swimsuit issue was printed in 1964. By the 1970s, the special edition was already a cultural phenomenon with icons like Cheryl Tiegs and Christie Brinkley gracing the cover. Many turned to tanning beds and SPF-less tanning oil to get that sandy, ’70s surfer look. We’re a lot smarter now about achieving our beach babe aesthetic. "I love a bronzed look, but only when it’s from a bottle and it mimics the look of tanned skin with products that add that bronzy glow," says makeup artist Dani Kimiko Vincent.
This gradual tanning lotion has won Allure’s Readers' Choice Award for self-tanner many, many times over, thanks to ease of application (no gloves required). For the face, Vincent recommends this moisturizing tint, "which can be used alone or mixed into your moisturizer or SPF for some added glow."
Glossy lips
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"I love the playfulness of the ’70s sheer lip gloss look," says Vincent. "It’s fun, carefree, youthful, and refreshing," like driving a Firebird with the windows down and Electric Light Orchestra on the radio. Vincent recommends reaching for a simple gloss or lip oil, but prep for this trend will go a long way. “As with any lip product application, it begins with exfoliated lips so there are no snags in the finish.”
Vincent likes the Dior Lip Glow Oil, a glassy, thick gloss that comes in several nude and sheer shades with a touch of shimmer. "These lip oils are nonsticky and have a rich, balmy texture," says Vincent. "I love the mirror gloss shine and the lip-caring formula," which includes nourishing cherry oil.
Bare skin
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If Janis Joplin wrote for Allure, she’d be singing the praises of beautiful bare skin. Patinkin agrees, but understands you might have a few spots you want to hide. "Bare skin that gets just a little touch-up with concealer is a great way to balance wanting to look 'perfect' and wanting to look natural," she says. “I like to apply a creamy concealer under the eyes, around the nose, and on the chin.”
If you’re going Janis Joplin bare, all you need is a nourishing moisturizer. Studden likes the dewy shine of Creme de La Mer, either all over or used as a highlighting sheen on the cheekbones.
For a more accessible option, try this juicy, hydrating moisturizer with squalane that provides all-day hydration. If you do want to do a minor touch-up, Patinkin recommends this hydrating concealer. "It wears on the skin so nicely but still has nice coverage," she says.
Disco eyes
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If you’re looking for late-night dancing at Studio 54, glittery, shimmery disco eyes are the price of admission. "To get the look at home, finish off your eye shadow by using your finger to place a fine glitter or shimmer over the entire lid, working your way to the outer corners of the shadow," says Vincent. If you want to go all-in on glitter coat your lids with Danessa Myricks Beauty Infinite Chrome Flakes.
Bold on bold
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If a statement lip is Marilyn Monroe and a statement eye is Sophia Loren, a statement lip and a statement eye together is ’70s Diana Ross. Today, bold on bold is an even more heightened version of Diana’s look—try an orange-red lip and a smoked-out cat eye in a color of your choice. "It's just makeup. It should be fun," says Studden. If this all feels like a lot, Carrillo recommends sticking to berry tones. "Using plums and cranberries is just as dramatic as a blue eye shadow and orange lip," he says.
Studden recommends the Victoria Beckham Satin Kajal Liner in a wearable color like Smoky Quartz if you’re just dipping your toes into the bold-on-bold trend, or opt for “a fun, bright tone like Sequin Green.” Find a complementary lipstick color in a slick satin finish. We like Charlotte Tilbury's K.I.S.S.I.N.G Satin Shine Lipstick in Tell Laura, a punchy, orange-red shade like Lady Gaga's.
Cut-crease liner
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Early ’70s Twiggy made us rethink the shape of our eyeliner, and in 2025, her legacy is still seen in our youngest, freshest superstars (Olivia Rodrigo is the patron saint of Gen Z, after all). Cut-crease liner also boasts a little function with its stylish form: "One of the amazing things is it really can reshape an eye," says Carrillo. “If you have a monolid or a hooded lid, it can help to bring back depth.”
Carrillo recommends using the curve of an eyelash curler to trace your cut crease. "Kevyn Aucoin’s eyelash curler is amazing while you’re at it," he says. Because if you’re buying one for a cut crease, you may as well buy one that's great for curling lashes, too. As for your liner, we recommend the Best of Beauty-winning Lisa Eldridge Kitten Flick Liquid Liner, which has an extra-fine tip that helps create crisp lines.
Meet the experts
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- Michael Anthony is a makeup artist based in Los Angeles.
- Joseph Carrillo is a makeup artist based in New York City.
- Natalie Dresher is a makeup artist based in Miami.
- Jenny Patinkin is a makeup artist and founder of the self-titled beauty tool brand.
- Kristine Studden is a makeup artist based in Los Angeles.
- Dani Kimiko Vincent is a makeup artist and founder of the brow-grooming brand Kimiko.
