Eighties Saturated
Blush to the temple and colour everywhere. 5 steps, roughly 15 minutes, rated moderate.
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The eighties had no interest in subtlety. Blush swept from the cheek to the temple, shadow in colours that exist nowhere in nature, and a bold, full brow.
Worn straight it is a costume. Pick two of the three elements and it becomes a genuinely striking modern look.
What you will need
- A bright blush in fuchsia or coral
- A saturated purple or blue shadow
- A complementary lighter shade for the brow bone
- A dark liner
- A bold brow pencil
- A bright fuchsia lipstick
No specific brands. Any version of each will behave the same way.
Full brows first
Fill the brows generously with short strokes and take them slightly straighter and fuller than your usual shape.
The eighties brow was strong and relatively flat, and getting it in place first sets the proportion for everything else.
Tip
Fill along the bottom edge rather than the top. It builds strength without lowering the arch.
Colour on the lid, edge to edge
Sweep a saturated purple or blue across the lid and take it up toward the brow bone rather than stopping at the crease.
Blend the top edge but let the colour stay obviously colourful. Muting it defeats the entire purpose.
Tip
Press a damp brush into the shadow for the first layer. Bright shadows are usually far more pigmented when damp.
A lighter shade under the brow
Add a lighter, complementary shade under the arch and blend where the two meet so there is a visible gradient.
Two visible colours on one lid is very much the point here rather than a mistake.
Tip
Pick two shades from the same family, like violet and lilac. Two unrelated brights will turn grey where they meet.
Blush from cheek to temple
Take a bright blush from just below the cheekbone in a diagonal stripe up toward the temple and hairline.
Blend the edges but keep the direction obvious. That diagonal sweep is the single most recognisable eighties detail.
Tip
Angle the stripe upward, not straight across. A horizontal blush widens the face; the diagonal one lifts it.
A bright, defined lip
Line and fill in a bright fuchsia or coral that picks up something from the blush, keeping the edge sharp and defined.
The lip should be as loud as the eye. Softening it now would unbalance everything above.
Tip
Wearing this outside a party? Keep the eye and brow, and swap the lip for a soft rose. The look stays bold but becomes wearable.
See it on your own face first.
Two minutes of questions, one optional photo, and this look gets rendered onto your own colouring before you spend anything.
Common questions
Keep two elements and drop the third. A bright lid with a modern soft blush and a nude lip is striking and entirely wearable.
Reach for the opposite side of the colour wheel. Purple lifts green eyes, warm coppers and oranges lift blue, and almost anything saturated works with brown.
On most faces, yes, as long as it starts below the cheekbone and travels up. It is a lifting placement, which is why it keeps coming back.