1970s makeup: a bronzed, glossy disco glow

The signature details

• Warm, bronzed and glowing skin
• Blush placed high and swept toward the temples
• Earthy or shimmering lids
• A glossy, sheer lip

What you need

• Sheer foundation or skin tint
• Matte bronzer
• Peach, coral or terracotta blush
• Warm brown and gold shimmer eyeshadows
• Brown mascara or black for evening
• Tinted lip gloss

Any brand works; match the shades to your coloring.

Two moods of the decade

The early 1970s moved away from the painted 1960s face toward a natural, outdoorsy glow: freckles allowed to show, soft brows left full, and bronzer to fake a tan. Later in the decade disco brought the opposite: frosted and metallic lids, glitter, and lips with a high shine under club lights.

You can wear either mood with the same base. Build warmth and glow on the skin first, then decide whether the eyes stay soft and earthy for day or turn metallic for night.

Placing bronzer and blush

Put bronzer where the sun would naturally catch you: the top of the forehead, the tops of the cheekbones and the bridge of the nose. Then sweep blush from the cheekbone up toward the temple in one soft band, which is the period's signature placement. On deeper skin, choose a bronzer with red-brown depth so it does not look gray, and a terracotta or brick blush. The skin tone guide lists shade families for each depth.

How to do 1970s makeup, step by step

1. Keep the base sheer. Apply a skin tint or sheer foundation only where you need it so your natural skin and freckles show through.
2. Bronze the high points. With a large brush, sweep matte bronzer across the top of the forehead, the cheekbones and lightly down the nose.
3. Sweep the blush up. Apply peach, coral or terracotta blush on the cheekbones and blend it upward toward the temples in a soft band.
4. Warm the eyes. Blend a warm brown through the crease and over the lid. For evening, press a gold or bronze shimmer onto the center of the lid with a fingertip.
5. Soft, full brows. Brush the brows up and fill only gaps; 1970s brows were natural rather than sharply shaped.
6. Mascara. Brown mascara keeps the day version soft; black adds definition for night.
7. Gloss the lips. Finish with a tinted gloss in peach, nude or warm pink so the lips look wet and sheer.

Common mistakes

• Bronzer that is too gray or too orange for your skin, which looks muddy instead of sun-kissed.
• Heavy, full-coverage foundation that hides the glow the decade is known for.
• Placing blush low on the cheeks rather than sweeping it up.
• Glitter on the whole face; keep shine to the lids and the tops of the cheekbones.

More decade looks

BeforeAfter

1980s makeup

1980s makeup is loud and colorful: bright eyeshadow such as electric blue, purple or fuchsia carried up toward the brow, strong blush draped along the cheekbones, bold full brows and a vivid pink, fuchsia or red lip.

How to do 1980s makeup

BeforeAfter

1960s makeup

1960s mod makeup puts all the attention on graphic eyes: a dark line drawn in or above the crease, thick upper lashes, painted or false lower lashes and a pale lid, balanced by a pale nude or soft pink lip.

How to do 1960s makeup

All faces shown are AI-generated fictional models, not real people.

Related guides

• Makeup shades for your skin toneBlush, lip and eyeshadow shade families for fair, light, medium, tan, dark and deep skin, plus how to check your undertone and match foundation.
• Which makeup look fits the occasion?Choose a makeup look by occasion: business for work, soft glam for daytime events, evening glam and smokey eyes for nights out, and bronze goddess for summer.