As far back as ancient Egypt, women used kohl — a thick, dark ancient eyeliner — to line their eyes and give them a better shape. In the thousands of years since, beauty trends have evolved greatly. Let’s take a look at popular beauty trends over the last 200 years.
Victorian Era (Late 1700s/1800s)
Wealthy society in the Victorian era believed pale skin to be the standard of beauty for women. “Women used lead-based products to achieve a pale complexion, unaware of the severe health risks associated with lead poisoning,” according to Reviva Labs, a global natural skin care company.
Additionally, women went to extreme lengths to achieve the perfect figure by using the corset, a fitted garment that laced up and tightened the waist just below the breastbone. Unfortunately, corsets create detrimental health effects. Reviva Labs explained that “the tight lacing of corsets caused physical deformities, compressed organs and restricted breathing.”
Late 1800s
Starting out as hot tongs powered over an open flame, the curling iron became popular during this period. It is believed to have been created by French hairdresser Marcel Grateau, according to Wenzhou Pritech Industrial. In 1888, the first hair dryer was designed — a then massive machine used with a tube — by Alexandre Ferdinand Godefroy, a French salon owner, according to AENO, a smart home appliance company.
Additionally, Madame CJ Walker and Marjorie Joyner were two African American entrepreneurs who used their expertise to create products for different textured hair, according to Avenue Five Institute.
1920s
The Flapper era emphasized tightly curled coils for women as well as red lipstick, nail polish, dark eye makeup and tanned skin, said Brillare Beauty.
“In the Roaring Twenties, [during the Dapper Gentlemen era] men embraced impeccably tailored suits, polished shoes and neatly trimmed hair — a trendsetting era for men’s hair styling,” according to Bulldogskincare.com
Fashion designer Coco Chanel was a huge influence in the beauty industry, creating the influential and iconic Chanel No. 5 fragrance. Chanel also created her highly popular lipstick collection. According to Vogue, “Unlike its mass counterparts, the creamy formula was ultra-pigmented, yet decidedly wearable.”
1930s and 40s
Women began painting on stockings due to the shortage of materials from the Great Depression and World War II. Practical styles also became more important as people needed shorter hair due to service in factories or in the armed services. The iconic ribbon scarf seen on Rosie the Riveter was a popular style. In addition, Max Factor created pancake makeup for the movie industry, which then found its way to the everyday woman.
“The 1940s era brought about hairspray, relaxers and other new styling products,” according to LKN Magazine. “Beauty shops became the go-to- place for women to escape from their mundane lives to get pampered and indulge in gossip.”
1950s
Perfectly manicured and arched eyebrows were the centerpiece of a made-up face, with women often emphasizing their brows with powders and pencils, according to Medusa’s Makeup, a vegan cosmetics company. LKN Magazine noted that “both hair and makeup reached new levels of popularity in the 1950s, with red lipstick, heavy eye makeup and bouffant hairstyles coming into fashion.”
1960s
The early 1960s was influenced by the model Twiggy with her wide eyes, heavy eye makeup and very slender figure. False eyelashes also became extremely prevalent. Artists like the Beatles popularized longer hairstyles for men. Women’s hairstyles included beehives, pixie cuts and long flat-ironed hair.
First Lady Jackie Kennedy’s iconic style of manicured and elegant suits was popular in the early 60s. The styles of London brought the minidress and miniskirts into the forefront for women and tight-fitting suits for men. Then, the late 60s saw the rise of the Hippie era with maxiskirts and Bohemian prints and clothes.
1970s and 80s
The 1970s had two different styles of beauty for women. One was a more natural look in line with the women’s liberation movement. The other was an explosion of colors and makeup styles from the disco movement. Popular fashion in the 70s included bell bottoms, prairie dresses, sparkly tops, Saturday Night Fever style suits with wide lapels and sparkly tops appropriate for disco nights out.
The 1980s was influenced by the punk rock movement, which meant bigger and wilder hair like big bangs and mohawks. 80s fashion saw lots of neon and Lycra spandex as well as sequins, shoulder pads and high waisted jeans. “Leather jackets, gold chains, ripped jeans, snapbacks and band t-shirts were all part of this edgy style that rejected conformity,” according to the Fashionisto, a men’s fashion and lifestyle magazine.
“Brightly colored eyeshadow, blush and lipstick blossomed during [the 1980s],” according to the Brillare Beauty Institute.
1990s and 2000s
The 1990s Grunge era meant lots of flannels and tee shirts. Movies like “Clueless” influenced the schoolgirl look. Stores like the Gap and Abercrombie & Fitch Co. represented a preppy and casual look for everyone, according to The Fashion History Timeline, an open-access source for fashion history knowledge. 90s makeup trends embraced nudes and browns as well as glitter and metallic eyeshadows. The thin eyebrow was all the rage. Jennifer Aniston’s “The Rachel” haircut and Demi Moore’s short cut popularized in “Ghost” were among the hottest hair trends.
2000s fashion continued this casual look with low rise jeans, yoga pants and cargo pants. Music genres like hip hop and emo rock also influenced 2000s fashion. 2000s hairstyles embraced chunky highlights, butterfly clips and choppy layers.
2010s and Today
Trends that began in the 2010s that we still see today include balayage, ombré hair colors, beachy waves and man buns. The brow became bold again. Women began to contour and highlight their makeup, embrace fuller lips and decorate their nails with flair.
Today, one recent and welcomed beauty trend is more inclusivity with regards to shades of makeup, products for different kinds of hair and skincare products for people of all ages. More men have also begun to use makeup, which has been celebrated in the media.
What goes around comes around — so we won’t be surprised to see a past beauty trend come back again… only time will tell.
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