1970s Style Disco Makeup and Era Fashions that have a Vintage Flair

The Sixties left the coming decade with an taste for the natural, and the Seventies era particularized the “Natural Look” to makeup and hair. Hair was long, smooth, often very straight, but ideally with a flip on the ends. Think the Mary Tyler Moore show, and you've got the early to middle '70s in a nutshell. The longer hairstyles still required the large curlers (which could really damage your hair with daily use) used in the '60s to create big waves, but electric curling irons were added to the mix when Farrah Fawcett Majors became on of the decade's "It" girls. The flicked up hair cuts worn to some extent by all of Charlie's Angels was applied to bangs or wings on the sides of the head. Farrah combined flicks on both sides with a high lofted center and amazing, wavy curls in streaky golden hair. Never mind that the fabulous Angel had stylists galore to keep her look fresh and "natural"; everybody wanted to look like that. And 'that' entailed more than a superb and constantly-renewed layered haircut: it meant hours with the curling iron, plenty of hair spray or mousse and strict avoidance of anything athletic, outdoorsy or the least bit—well, you know—natural.

1970s make-up styles had a natural, surfer appeal

Along with the "natural" hair of the '70s came a natural look in skin and cosmetics. Earlier decades had made fashionable the dead white complexion, the flawless matte of a movie star skin, and the rosy blush of innocence through the magic of foundation. In the Seventies, it was cool to resemble to surfers at Venice Beach: an all over tan, a golden glow around the face, and minimal looking make up were the things to strive for. Bronzers made an appearance, fake tanning fluids turned thousands of young women bright orange, and women who today look with alarm at the spots appearing on middle aged skin laid out all summer covered all too lightly in a bikini and a slick coat of baby oil.

1970s makeup mavens lightened up on the eye makeup, with mascara nearly disappearing for daywear except for something to lengthen, not necessarily thicken the eyelashes. White or pale blue eyeliner was sometimes used on the inside lid to make the eyes appear larger, but dark eyeliners were out of fashion. Pearlescent colors were popular for eye shadow, nail polish and lipstick, and liquid eye shadows became the rage. When foundation was worn at all, it was not matted down with powder, but left alone to shine a bit.