Inspired By The Runway: '70s Beauty Today
The look at Tom Ford’s spring 2015 runway show. (Photo: Imaxtree)
Every season it seems like all the fashion designers have a secret meeting to decide on a decade (or two) to revive and this season, it was the 1970s. We’re talking denim flares, silk peasant blouses, fringe skirts, and flirty dresses. Backstage, the beauty teams were also channeling that ‘70s vibe. We saw super shags at Tom Ford, Studio 54 waves at Emilio Pucci, and tiny star tattoos (that immediately had us thinking of David Bowie) on model’s cheeks at Tommy Hilfiger.
We asked Sarah Graalman, an editorial makeup artist, who also works with PreDame (a service that sends a makeup team to you — at home or at a hotel — to get you ready for a night out on the town), to tell us how to get those cool ‘70s beauty looks at home.
Disco Diva
“When I think of ‘70s makeup, I think of flawless, matte skin,” says Graalman. “Eyes in that era were big, sexy, and dynamic. Heavy, dynamic colors blended out in a buffed out cat-eye fashion. Think of early Cher or Debbie Harry from Blondie.” Graalman recommends a mix of smoky, matte shadows and bright, glittery colors. “I often recommend my clients towards MAC shadows, which are high in pigment and have high quality durability,” she says. “You can make your own palette of shadows at a store, or buy on of thes ready-made palettes they have in rotation. Any combo of dark matte and shiny will do.”
When asked to do a ‘70s disco-inspired look, Graalman looks to Saturday Night Fever and to Michelle Pfeiffer in Scarface. “She [Pfeiffer] has a heavy blush contour, which is the area just below where 'typical’ blush is applied.” To nail the application, suck in your cheeks, and apply your blush along the line that forms from your hairline down across your face. “Laura Mercier bronzers are top notch when it comes to adding contour to a blush,” says Graalman. “I often take a pop of a pink blush, then cut just underneath it for a blush contour.”
When it comes to lips, Graalman says it’s all about the gloss. “Feel free to us a pink or peachy gloss with glitter. On a disco floor, you wanted colors that popped under the flashy lighting.” She recommends Bite’s line of glosses and lipsticks — not only do the pack serious color but they also have that perfect disco sheen.
Kendall Jenner at the Emilio Pucci spring 2015 runway show. (Photo: Imaxtree)
The ‘70s Palette
To get that classic flower child look, Graalman suggests using a matte foundation and focusing on the eyes. Her go-to for super lashes? The cult classic Maybelline Great Lash ($5). When it comes to your color palette, use a little bit of restraint — think browns, rust colors and black. For lips, go for less gloss than the disco look. “Try a bolder lip, maybe a plum that has more brown than purple tones in it,” she says. Graalman recommends you start by lining the lips cleanly with a plum or brown-peach pencil. Try Make Up For Ever Aqua Waterproof Lipliner Pencil ($19).
The beauty look at the spring 2015 Tommy Hilfiger show. (Photo: Imaxtree)
Glam Rock
“It should be creative, sexy, rebellious, and bold,” says Graalman, who credits David Bowie for giving us that glam rock look. “This is a great era to experiment with. It’s when glamour met rebellion in the make-up world.” Graalman suggests playing with glitter on the eyes and lips or creating a sexy, slightly punk smoky eye. Of course, a few stars never hurt either. “There aren’t a lot of rules, in my opinion,” she says.
Sarah recommends trying MAC Pro’s glitter and pigment pots, for making shapes and adding glittery dimension to the face. For an extra punch, she Graalman says to take some of the pigments and blend the glitter in with your lipstick.
