If the 1960’s popularized the vintage look, characterized by heavy makeup, the onset of the 1970’s brought with it a penchant for a more natural look. Unlike the heavily made-up look that was very typical of the previous decades, the emphasis on one particular part of the face such as the eyes or the lips was replaced by trying to achieve a more natural look.  (freebeautytips) Very minimal eye makeup replaced thick eye makeup and heavily-lined eyes. Black kohl-lined eyes soon became dated. Eye shadow shades were worn much lighter to achieve a more natural effect. There was very little to no usage of mascara. Eyeliner and mascara were used not to achieve a certain look but just to lengthen lashes and open up the eyes a bit.  Blue eye makeup became so last season. These tools were used to enhance the features and no longer layered to pull off a certain type of appearance.  Natural looking lips replaced the pale, nude and bright lipstick colors of the past.  Cheeks heavily tinted with blush became a thing of the past, with most of the women, and even men, opting for a more natural, tanned look. The blush of this decade was more of a golden all over glow.  (freebeautytips) During the 1970’s, the “surfer” look became popular. The beach culture became very predominant. The perfect tan became the most sought-after fashion accessory. The baked look was achieved either by spending hours in the sun to get bronzed or by faking it using tanning beds. It was also during this period skin bronzers became popular. Tanning lotions flew off the shelves. The vibe of this decade was more of a natural, “fresh off the beach” appearance, although a lot would look a bit “orange” from the improper application of tanning lotions.  The people of this decade wanted to give the impression that they baked under the sun for hours to get the glow they exuded.  (freebeautytips) Women wore less foundation. Those who did use foundation did not follow it up with powder like they did during the past. To dust loose powder after using foundation would lend a more matte texture. Not dusting the face after applying foundation would result in a shinier face, which was more natural looking. The face of this decade was that of a dewy, more natural look.  (freebeautytips) Individualistic, polished, sophisticated 1990’s The decades that came before the 1990s had people very conscious about fashion. During the 1990’s it seemed that people we’re to “tired” to pay too much attention to trends as they did in the recent years.  (Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia) The 1980’s was about exaggerated glamour.  The 1990’s was very casual and laid-back. Emphasis was on comfort, simplicity and less on flamboyance. People wore more jeans and everyone favored easy to manage, wash-and-wear hair.  There is a bit of parallelism between the makeup trends of the 1970’s and 1990’s because both decades were reminiscent of the no-natural looking no-makeup look. The prevailing look was always paired with matte makeup. The foundation was matte and matched the skin tone. As opposed to the soft dewy look of the 1970’s, 1990’s makeup was strong, clean and polished. Strong, earthy lip colors reminiscent of grunge to gothic were the more favored shades for lipstick. During the 90’s the grunge was popular. Matte makeup was back, strong, rich earth tones were in vogue as far as makeup was concerned. There was very minimal to no eye makeup. Colors for eye makeup were neutral and usually coordinated with the lip color. Popular lip colors included strong earthy reds that were more towards the browns. Unlike the previous decades where there was a distinct style where hair and makeup are concerned, the 90’s look was simple, manageable, and polished. The look was designed for the career woman who had to look good and was always on the go.  With more women who chose to pursue their careers, the world of fashion and beauty followed to suit the needs of the modern, empowered women.  Women learned how to quickly apply makeup in a few minutes. (Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia) The preceding years or decades saw women of all ages pile on makeup and beauty products. The women of the 1990’s were more concerned about real beauty and not fashion. The women of the past decades would layer on the makeup, go about their daily business in heavy makeup. This was a far cry in the 1990s. Consumers of this era would opt for enhancing their natural appearance through the use of products that were much lighter and kinder to the skin. This era gave the rise to makeup formulas that promised to cover imperfections without having to use too much products. Cosmetic formulas not only gave the desired coverage but also guaranteed to make one’s skin look more radiant and lighter. Some brands would even claim to diminish the appearance of wrinkles and other flaws. Most of the makeup lines that were created by the top makeup artists and beauty icons of that time and are still very big in the present were launched during this period. Fashion and beauty experts would remember Bobbi Brown and Iman among the names that became big hits during the 90’s fashion era. (Channel 4) Women also paid more attention to the looks of celebrities and would often request hair stylists and makeup artists cut their hair and to make them look like the stars that they admire. The 1990’s was the time when the television comedy sitcom “Friends” became a hit. The more popular looks during this time included those of Jennifer Aniston and her co-stars Courtney Cox and Lisa Kudrow. During that time, Aniston sported the now famous “Rachel” cut. Hair was either worn straight with some bangs or cut with layers. The 90’s wouldn’t be the 90’s without the Spice Girls. With the all-female English pop group entering the entertainment scene in the mid 90’s, the looks of each of the girls in the group became popular. Women would want to look sweetly sexy like Emma Bunton as “Baby Spice”, polished and sophisticated like Victoria Beckham or “Posh Spice”, sporty and fresh like Melanie Chisholm or “Sporty Spice” , and dark and exotic like Melanie Brown, also known as “Scary Spice”  (Wikipedia) The different looks that each of the Spice Girls made popular also gave rise to individualism or developing own’s one style when it comes to fashion and makeup.  (Wikipedia) More than being stars in the big and small screen, actors and actresses increasingly became the more popular and more watched fashion icons. Whatever they wore and however they looked became the prevalent trend of the era. Hollywood actors and actresses became fashion and beauty icons alongside the supermodels of the runway. Actresses started to grace the covers of fashion magazines more during the 1990s. This observable fact still continues until the present time (Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia) Works Cited Channel 4. 1990s. 2007. 18 June 2007 freebeautytips. 1970s Style Disco Makeup and Era Fashions that have a Vintage Flair. 2007. 17 June 2007 <http://www.freebeautytips.org/70smakeup.html>. Wikipedia. Spice Girls . 2007. 18 June 2007 <http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Spice_Girls>. Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia. 1990s in fashion. 2007. 17 June 2007 <http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1990s_in_fashion>.