What historical beauty trend would you love to see make a comeback? Share!
Honestly, I’m not very knowledgeable about historical beauty trends, so I don’t have anything that comes to mind for this question! I look forward to reading all of your answers, though 🙂
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I would like to see the vibrant matte & deep lip colours from the 50’s, the matte face powder from the 50’s only with our 2014 ingredients & technology ! As for hair, victory rolls from the 40’s, short severe bobs from the 20’s & just plain au natural hair from the late 60′ to early 70’s.
Elizabethan collars or “whisks”. It looks ridiculously fabulous, keeps jerks away with its pointy ends, AND gives you a whole lot of personal space. 😀 Hahaha!
Love it. I second this!
Thirded!
Powdered wigs. I’m kidding. 😛 I’m not too knowledgable about historical beauty trends either, but that was the first thing that came to mind.
This was my first thought! Along with beauty patches. (Powdered wigs were the reason I have always wanted grey hair and am FINALLY doing it.)
I’d love to see corsets come back – maybe not the rib cracking type, but a more relaxed modern take on it. I love the old elegance of the hourglass silouhette. But obviously that’s more fashion oriented, so if I had to pick something beauty related…hmm, probably the dark, sultry smokey eye of the 20s. I love that flapper look and wish my eyes weren’t so hooded so it’d be easier to pull off on my face. 😛
I actually know a few girls who wear corsets underneath their regular wear. They’re all young women who appreciate the feminine, romantic aesthetic so they’re always wearing dresses and corsets. You can’t really see them because they’re made to be worn worn underneath the dress, but it does take a few inches off the waist! Apparently the good ones are supposed to be quite comfortable, especially if you’re okay with belts that sit at your natural waist.
Hmm, hard to say. I feel like beauty/makeup is in an “anything goes” stage right now lol. I will say that i’m loving the 90’s brown/dark matte lips thats coming back :]
That’s what I think too, you can wear almost any style right now as long as it’s well done. Maybe not the high forehead/no eyebrows look of the Elizabethan era but almost anything else. I’m not a fan of the 90’s brown lipstick but I’m optimistic that hot pink will never really of out of fashion.
The 1950’s. Look up pictures of Marilyn Monroe, Elizabeth Taylor, Grace Kelly, and Audrey Hepburn and you will see why.
couldnt agree more!! Women were so stunning back than (not saying we arent now a days…you know what i mean)
OOH Red lips all day every day, like how it was during the 40s’ to mid 60s’.
White foundation! It eliminates the need to change the shade of foundation/other skin products from season to season, and can cover up uneven tanning.
Yes, I second this! Whenever I put on a facial masque that’s white, I always think…”If only white foundation is in.” I feel I’d look prettier with a lighter shade foundation rather than a darker. White is even better 🙂
i guess the whole milky skin/rosy cheek thing because i’m superdooperpooper pale and rosy naturally. not that i do anything to change those things (my complexion is one of my favorite physical things about myself), but i do get a little annoyed when people ask if i have rosacea (nope!) or when my 12 year old cousin thinks i’m gross because i don’t have a tan.
I love that look. So Anne Hathaway.
Honestly? I quite miss some trends that were in fashion in the 90s. I love the old pictures of Jennifer Aniston with darker hair and brown lipstick. I know that some people are going to hate me for that, but that’s actually the trend I’m missing. I think that brown lipstick can look really great, especially when you have dark blond, brown oder black hair. 🙂 I don’t like the dark-lipliner-light-lipstick-trend, though. 😉
Oh my gosh i totally agree with you ..i have a whole board of this on pinterest..i miss those trends a lot lately ..the old 90210 and Friends Styles and makeup and hair.. now people just go buy their hair..and just try to keep up with the Kardashians
Matchy lightly stained cheek and lips like the victorian era! Very sweet and charming, I think we’ve lost that kind of “sexy” in our era 🙂
Rouge!
The plain (usually pale, to be honest) face with a fairly stark base, very defined blusher, minimal to no eye definition, lightly groomed brows and rosy lips – think Elizabeth I Tudor style, with the odd beauty spot, powdered wigs and lots of lace and ruffles around the neck.
It’s very stark and quite beautiful and more about the face than the makeup, I think.
20′ and 60’s make-up styles 😀 60’s kinda came back, but not totally, only the simple flick and nude lips, mostly.
Frosty lipstick! And sleek ponytails….
It’s not really a beauty trend in terms of application, but having really luxe, gorgeous compacts again would be nice. Refillable compacts that you feel like you just lifted from the V&A 😉
Ooo I agree! I know Estee Lauder do the Zodiac compacts and there’s Guerlain but I’d love there to be ones that can be refilled with your favourite brand and a wider selection 😀
Yes! I agree! Saw some on a vintage fair. So lovely. Some even had old powder in them. I can’t understand why I didn’t buy any of them. Stupid of me!
Black lip liner – lol j/k
The Pin Up look. In my opinion is the most classy look ever.
Just wearing makeup, period. I think there is value in the way women used to take pride in their appearance, like in the 50s and 60s. My grandmother ran a restaurant but managed to be a glamour queen. I’m not old fashioned by any means, but I’m so sick of looking at my plain, bare faced, tired looking colleagues at work (they have no fashion sense either). I find myself wanting to attack them with some touché éclat or something!
Amen sister!!! I feel the same way. Woman back then did take pride in doing there hair, nails matching there lipstick. Mascara, a bit of eyeshadow and rouge. Its my thing, i always throw on a face before leaving. Especially before work. When u look at old pics it seems way more women made themselves up all the time. so romantic
you know, i totally agree. a natural look is great, but i always always feel better if i am a little more polished!
plus, you NEVER know who you are going to meet.. lee miller was crossing a street in ny and was saved from being hit by a car by a stranger… who turned out to be conde nast. guess what magazine he published?
so… he put her on the cover of vogue and launched her modeling career!
I AGREE!!!!!
I don’t think that it’s fair to criticize people (I’m guessing you might mean just women) for showing their natural face. Make-up is fun to play with, but I don’t think anyone should be expected to wear it. That is no fun at all. And it’s oppressive.
Who’s to say one style is better than another? Even wearing no make-up shows personal expression and confidence (and thus beauty).
And who’s to say everyone’s goal should be to be discovered as a model?
I respect your opinions, but I disagree.
Yep, I went there.
I definitely agree with Vanessa. You want tired colleagues to look prettier and more lively? I know how you can do it instantly–try to get them to smile–a smile instantly transforms a plain and tired face.
Trends are different from requirements. Colleagues who go bare-faced and don’t dress up–these are people who could care less about trends, beauty or fashion (so clearly–they are not as beauty obsessed as we are). And that’s ok bc different people have different priorities. That’s how we have awesome things like electricity and plumbing–bc people who have different priorities invented and maintain these sorts of things.
Oh..and as far as trends–I want old Asian prints and fashions to come back. I think it would be so cool to see people on the street wearing silk jewel-toned kimonos and qipaos–possibly with big crazy hair. That would be so awesome.
I understand where all of you are coming from. I work in a research lab and almost no one puts effort in their appearance/wears makeup, but I wear a little bit of makeup every day. When I don’t, coworkers will say “you look tired.” But when I wear something more noticable I’ll for sure get a minor comment or two that makes me feel embarrassed. I don’t think this is unique to my workplace. The no makeup look in the US tries to make you look better, but without people noticing your effort, because effort is lame (and guys don’t like makeup). But in Seoull, South Korea it’s practically reversed- if you’re not trying you’re not doing your best to keep yourself up, i.e. lazy. Korea’s seem just as beauty obsessed (maybe if not more) than Americans, but the openness was slightly librerating. Bold lipstick was so common that I didn’t feel shy wearing it for the first time in public. Also people touch up/check themselves in a mirror wherever, whenever. The “looking polished” applied to clothes and hair as well…and also men. But, on the flip side- that constant upkeep looks exhausting, and obviously restricting for those who don’t want to wear makeup or take the time but feel they have to.
Also, when my Korean friend live in Seoul in college (10 yrs ago) she said girls wore less makeup, and she thinks that the younger girls these days are wearing too much makeup, so this might be a newer thing/trend. But she feels that she can dress way more casually in America than she did back then (heals/skirts/fitted shirts etc.), and she prefers it.
As a perfumista, I would like to see the big, powerhouse fragrances make a comeback. For perfumes, that’s where the legends reside, and I fear that while I love and wear the current light, airy and ethereal scents, the true, timeless masterpieces are not being created.
I could not possibly agree more. My love affair with the giant scents will never end.
RIGHT!!! Something that lasts more than 30 minutes. Something that has more than 5 notes. Something for a woman, not a teenager. Something that comes with matching body powder and body lotion. Sigh!
I like some of the extreme hairstyles that used to be fashionable, but I don’t imagine we’re going to see many Rococo pompadours or ‘geisha styles’ any time soon.
I really want the 90s brown lip trend to come back. I’ve been watching X Files and Sex and the City and other throwback shows lately and I miss it haha.
I used to love the brown lip!!
Back in the days of panniers, white skin was ideal and so black details on the face were used to enhance the whiteness of the skin. This started with beauty marks and somehow advanced to complex black paper cut out woodland scenes being displayed on one’s forehead. One woman who was famous for original scenes – all hand cut by her maid – depicted famous naval battles.
C’mon, you know you want to see that!
Wow, I’d love to see one of these, do you know of any museums where they might have them?
I have found that they’re almost always mentioned anecdotally in histoires of the period but I just spent a good hour trying to hunt down an example and can’t find anything but more anecdotes. The term is “mouche” and it would be late Rococo period if you want to try hunting.
This sounds badass!
I can’t think of one either, and I am a lot older than you!!
Maybe a question of which historical beauty trend we would NOT love to see make a comeback!?
I can think of so many make up trends from the past that I would not like to see again.
I love the teased, big hair of the 1960s, like they’ve had on Betty and Megan the last couple of seasons on “Mad Men”. I think that height at the crown is so flattering!
It’s hard to say, partially because I don’t know enough about all the different aesthetics of eras past, but also since a lot of trends are still with us today, (e.g. getting the “natural” look with the aid of makeup). But I love the topic.
I guess to answer the question (sort of) I’d like to try some of the skin care products regency women used (the ones without mercury and lead). “Milk of Roses” sounds really nice. I love rose water, though I don’t know if it actually does anything for me. I also like the idea of homemade blush and lip tint made from just a few, natural, ingredients.
Natural skin color. I believe that this has started to have a comeback the past few years, but still not universal. I take pride in my skin just as it is. Also taking pride in your appearance. Maybe even just accepting those who do take pride in their appearance.
I agree, Samantha.
Wearing makeup, styling your hair, and wearing occasion-appropriate clothes has somehow inexplicably become associated with looking or being “old.”
I’ve taken pride in my appearance since I was a teen, and I’m not about to stop now! 🙂
I want the 80s back. I’m talking the full-on bright makeup colors and untamed brows and most especially the sort of sci-fi aesthetic of the 80s with the blocks of bright color. Think blade runner or max headroom. I want THAT back.
Me too!!!
In the 18th century, beauty marks made of velvet cut into shapes like hearts and stars were popular. I always thought that was a cool idea! I should make myself some.
I’d use them to cover up my pimples, just like they did to cover up their pockmarks… My face would be a constellation of stars!
I was thinking something along those line too!
i’d say big elaborate updos! it seems like we’ve forgotton how to do updos unless it’s a bun or french twist. anything from roccoco craziness to victorian elegence1
I would like to see the beauty trend come back of more women wearing makeup. Not all contoured, highlighted, and winged out eyeliner, just enough to enhance your looks.
Im on board with bringing back the 90’s matte and neutral look with updated formulations. I love seeing jenni Garth and tori spelling rock it out on 90210! On a sentimental note, I was born in the early 80’s and during my childhood I always got into trouble for playing with my aunts frosty aqua eyeshadow. I dont think that was a good look by any means but it would be fun to bring it back for a minute.:)
Quite honestly, I don’t concern myself with what’s on trend when it comes to makeup. I’ll wear what I like anytime. I also don’t like doing what everyone is doing, so if something becomes too mainstream, I’d probably stop doing it! That said, I love the fresh, milk and roses look Marie Antoinette days and the dark, sultry look of the 20s.
I’d love to see Greek Goddess-type hairdos come back into style. There are some vaguely popular greek-inspired hairstyles, but it would be cool to see the really elaborate ones more often.
Something along these lines:
http://piminy.files.wordpress.com/2012/04/waterhouse-study-for-portrait-of-the-marchioness-of-downshire.jpg
http://lasthairmodels.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/05/Greek-Spit-Greek-Hair-Style-1.jpg
But only for women. Most guys can’t pull off the flat-with-curled-bangs-and-a-headband look.
60’s! I love the Priscilla Presley/Nancy Sinatra look – eyes, eyes, eyes.
You’re probably all going to disagree with me, but I want the high arched, groomed brow to make a come back. the thick, unkempt brow doesn’t flatter everyone and I feel like it’s silly how women fill their brows in to look twice as thick as they are.
I totally agree with you..i am naturally curly and so are my brows!! lol im told it is very unusal
I’m in total agreement with you. I may be on the other side of 60 here, but upon looking at some of these ‘haute couture’ runway shows, I’m appalled at the Neanderthalish brows some of these girls are sporting and how cross they look (though I’d probably look grouchy too if I’d been on a lemonaid cleanse for *how long*???). But seriously, a well shaped, neatly arched brow makes a person look “friendly and pleasantly interested” and can add a good 10-20 points to one’s apparent IQ if done correctly. *wink* Anyone remember the dull-witted scullery maid from Upstairs, Downstairs? Remember her straight, thick mono-brow? I rest my case.
i really like the super dark made up eyes of the ’60s, like twiggy or brigitte bardot, and i also like the sort of ’20s flapper look like clara bow, with the dark lips and the bobbed hair. and of course the pin up girls, my personal favorite. i love how made up and sexy and glam they look! in other words, i really want the natural, no-makeup makeup look that’s in right now to go away! i mean, if that’s your thing, i don’t want to be shaming anyone, but i just personally feel so inspired when i am out and i see a woman who just has a head to toe LOOK, whether it’s something i am personally into or not. it feels a bit defiant to me…because i feel like a lot of the time women are told to base their style choices on what men prefer to see us in (so heteronormative!) and i see countless articles about how men like women who look “natual” and who have long hair, and it just feels nice to see other women who don’t give a damn about what some random man wants to see.
wow i totally derailed from the actual question, oops!
i hope you’ll have a post on what historical trends we’d all like to see stay history!! 😉
I wear makeup for ME – and the length of my hair the way I like it. I agree with you!!
SO AGREE!!!!! Im NOT wearing makeup to please men. I think men get intimidated by a well put together woman, cuz she looks like she knows whats up lol. If i read one more article about how men think colored eyeshadow is trashy, or they like the natural look like Kim Kardashian i will scream!! I love natural looks too, but hey i own all of the colorful mac eyeshadows plus all the le ones from years past and i take great pride in rocking my colors!!!!!
I hope you’ll have a post on what historical trends we’d all like to see stay history!! 😉
I wanted to suggest a discussion on “which trends you wish would go away, and STAY AWAY,” but I figured that would be considered “too negative.”
When I was in Middle School (back when it was called Junior High School)
in 1961-62, some of the ‘tough’ girls would rat their hair up into these huge, flip, bubble styles, then shellac’em solid with a half-can of Aqua Net. They wore thick black eyeliner and gobs of brush-on mascara. Final touch was dead white matte lipstick. The end result was these 12-14 yr old girls that looked like teenaged zombies from a bad drive-in monster movie. Hilarious! Check out the movie version of “Hairspray, the musical” to see the styles I’m talking about. That’s a retro fashion I could do without resurrecting, LOL!
Thank you! It’s about aesthetics and has zero to do with men and what they like. There is a sense of defiance in strong female beauty. To be mousy and homogeneous is boring. My opinion, of course.
Maybe a more wearable version of the 60s pop art eye.
I think the egyptian style eyeliner should come back to accommodate the winged-liner-challenged 😉
Full figured women of the 16th century!!
Amen and AMEN, sister!!
i think it would be a lot easier for me to pick what I DON’T ever want to see come back again! Otherwise, I’m really not sure. I know there are a lot of looks that should never be seen again, IMHO!! ;D
Having lived through an awful lot of beauty trends (yikes) I am seeing a bit of everything from each decade I have been living. Anything goes — I really liked Twiggy’s look. She made a huge impact on the makeup and styles of the day. So many looks and trends have come right back around. I see clothes in InStyle that look exactly like things I wore. I believe if you’re going to wear makeup then why try to look so ‘natural’? I don’t see the point. Look in the mirror – you should see color! Having a face all one color is so boring! : )
Petal Power Mineralize Blush, from Fantasy of Flower collection … 🙂
I like the empire line siluette in “dressy” dresses…..but just for now and then.. not for everyday,
Also I find women’s black and white pictures form the 40s and 50s exquisite… and all of them ( even farm girls) used to wear nice dainty gloves.
As for a total look the happy and crazy 20s were so creative and advanced. I personally would look like a potato sack if I had to wear hair and outfits Great Gatsby style but they certainly broke with the past. Not sure if we have seen anything so groundbreaking until the mini skirt came along.
You asked for an historical beauty trend, not necessarily a makeup trend, so I’m gonna say how about the fuller figured woman? I like the corseted, shapely look too. I’m tired of the struggle to be super thin. I was very slim when I was young but at this age, it’s awfully tough to be that way. I also agree with the ’50 looks of Marilyn, Rita Hayworth, Liz Taylor etc. Glamorous, feminine, sexy but real looking women. Maybe we should start the trend.
Regency era cravats for the gentlemens and washing boots in champagne a la Beau Brimmel
I would love to see scrunched gel/moused curly hair of the 90’s come back so i stop flat ironing the life out of my hair. I used to have such great hair back then and now its damaged from all the flat ironing.
I’ll admit it up front – I just turned 50, so I’m a child of the ’80s!
A trend I wouldn’t mind seeing revived is the “full face” makeup, which to me means color on lips, delicately flushed cheeks, and shadow, liner, and mascara on eyes.
Ive never been able to fully embrace the “makeup on one feature, and ONLY one feature, at a time” thing.
I’m not suggesting purple eyeshadow, red blush, and red lips, or the like, but if I’m going to do a full makeup, I like to hit eyes. lips, *and* cheeks, at least lightly.
It seemed to work for Cleopatra…bathing in asses’ milk!
well I’m glad you asked! the only beauty trend that I would love to come back is the peachy complexions of the 1920’s paired with oxblood lips, yes that was the name of the most popular color ( a deep, velvety wine/ brown/ red) and with the hair, yup 1920′ and 30’s wavy hair that was achieved via marcel waves. the trend i wouldn’t want to come back hmmm that would be the Elizabethan custom of putting venetian ceruse ( a white paste laden with lead eww toxic) to make your complexion white and then glazed with egg whites to give a sheen!! the in top of that the lips were dressed with carmine that was made of crushed cochineal ( a type of insect Lol) we have come a long way Christine! thank goodness.
Believe it or not, a lot of red pigments today that are in lipsticks and tinted balms still originate from beetle shells! If you look at “Natural colors”, “Carmine”, “Natural red Number 4” or “C.I. 75470”, these are all names of pigments derived from beetle shells of that same family. They also add these same pigments to yoghurt and certain brands of juice, so we haven’t really come a long way from that, we just hide it better…
I wish red lips were more common!
I’d love to see hairstyles from the 40’s come back. Women always had such beautiful styles back then!
Id love the made up 50s, nowadays the stars are generally partly at least naturally pretty, whereas the 50s was an attainable glamour that used makeup hair and clothes to create the look whoch could be recreated, yes they were pretty but you could put the glamour on too, i think thats harder to do now. if you see a pin up now they look so glamourous.
Big gorgeous Afros and big hair Dallas style.
Thick almost ungroomed eyebrows with lots of blush ( I guess that is 80s?)
I love watching older 1950’s and early 1960’s movies. The female stars of the time were beautifully made up. I love the flawless skin look with foundation and powder, which is probably even easier to do with today’s products.
I know nothing of historical beauty beyond watching my grandma smoothing on face powder, applying American Beauty (that really was the name!) red lipstick and dabbing it on her cheeks as rouge and dabbing wrists with Chanel No 5. I would not like to see that beauty trend again. (the Chanel No 5 is fine). Of course I thought she looked beautiful, but I’m certain she looked like her eyes were gone!
I’d love to see the wire and crinoline bustles of the late 19th Century make a fashion comeback. I’ve got mine already as it came as ‘standard equipment’, haha!
And HATS! Plain hats, fanciful hats, extravagant hats! Carefully selected headwear can work the same sort of magic on the appearance that flattering makeup, hairstyle and clothing can.
I wear what I like regardless of the current trends. That said I’d love to see the 20’s,40’s, 50’s and 60’s in that order, red, red lips, fragrance and believe it or not the 90’s even though I usually stick to mid to light browns so they don’t look muddy.
The glamorous 1940’s and 50’s. Just beautiful looks!
The 90’s! Lots of Mascara, lip in neutral, defined eye.
A difficult question actually, as I don’t want to see any particular trend make a come back. I’d like to see a more tolerance toward those who go their own way regarding both makeup (or no makeup) and clothing.
I think it’s fun to do a 1940s look some days, others I might try to do an early 1960s, think Tippi Hedren in The Birds. Some day I might go grunge. Today I was thinking English rose,
Someone mentioned old Egyptian eyes, that would be fun!
Vintage, or vintage looking compacts as Syl said, Hats would be fun, as well.
I wonder if I’d dare go Egyptian… Probably not
Very interesting topic!
The thing(s) I would like to see the most is the return of the “New Look” silhouette by Christian Dior. It is timeless, classic, and very feminine. Dresses and skirts had wide, full crinoline skirts. Also, I would like to see women wear more fishnet/fence net stockings. They should come in more colors, preferably more skin-tone like colors to shake up all the black ones in the market now. It’ll be so cool. I would like to see more of the traditional matte lipsticks being offered by all the makeup lines, instead of the “pseudo” matte lipsticks. They’re too lightweight, creamy, and too shiny.More matte eyeshadow as well as cream to powder eyeshadow, kitten heels shoes with a pointed toe and a heel height b/w 1″ to 2 1/2″, and matching mani/pedicures. I can’t stand for my fingernails to be painted one color and toenails in a another. No more nail art. It’s gotten so ridiculous we’re adding all kinds of beading, etc. on them. How can one do dishes w/all that crap on their hands? I don’t get it at all. Also would like to see more liquid eyeliner to create classic cat-eye looks, volumizing mascara to volumize lashes instead to gluing in fake lashes, and classic rose fragrances that actually smell more floral and powdery than the ones being sold on the market. Granny always knew what was best. It is always better to be classic and timeless than trendy.
I love the make-up from shows like Friends, and Charmed. 90’s trends for sure. The brown lip, but without the darker liner. I’m not going to lie; I’ve been wearing more brown-ish lip stick recently. Like Mac Velvet Teddy 😉