Think about 1975. You’re probably picturing a disco ball, a massive Afro, and maybe some bright blue eyeshadow that looks like it was applied with a paint roller. It’s a vibe. But honestly? That’s the caricature. Most people look at seventies hair and makeup through the lens of a Halloween costume shop, which is a total shame because the actual reality was way more nuanced, messy, and frankly, revolutionary. It wasn't just glitter. It was a massive tug-of-war between the hyper-natural "back to the land" hippie leftover movement and the high-octane glamour of Studio 54.
The decade started as a hangover from the sixties. It ended with the jagged, aggressive birth of punk. In between? We got some of the most iconic—and technically difficult—beauty trends in history.
The Farrah Factor and the death of the "Set"
Everyone talks about Farrah Fawcett’s hair in Charlie’s Angels. It’s the ultimate reference point for seventies hair and makeup. But what people forget is how much of a technical nightmare that look was to achieve before modern ceramic irons existed. It’s called "The Flip." Or "The Wing."
Before Farrah, hair was stiff. The sixties were about hairspray that could withstand a gale-force wind. Think Connie Francis or the Ronettes. But the seventies? Everything moved. To get that Farrah look, stylists like Allen Edwards had to reinvent how layers were cut. It wasn't just long hair; it was a series of graduated layers that moved away from the face. Women were using giant round brushes and Revlon blow dryers until their arms literally ached. It was about volume that looked effortless but took forty-five minutes of sweat to produce.
Then you had the other side of the coin: the "Cher" look. Straight. Long. Parted down the middle with surgical precision. If you didn't have a high-end straightening iron—which most didn't—you were literally ironing your hair on a flat board with a clothes iron. It’s a miracle an entire generation didn't burn their ears off. This was the "Natural Girl" aesthetic, championed by brands like Love’s Baby Soft and CoverGirl. The goal was to look like you just spent three hours hiking in Big Sur, even if you were actually just going to a cubicle in midtown Manhattan.
The Afro as a Political Statement
We can't talk about the seventies without talking about the Afro. It wasn't just a "style." It was a reclamation. For the first time in mainstream American media, natural Black hair was being celebrated as the gold standard of beauty. Think of Pam Grier in Foxy Brown or the legendary Marsha Hunt.
The Afro represented a refusal to mimic European beauty standards. It was architectural. It was bold. While white women were trying to get their hair to "flip" perfectly, Black women and men were embracing volume that defied gravity. Maintenance involved the "pick" (often with a "Power" fist handle), which became a symbol of the era. It’s one of the few times in beauty history where a hairstyle was inextricably linked to a civil rights movement.
The Makeup Schizophrenia: Pastel vs. Punk
If you look at a 1973 issue of Vogue, the makeup is almost invisible. It’s all about the "no-makeup" look. Skin was supposed to look dewy, almost sweaty. This was the era of Vaseline on the eyelids and a quick swipe of Maybelline Great Lash (which, fun fact, launched in 1971 and still uses the same pink and green tube today).
But then 1977 hits.
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Suddenly, you have the emergence of punk in London and New York. The "natural" look was dead for the subcultures. Debbie Harry of Blondie changed everything. She brought back the heavy eyeliner, but instead of the precise cat-eye of the sixties, it was smudged. It looked like she’d slept in it. It was "heroin chic" before that term even existed.
And don't even get me started on the eyeshadow. In the mid-seventies, if you weren't wearing frosted blue or mint green shadow up to your eyebrows, were you even there? The brands of the day—Yardley of London and Biba—pushed these dusty, moody colors. Biba, in particular, was famous for its "bruised" look. Purples, deep plums, and muddy browns. It was a weirdly melancholic aesthetic for a decade often remembered as a party.
The Glitter and the Gloss
Disco changed the chemistry of makeup. Under the strobe lights of a club, matte makeup looked flat and dead. You needed reflection. This led to the explosion of lip gloss. Lip Smackers launched in 1973 (Strawberry was the first flavor, in case you were wondering). Suddenly, everyone’s lips looked like they were coated in glass.
- Highlighting: They didn't call it "strobing" back then, but that’s what it was. People used iridescent powders on their cheekbones to catch the light.
- Thin Brows: After the bushy brows of the sixties, the seventies went thin again. Not "nineties pencil thin," but definitely plucked into a high, arched curve that made everyone look slightly surprised.
- Bronzer: This was the decade that invented the "sun-kissed" look. Before the seventies, being pale was often seen as a sign of status. But by '76, a deep tan—often aided by harmful tanning oils and zero SPF—was the ultimate accessory.
Why the "Natural" Look was a Lie
There’s this myth that seventies hair and makeup was low-maintenance because it was "hippie." That’s a total fabrication. To get that "natural" glow, women were using heavy cream foundations like Max Factor’s Pan-Stik. They were using massive amounts of moisturizer to get that shiny, sweaty look. It was a lot of work to look like you hadn't done any work.
Even the "shag" haircut, popularized by Jane Fonda in Klute, required constant trimming and specific products to keep it from looking like a matted mess. The shag was actually a stroke of genius by stylist Paul McGregor. It used short layers on top and long layers on the bottom. It’s the ancestor of the modern wolf cut you see all over TikTok now. It was the first "unisex" haircut that actually looked good on everyone, regardless of gender.
The Architecture of the Face
Contouring isn't a Kardashian invention. In the seventies, it was called "shading." Way Bandy, arguably the first "celebrity" makeup artist, wrote the literal book on this (Designing Your Face, 1977). He taught people how to use dark powders to recede the jawline and light powders to bring out the bridge of the nose.
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If you look at photos of David Bowie during his Ziggy Stardust or Aladdin Sane phases, you see the peak of this artistry. He used makeup to completely reorganize his bone structure. It wasn't about "enhancing" beauty; it was about theatricality. This influenced the New Romantics and the glam rock scene, proving that seventies hair and makeup was just as much for the guys as it was for the girls.
How to actually pull this off today
If you’re trying to recreate this without looking like you’re headed to a costume party, you have to pick one element and modernize it. You can't do the blue shadow, the thin brows, and the feathered hair all at once. That’s a disaster.
Instead, take the feathered fringe. Use a modern sea salt spray to give it grit rather than the sticky hairspray of the past. If you want the seventies eye, go for a "wash" of color. Instead of a thick opaque blue, use a sheer, shimmering lilac or a dusty terracotta.
The real "secret" to the era’s beauty was the skin. It wasn't matte. It wasn't "cloud skin." It was juicy. Using a facial oil under your foundation is the quickest way to get that authentic 1974 glow.
Actionable Steps for the 70s Aesthetic
To get the look right now, follow these specific moves:
- The Cut: Ask for "internal layers" or a "long shag." Mention you want movement away from the face, specifically "curtain bangs" that hit the cheekbones. This creates the frame.
- The Tools: Ditch the flat iron. You need a large-barrel curling iron (at least 1.5 inches) or a hot air brush. Roll the hair away from your face, pin it while it cools, and then brush it out aggressively. Do not leave the curls intact; they need to be brushed into waves.
- The Palette: Look for "earth tones" that have a bit of grit. Mustard yellows, burnt oranges, and olive greens. For the eyes, keep the darkest color near the lash line and blend it out until it disappears toward the brow.
- The Lips: Forget matte liquid lipsticks. You want a sheer stain topped with a high-shine gloss. If you want to be period-accurate, find a brownish-red (like the famous Revlon "Toast of New York" vibe).
- The Finish: Skip the heavy setting powder. Use a dewy setting spray. The goal is to look like you've been dancing, not like you're sitting in a refrigerated room.
The seventies weren't just a decade; they were an explosion of identity. From the political power of the Afro to the gender-bending makeup of glam rock, it was the first time beauty became truly personal. It was messy, it was experimental, and it was loud. If you're going to do it, do it with some attitude.