Who’s ready to bid adieu to 2020 and Celebrate with a capital-C? What better night to go big and bold than New Year’s Eve and what better beauty trend to embrace than the vivid, playful 1980s. Think punchy shades, coordinating eyes and lips, and of course blue eyeshadow — done with a modern, non-garish hand. Between the looks featured on HBO’s Euphoria, Gen Z-ers splashing bright looks around social media and the 2020 Spring and Autumn runways, nods to the decade of excess are everywhere.
Here, pro Nick Barose — Lupita Nyong’o’s go-to makeup artist, Armani Beauty Collaborator and Instagrammer extraordinaire — explains how to rock the ‘80s without looking like you confused the dates of December 31 and October 31.
I Wanna Dance with Somebody
A matchy-matchy lip and eye combo is a “fun, colorful, wearable ‘80s look” says Barose, ideal for New Year’s makeup that’s bold and easy to recreate, but doesn’t verge on too costume-y (which Barose admits that some trends, like blush draping, can). To create Nyong’o’s Whitney Houston-inspired look, he used ruby shades on the eyes (Lancome Ombre Hypnose Stylo in Rubis from lash line to crease and metallic burgundy near her inner corners) and lips (Lancome Absolu Rouge Lipstick in Jezebel). To make dramatic ‘80s colors work for 2021, Barose recommends “keeping the skin sheer” because “matte, opaque skin can look dated and overdone.”
His fave for light coverage is Armani Neo Nude Foundation. Want to take coordinated eyes and lips one step further? Paint your nails the same shade and top all three with glitter.
True Blue (Baby I Love You)
If there’s any eyeshadow associated with the Reagan era, it’s blue. “I loved the blue liner Lady Diana wore — it’s so essential ‘80s,” says Barose, adding, “It’s a great way to add color without being too much.”
He created a blue liner look on Community actress Gillian Jacobs, adding coordinating mascara onto lashes to add subtlety to the eyes. Barose recommends using Urban Decay 24/7 Eyeliner Pencil in Chaos, drawn from the innermost corner with a slight flick at the end, for both upper and lower lashlines. Fill in the waterline with the shade as well. Top lashes with a couple coats of Sephora Collection Volume ON Mascara in 02 Navy.
When it comes to picking the right shade of blue, play around — try it on, look in the mirror and if you love it, then that’s your hue. Quick rules to start your search, however: Brown eyes can rock any blue hue; blue-eyed beauties should opt for shades a bit darker than their natural eye color; go for bright blues if you have hazel peepers; and green eyes look best with jewel-toned blues (think sapphire, aquamarine and tanzanite).
Lips Like Sugar
The saturated lip shades most popular in the ‘80s made a strong showing across the Spring/Summer 2021 runways: Red at Versace and Max Mara, coral at Naeem Khan and fuchsia at Tom Ford.
For a beautiful pairing that channels the 1980s with a 2021-twist, try a fuchsia pout with lilac on the eyes, as Barose did on The Morning Show’s Gugu Mbatha Raw. He used purple-toned shades so there was no clashing on the face, opting for lilac shadow across the lids and bold fuchsia on lips, courtesy of Armani Rouge d’Armani Matte in Maharaja.
On New Year’s Eve, there can be two pressing concerns when it comes to lipstick: You don’t want it coming off on your champagne flute, nor on that midnight-kiss recipient. To make it stay put, start by applying concealer on the lips, then line and fill lips (ideally with a lipstick-matching liner), and apply lipstick. Blot them on a piece of tissue, then reapply the lipstick. Then smoosh again and repeat the blotting and reapplication at least three times. And voila, you’re ready to kiss 2020 goodbye!
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