Get the Look: ’70s Effortless Chic

No-makeup makeup is still a go-to beauty look today, but it was the look in the 1970s for Broadway stars and actresses. Here you'll discover how to get glowing skin and naturally smokey eyes. The flower power of the late 1960s gave way to an array of creative beauty looks in the 1970s. From fresh, au naturel skin and makeup to ultra-glam disco glitter, beauty was about the freedom to express yourself during this time. The era of the housewife was coming to end, and as the women's liberation movement came to the forefront, women started rebelling against the status quo—including with their beauty routines. Broadway stars, singers, actresses and women everywhere stashed away their red lipsticks and heavy eyeshadow palettes and began wearing less makeup and incorporating more neutral tones into their looks. The key beauty trends of the '70s—like wavy hair, natural makeup and subtle, smokey eyes—look not unlike a lot of the styles popular in today's beauty landscape. With a few easy steps, you, too, can achieve this natural beauty look. Follow along to learn how to apply eyeshadow for a soft, winged smokey eye and how to get smooth, sleek waves to channel a 1970s Hollywood starlet.

Steps for hair

Step 1:
Apply Stylista Sleek Smoothing Serum to wet or towel-dried hair. Blow-dry smooth for a sleek, shiny mane.

Step 2:
Using a fine-toothed comb, part hair down the middle. While this style works with any part, a middle part best suits that ’70s vibe.

Step 3:
Reach for a flat iron, and divide your hair into one-inch sections. Run each section through the flat iron and twist your hair away from your face as it’s moving through the iron to get a slight wave. Pro tip: When your hair is in the flat iron, apply more pressure to the iron as you get to the bottom of that section. This will help to set your waves.

Step 4:
Finish off your super-smooth look by running a dime-size amount of Stylista Sleek Smoothing Serum through your locks from mid-shaft to the ends. Lastly, brush out your waves and spritz with Elnett Satin Extra Strong Hold Hair Spray.

Steps for makeup

Step 1:
Begin with bare eyelids. Create a neutral base for your smokey eyeshadow look by applying a nude shadow all over the lid with a fluffy blending brush. Try Infallible La Palette shade in Nude Intense 1 for a natural base to build your smokey eye on.

Step 2:
Line your upper eyelid with Infallible Longwear Eye Pencil in Brown. Draw a subtle wing shape at the outer corner of the eye with the liner and give it a slight uptick on the end.

Step 3:
Take a dense, angled eye brush and smudge the pencil liner so it has a soft, diffused edge.

Step 4:
Now that the base of your ’70s smokey eye is completed, it’s time to layer on the sultry, smudgy makeup. Buff Infallible La Palette Nude Intense Eyeshadow in shade #6 or #7 on your eyelid and then blend the hue outward pulling the colour from the outer corner of your eye into a point.

Step 5:
Line under your eye with Infallible Longwear Eye Pencil in Brown and smudge using an eyeshadow brush.

Step 6:
To get that enhanced wing shape, blend your eyeshadow and eyeliner across your lid to create a cat-eye shape that comes out just past the outer corner of your eye.

Step 7:
To really define your eyes and make your lashes look thicker, apply black liner to your upper lash line.

Step 8:
Pull your eye makeup together by finishing off with one or two coats of Voluminous Original Mascara on upper and lower lashes. Make sure to apply it carefully so you don’t smudge any of the mascara onto your eyeshadow.

Step 9:
Next up is adding a little colour to your cheeks. Buff Lumi Bronzer on your cheekbones and warm up the rest of your face by blending it around your eye near your hairline with a fanned blush brush.

Step 10:
The final step is swiping on a nude lipstick like Colour Riche in Glossy Fawn, which gives lips a soft nude hue and ties the look together. For a more precise application, use a lip brush to highlight your cupid’s bow and to define your natural lip line.

Thanks to the neutral colour palette of this smokey eye and soft, face-framing waves, this beauty look is super-versatile for whatever events are in your calendar. Wear it as is to tap into your inner ’70s goddess, or add a touch of sparkle to your lids to bring it into Studio 54 disco territory.

Liked the look? Check out our tutorial for 90s makeup & hair look for more inspiration.

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