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.

{ "@context": "https://schema.org/", "@type": "WebPage", "speakable": { "@type": "SpeakableSpecification", "cssSelector": ["speakable-content"] }, "url": "https://www.lorealparis.ca/en-ca/get-the-look-70s-effortless-chic" } document.addEventListener("DOMContentLoaded", function (event) { const element = document.getElementsByClassName('oap_hairdiagStart_divbtn'); if (element.length > 0) { let urlParams = new URLSearchParams(window.location.search); if (urlParams != "" || urlParams != null) { var keyValuepairs = urlParams.toString().split('&'); var qrUtmfound = 0; keyValuepairs.forEach(function (item, index) { if (item === "utm_source=pos" || item === "utm_medium=qrcode") { qrUtmfound++; } }); if (qrUtmfound == 2) { let relocHref = document.getElementById("hair_color_start_btn").getAttribute("href"); let relocUpdatedurl = relocHref + window.location.search; document.getElementById("hair_color_start_btn").setAttribute("href", relocUpdatedurl); } } } });
{ "@context": "http://schema.org", "@type": "Thing", "subjectOf": { "@type": "ItemList", "itemListElement": [ { "@type":"ListItem", "position": 1, "url" : "https://www.lorealparis.ca/get-the-look-50s-glam", "item":{ "@type": "Article", "mainEntityOfPage":{ "@type":"WebPage" }, "headline":"get-the-look-50s-glam", "image":{ "@type":"ImageObject", "url":"https://www.lorealparis.ca/-/media/project/loreal/brand-sites/oap/americas/ca/articles/blog/50s_1080x480.jpg?rev=41a3e116c1204d11b3c73a2257504efe", "height":480, "width":1080 }, "datePublished": "2023-04-14T14:37:04+00:00", "dateModified": "2023-07-04T18:54:08+00:00", "author": { "@type": "Brand", "name": "L'Oréal Paris" }, "publisher":{ "@type":"Organization", "name":"L'Oréal Paris", "logo":{ "@type":"ImageObject", "url":"https://www.lorealparis.ca/-/media/project/loreal/brand-sites/oap/shared/baseline/navigationext/loreal-paris-black-logo.svg?rev=147e5790cc7a43c1b5dfab8f019cda29", "width":189, "height":60 } }}, "description":"Ready to recreate the ultra-glam beauty look made famous by 1950s bombshell silver-screen sirens? Consider this your need-to-know guide for achieving a classic glossy red lip. There's no question that the 1950s era was the definition of glam. Women pulled out all the stops when it came to their makeup, from painting on cherry-red lips to wearing eyeliner, foundation and mascara. Thanks to Technicolor movies becoming the norm in the earlier part of the decade, women on the silver screen wore makeup that really popped. Along with red lipstick, cat-eye liquid eyeliner gained popularity during the decade as well, with women often wearing both styles together for an ultra-glam look. Women translated the looks that Hollywood starlets wore on the big screen to their beauty routines with glossy red lipstick and perfectly coiffed curls becoming the norm for every day. If you want to channel a vintage screen siren with your beauty look, the good news is that you only need a few key products. So grab your best red lipstick and follow this step-by-step guide to channel your inner 1950s pin-up style." } , { "@type":"ListItem", "position": 2, "url" : "https://www.lorealparis.ca/get-the-look-60s-elegance", "item":{ "@type": "Article", "mainEntityOfPage":{ "@type":"WebPage" }, "headline":"get-the-look-60s-elegance", "image":{ "@type":"ImageObject", "url":"https://www.lorealparis.ca/-/media/project/loreal/brand-sites/oap/americas/ca/articles/blog/60s_1080x480.jpg?rev=e6fe60001534425e929248af16f45eb9", "height":480, "width":1080 }, "datePublished": "2022-07-04T19:50:44+00:00", "dateModified": "2023-07-04T18:54:08+00:00", "author": { "@type": "Brand", "name": "L'Oréal Paris" }, "publisher":{ "@type":"Organization", "name":"L'Oréal Paris", "logo":{ "@type":"ImageObject", "url":"https://www.lorealparis.ca/-/media/project/loreal/brand-sites/oap/shared/baseline/navigationext/loreal-paris-black-logo.svg?rev=147e5790cc7a43c1b5dfab8f019cda29", "width":189, "height":60 } }}, "description":"A certain bold-browed ingenue from the 1960s ushered in the now-timeless beauty look of defined arches and winged eyeliner. Follow along with this step-by-step guide to get the look. In terms of fashion and beauty, the 1960s is known for its timeless and elegant looks. Building on the glam of the 1950s, the swinging '60s was just as stylish, with women swapping out their bold red lipstick for a more nude, neutral lip but adding a swipe of winged liner to their eyes. The cat-eye makeup of the time gave women a doe-eyed look, with the focus resting directly on the eyes and brows. Many actresses were known for their wide eyes and perfectly arched face-framing brows. Eyeshadows were kept neutral, and false lashes, which gained in popularity, were applied to both top and bottom lash lines. To perfectly complement the makeup, hair was often pulled off the face in voluminous updos that added height and glamour or, for a more mod-like style, cut short into pixies or bobs. To get this look, it's as easy as 1, 2, 3: Follow along for tips on how to apply eyeliner and how to create a timeless updo that works for all occasions." } , { "@type":"ListItem", "position": 3, "url" : "https://www.lorealparis.ca/get-the-look-80s-in-vogue", "item":{ "@type": "Article", "mainEntityOfPage":{ "@type":"WebPage" }, "headline":"get-the-look-80s-in-vogue", "image":{ "@type":"ImageObject", "url":"https://www.lorealparis.ca/-/media/project/loreal/brand-sites/oap/americas/ca/articles/blog/80s_1080x480.jpg?rev=4ecbd1e294794f218a4d825b6398508e", "height":480, "width":1080 }, "datePublished": "2023-04-14T14:38:31+00:00", "dateModified": "2023-07-04T18:54:10+00:00", "author": { "@type": "Brand", "name": "L'Oréal Paris" }, "publisher":{ "@type":"Organization", "name":"L'Oréal Paris", "logo":{ "@type":"ImageObject", "url":"https://www.lorealparis.ca/-/media/project/loreal/brand-sites/oap/shared/baseline/navigationext/loreal-paris-black-logo.svg?rev=147e5790cc7a43c1b5dfab8f019cda29", "width":189, "height":60 } }}, "description":"A pop icon put makeup on the map in the 1980s with her outrageous style and bright, over-the-top beauty looks. Recreate her smokey eyes and cherry-red lips with this easy-to-follow guide. The no-makeup makeup of the 1970s quickly turned into bold, look-at-me beauty with the arrival of the 1980s. During this decade, beauty had a fun, over-the-top edge that encouraged women to really play with colour and different styles. Pop stars traded in their barely-there mascara and neutral eyeshadow for lots of black smokey eyeshadow and eyeliner and bright lipstick. Not only did makeup do a complete 180 from the previous decade but hair also reached new heights. Big, teased hair loaded with hairspray and mousse was the look of choice, and many women rocked bleached-blonde locks with dark roots to emulate the pop stars of the decade. This makeup look is all about having fun and getting creative! Follow along to learn how to apply eyeshadow to get a smokey eye and how to rock it with a bold lip. All you need is an eyeshadow palette and your go-to bullet of red lipstick." } , { "@type":"ListItem", "position": 4, "url" : "https://www.lorealparis.ca/get-the-look-90s-cool-makeup", "item":{ "@type": "Article", "mainEntityOfPage":{ "@type":"WebPage" }, "headline":"get-the-look-90s-cool-makeup", "image":{ "@type":"ImageObject", "url":"https://www.lorealparis.ca/-/media/project/loreal/brand-sites/oap/americas/ca/articles/blog/90s_1080x480.jpg?rev=836afd0ff7e54feb8844baae0cde94b4", "height":480, "width":1080 }, "datePublished": "2022-07-04T19:04:04+00:00", "dateModified": "2023-07-04T18:54:10+00:00", "author": { "@type": "Brand", "name": "L'Oréal Paris" }, "publisher":{ "@type":"Organization", "name":"L'Oréal Paris", "logo":{ "@type":"ImageObject", "url":"https://www.lorealparis.ca/-/media/project/loreal/brand-sites/oap/shared/baseline/navigationext/loreal-paris-black-logo.svg?rev=147e5790cc7a43c1b5dfab8f019cda29", "width":189, "height":60 } }}, "description":"What's more '90s than a perfectly lined brown lip? (Spoiler alert: nothing.) From burnt red to chocolate, vampy brown lipstick paired with neutral makeup makes for a memorable beauty look. The 1990s ushered in a whole new era of makeup: burgundy lipstick, smudged black eyeliner, matte skin and thin eyebrows were just a few key trends that emerged during the decade that put grunge on the map. In terms of beauty, compared to the excess of the 1980s—which included OTT glitter, bold colour and lots of blue eyeshadow—the '90s seemed to be considerably pared back, but that doesn't mean the decade didn't have its own distinct style and makeup looks. One trend in particular really defines the makeup of the decade: brown lipstick. From actresses on the silver screen to supermodels on the runway and women experimenting with their beauty looks daily, brown lipstick quickly became the trend. From warm red to taupes to beige, all tones of brown were the shade du jour for most of the decade. Often paired with a swipe of black liner, matte skin and sleek, shiny strands, the neutral lip was the focal point of any beauty look. For a makeup tutorial on how to recreate this classic 1990s style, follow along with this step-by-step guide for all the makeup tips you need to get the look." } ] } }
{ "@context": "http://schema.org", "@type": "BreadcrumbList", "itemListElement": [ { "@type":"ListItem", "position": 1, "item": { "@id": "/", "name": "Home" } } , { "@type":"ListItem", "position": 2, "item": { "@id": "https://www.lorealparis.ca/en-ca/beauty-blog", "name": "Beauty Blog" } } , { "@type":"ListItem", "position": 3, "item": { "@id": "https://www.lorealparis.ca/en-ca/get-the-look-70s-effortless-chic", "name": "get-the-look-70s-effortless-chic" } } ] }