The boldest ’80s beauty trends are back, just as Her World’s covers first imagined them

There was nothing quiet about beauty in the 1980s, and that was exactly the point. It was a decade that pulsed with post-disco decadence, corporate ambition, and cultural reinvention. Women were entering the workforce in greater numbers, climbing the career ladder, and staying out late in clubs that doubled as dancefloors and declarations of freedom. The beauty looks of the time reflected this shift – loud, layered, and luminous.

Where the ‘70s shimmered in soft-focus glamour, the ‘80s amped it up with unrepentant intensity: curls weren’t just big, they were monumental. Blush was a power move, not a flush of innocence. Eyeshadow came in oil-slick metallics – cobalt blue, acid green, ultraviolet – smeared across lids in fearless strokes. Lips commanded attention in flaming reds and candy-apple gloss, designed to be seen across a crowded room.

You could see that shift on every cover of Her World at the time. The hair was higher, the blush bolder, the gaze sharper. More than just makeup, these striking looks were a visual uprising and a way for women to claim space at work, in nightlife, and in culture at large. Beauty became both armour and amplifier, mirroring the era’s hunger for agency, visibility, and reinvention.

Today, those bold looks are staging a glamorous return – updated, yes, but still charged with the same subtext: I’m here, I won’t shrink, and I make the rules.

From runways to pop culture, modern interpretations channel the same unfiltered confidence that Her World covers once immortalised, proving that even in 2025, the spirit of the ‘80s never really left. Here, we share four iconic ’80s beauty trends we still can’t get enough of, and how they’re being reinvented for the now.

‘80s beauty trend: A highly pigmented luscious red pout

Looks from 1980s Her World covers

What this look is all about: At first glance, the pigmented red lip might seem like a simple beauty flex – bold, timeless, sultry. But in the 1980s, it was a power play. Women were entering boardrooms, buying their own apartments, and staying out late, and their makeup mirrored that ambition. 

Pop icons like Madonna, Grace Jones, and even Singapore’s own Zoe Tay made the fiery lip a symbol of fearlessness – a beauty look designed to be seen from across the room. Fast-forward to today, and it’s still everywhere as seen on pop culture queens like Rihanna, Jennie, and Doja Cat.

Modern interpretation as seen on

Jennie

Doja Cat

Rihanna

‘80s beauty trend: Supersized, va-va-voom curls

Looks from 1980s Her World covers

What this look is all about: The curls of the ’80s were brazen. Teased, fluffed, permed, and sky-high, they took up space in a world that often asked women to shrink. Whether they were loose waves or tight ringlets, these voluminous curls represented voice, freedom, and the visibility women had long been denied. Think Whitney Houston and Donna Summer, who wore their hair like a crown.

Today, that same energy is alive on global stages. Beyonce’s windblown mane during her tours is a direct descendent of ’80s diva hair. Blackpink’s Lisa brings her own twist to voluminous styling, often pairing it with cute, feminine fringe. Even newer stars like Kateye’s Daniela Avanzini are letting the curls run free, reclaiming bigness as beauty, not excess.

Modern interpretation as seen on

Lisa

Daniela Avanzini of Katseye

Beyonce

‘80s beauty trend: Disco-ready oil slick-inspired eye makeup

Looks from 1980s Her World covers

What this look is all about: Subtle? Not in the ’80s. Lids were drenched in electric colour – cobalt, violet, emerald, sometimes all at once – often swept up to the brow bone with zero apology. 

These looks reflected a deeper shift: women were no longer simply subjected to the gaze – they were learning to own it. In smoky metallics and slick chromes, eyes became weapons of presence. Pop icons like Cyndi Lauper and Tina Turner embodied this ethos, their lids as bold as their voices – unapologetically loud, lit to catch the strobe, and made to hold the room.

Today, that bold, disco-inflected drama finds new form in modern muses such as Emma Chamberlain, Jenna Ortega and also Shu Qi.

Modern interpretation as seen on

Shu Qi

Jenna Ortega

Emma Chamberlain

‘80s beauty trend: Power blush in full bloom

Looks from 1980s Her World covers

More than just adding a flush of colour to the complexion, blush use in the 1980s was a statement. Swept boldly from cheekbone to temple in vivid shades of fuchsia, coral or crimson, it often replaced contour entirely. The effect wasn’t intended to look natural, nor was it meant to be discreet. It was theatrical, deliberate, and unapologetically visible – a cosmetic power move that mirrored the decade’s appetite for excess.

That same energy’s showing up again today, not in subtle soft-focus pinks, but in flushed, sculpted cheeks that aren’t trying to hide. You see it in Ningning’s stage looks, Alex Consani’s playful colour placement, and Kim Lim’s full-glam cheekbones.

Modern interpretation as seen on

Ningning

Alex Consani

Kim Lim