Beauty Through the Ages
Ever wondered what today’s stars would look like in the trends of yesteryear or how historic beauties would fare against today’s beauty standards? Well, it’s time to find out!
At Cosmetify, we wanted to highlight some of the weird but wonderful beauty trends from history. Utilising the power of AI, we have imagined how historic beauty trends from centuries gone by would look on some of the biggest stars from today. We’ve also recreated some iconic images from history, depicting female icons in the beauty trends of recent times.
Plus, we will be taking a look at the most popular decades in beauty, as well as providing some predictions about makeup and beauty trends that we can expect to see in the future.
Fancy recreating some of the most well-loved beauty trends of all time? Then head over to the Cosmetify Beauty Hub for some tips, tricks and product recommendations.
Historical Figures with Current Celebrities
Girl with a Pearl Earring & Taylor Swift
Remember the Girl with a Pearl Earring from all the way back in 1665? Well, she’s had a Taylor Swift makeover! Keeping her stunning blue and gold headscarf and, of course, the iconic pearl earring, we’ve also added some of Taylor’s most famous beauty features.
Whether it’s a classic pillar box red or more of a burgundy shade, Taylor is often seen sporting a red lip at events and performances. She is also known for her feathery brows, which are quite a contrast to the barely-there brows of the Girl with a Pearl Earring. To complete the look, we also added Taylor’s subtly sculpted cheekbones and shimmery cheek highlight.
Mona Lisa & Kylie Jenner
If there’s anyone you should be taking makeup tips from, it’s the beauty queen herself, Kylie Jenner! We’ve given our old friend Mona Lisa an iconic Kylie makeover to bring her look into the modern day.
There’s one thing in particular that Kylie is known for when it comes to makeup and that’s overdrawn lips! Mona Lisa’s thin and natural lips are a stark contrast to Kylie’s usual look, so we’ve given her the Kylie treatment to make her lips appear more plump and full. We’ve also transformed her barely-there brows into a more structured shape and added some strong contour and winged-out eyeshadow.
Joan of Arc & Billie Eilish
At Cosmetify, we love to recognise young female icons, so who better to combine than the patron saint of France, Joan of Arc, and singer-songwriter, Billie Eilish? Despite being so young and living almost 600 years apart, both females can be deemed icons when it comes to female empowerment.
Billie is well-known for her bold hair colours and unique hairstyles, so we updated Joan of Arc’s simple black bob to include Billie’s favoured space buns. Since Billie is a fan of the minimal makeup look, we also added her trusty nude lips, subtle freckles and bold but structured brows.
Current Celebrities with Celebrities of Yesteryear
Margot Robbie & Twiggy
One of the biggest icons of the swinging 60s when it comes to fashion and beauty is, of course, Twiggy. We’ve decided to give one of the biggest stars of today, Margot Robbie, a Twiggy-style makeover.
Twiggy was known for wearing mod-style makeup, which doesn’t stray too far from some of the basics of Margot’s go-to look. We kept both celebs’ favourite pale pink or nude lipstick and sculpted cheekbones but added Twiggy’s bottom-heavy mascara and Margot’s feathery brows.
Zendaya & Audrey Hepburn
Actress Zendaya has definitely made her mark as one of the fashion and beauty icons of today, proving that she can pull off any look and isn’t afraid to switch between bold and daring or scaling it right back to the basics. At times, this can be completely different to the elegant and classic look of the legendary film and fashion icon Audrey Hepburn.
Audrey was always sporting her signature twisted bun hairstyle, a look which Zendaya is occasionally seen wearing. We also added Audrey’s bold, structured brows, cat eyeliner, pink lips and fluttery lashes to Zendaya’s bronzed skin and brown smokey eyes.
Lady Gaga & Princess Diana
When it comes to breaking fashion and beauty boundaries, there’s no one who’s been more daring than Lady Gaga. Although she did it in a more understated way, Princess Diana also broke the typical boundaries for the Royal Family with her fashion and beauty choices.
Princess Diana was well-known for her blonde, side-swept bixie haircut, which she often wore in a bouffant style. She was also a fan of heavy blush and neutral-toned lipsticks, which we incorporated into our AI image. Lady Gaga’s bold, structured brows and classic dark, smokey eyes were also used to complete the look.
Modern takes on historic looks
Frida Kahlo
As well as being famous for her self-portraits and other artwork, Frida Kahlo is mostly recognised for her dark and striking unibrow, showing that self-expression is more important than meeting traditional beauty standards. Although many people tend to have more tamed and structured brows nowadays, we of course had to include the unibrow in the AI image of Frida, as it wouldn’t be a true representation of her otherwise!
Frida also had a love for bold and vibrant colours, hence the addition of the shimmery orange eyeshadow and pillar box red lipstick. To truly make the look representative of today’s trends, we also included a classic eyeliner flick and some subtle lashes.
Marie Antoinette
When it comes to fashion and beauty choices, Marie Antoinette was well-known for her extravagant hairstyles. Her hair was often gathered in a collection of ringlets or a pouffe style and accessorised with flowers, feathers, bows or beads. To truly embody her classic style, we had to include one of her signature looks in our AI image.
Marie also tended to wear a lot of pastel shades, hence our decision to include a pale pink smokey eye and heavy blush to match. We also made her brows slightly thicker and more structured, as well as adding some contour to her cheekbones.
Cleopatra
Cleopatra was well-known for her love of blue and green tones when it comes to makeup, so we of course had to include these in our AI image of her. To add a hint of today’s bold and daring style choices, we chose to use a bright turquoise shade for the smokey eye look and matched this to the lipstick.
The Egyptian Queen was also always seen wearing bold eyeliner, hence our decision to add strong and thick cat eyeliner on top of the eyeshadow. To truly depict today’s beauty standards, we also added some contour to Cleopatra’s cheeks and nose.
The most popular decades in beauty
For those of you who are avid TikTok users like us, you may have come across the ever-popular #makeupthroughthedecades challenge on the app. The hashtag has over 78.6 million views, with thousands of people, including the likes of @emblawigum, recreating iconic makeup looks from the last 100 years.
There is also now a TikTok filter for the challenge, making it easier for people to see how they would look with the most popular makeup style from each decade, all the way from the 1920s right to the present day.
There is clearly a high level of interest in past makeup trends on the app, as the hashtag #vintagemakeup has almost 995 million views. As well as showing people how to recreate the iconic makeup styles from the last 60-plus years, there are also videos showcasing how makeup products used to be created compared to now.
If you’re wondering what the most popular decades in beauty are, then look no further, as we’ve done some research! As expected, the most popular decade for makeup on TikTok is the 2000s, garnering over 150.7 million views for the hashtag #2000smakeup. The noughties have seen a huge surge in popularity on the app this year, with many people recreating the iconic overly-plucked brows, blue eyeshadow and frosted lipstick look. Some well-loved beauty products from the era include the Maybelline Dream Matte Mousse foundation, Lancôme Juicy Tubes lip gloss and the L’Oréal True Match mineral blush.
The second most popular decade for makeup on TikTok is the 1920s, with the hashtag #1920smakeup gathering over 120.3 million views. Makeup from this era was heavily characterised by cupids-bow lips, dark lashes, heavy blush and kohl-rimmed eyes. Beauty products came a long way in the 1920s, including the creation of lip pomade, which is what we now know as lip gloss. Flavoured lipstick was also very popular, with the most popular flavour being cherry.
However, despite the popularity of the 1920s and 2000s on TikTok, the most searched decade of beauty on Google is the 1960s, with the term ‘1960s makeup’ receiving over 961,000 searches across the world over the past year. The hashtag #1960smakeup also has over 46.1 million views on TikTok, making it the fourth most popular decade on the app. There are many celebrities who were known for their stunning makeup looks in the 60s, including the likes of Brigitte Bardot, with her frosted ballerina lips and bronzed skin, and Priscilla Presley, who was known for her thick winged liner and voluminous lashes.
The second most searched decade for makeup on Google is the 1950s, with the term ‘1950s makeup’ accumulating over 636,000 searches across the world over the past year. The hashtag #1950smakeup also has over 120.2 million views on TikTok, making it the third most popular decade on the app. There were many stars who paved the way for beauty in the 50s, such as Grace Kelly, who was known for her two-toned blush and beloved Dior Rouge 999 lipstick, and Marilyn Monroe, who was known for her five-product signature pout and three shades of eyeliner.
Carly Cochrane, Cosmetify’s beauty expert shares their top three tips for nailing that timeless retro look:
- Pick your decade carefully
- Create a style guide
- Remember it’s inspiration not imitation
You know your style and the type of makeup looks that suit you best so pick a decade that has elements of what already works for you. For example, if you’re a fan of a bold red lip, then the 1950s ‘pin-up’ style may be the easiest for you to emulate.
A decade is a really long time, and while there are definitely defining elements to each of these time periods, it’s inevitable that styles and preferences evolve over time. For instance, a makeup look from the beginning of the 70s could be subtly different to one later in that decade. So we recommend drawing inspiration from icons that match your colour palette and tone. Be sure to study how their beauty evolved over the years and pick your favourite look to recreate.
Don’t be afraid to have fun with it or experiment by blending elements from different decades. There is no right or wrong way to do a retro makeup look, so prioritise what works for you and what you personally like over historical accuracy.
3 beauty trends we can expect to see in the future
- Skincare-infused makeup
- Mushroom extract
- The return of blusher
2023 has seen a huge increase in the number of people achieving the ‘no makeup’ makeup look, which usually consists of things like fresh and dewy skin, natural-looking brows and subtle freckles. Due to this, we expect to see a rise in the use of skincare-infused makeup in the future, meaning that people will be able to feel good about themselves whilst also taking care of their skin.
You can get dewy-looking skin by using products such as BB creams, which sit somewhere between a moisturiser and a foundation, or CC creams, which aim to colour correct and even out your skin tone. These types of products contain many skincare ingredients and are a much lighter formula that allows your skin to breathe whilst also adding a bit of coverage.
To achieve natural-looking but tamed brows, you can use a brow gel that is infused with skincare ingredients and encourages both growth and health. The bareMinerals Strength & Length Serum-Infused Brow Gel is a great choice, as it has been clinically proven to promote fuller and thicker-looking brows after just eight weeks of use.
One current trend that we expect to get even bigger in the future is beauty products infused with mushroom extract. Whilst some skincare brands, such as Origins and REN, have used mushroom extract in their serums, moisturisers and masks for a little while now, some beauty brands, including Charlotte Tilbury and Laura Mercier, are now starting to follow suit and introduce them into their foundations.
Mushroom extract provides many benefits when it is used on the skin. For example, it is full of active compounds and can provide a variety of effects such as anti-inflammatory, anti-ageing, antioxidant, moisturising and brightening. Some mushrooms, such as reishi and maitake, are also able to protect the skin from stressors that leave it vulnerable, as well as support the body’s defences. In addition, the extract is high in vitamin D, which allows the body’s immune system to be supported and in turn, tackle things like rosacea, acne and sun damage.
For those of you who want to introduce mushroom extract into your skincare routine but are on a budget, then the Snow Mushroom Moisturiser by The INKEY List is a great choice. It’s ideal for hydrating, soothing, and calming the skin, as well as reducing redness. It also has smaller molecular particles which enable the product to penetrate the skin much quicker and easier. For anyone wanting to splash their cash a bit more, then the Mega-Mushroom Relief & Resilience Gel Eye Cream by Origins is an ideal option. This product works to tackle irritation, redness, dehydration and under-eye circles. Plus, both of these brands are cruelty-free!
In the past, blusher has been a vital part of people’s makeup routines, particularly in the 1920s when flappers would use the product to create heavy makeup looks that would emphasise their vitality and liveliness. Since then, the love for blush has disappeared and returned many times, such as in the 80s, when people began to experiment with the colour and placement of the product. In the mid-2010s, the love for blush disappeared once more and people began focusing more on contouring and sculpting.
However, in the last year or so, blush has truly made its comeback and we expect it to become even more popular in the future! Nowadays, there are many different kinds of blush that are available to try out, including cream, liquid and the typical powder form. People are also beginning to experiment again with less traditional blush colours, with some brands even introducing orange, yellow and purple blushes. The placement of blush is also evolving, with some people bringing the product up their cheekbone and towards their temples rather than keeping it on the apples of their cheeks.
For those who prefer the traditional powder-style blush, then the Baked Blush by Milani is an amazing and very well-loved product by many! The product is baked on Italian terracotta, which lends the blusher its earthy and blendable pigment. Anyone wanting to try out a cream blush should purchase the Cheeks Out Freestyle Cream Blush by Fenty Beauty. This product is great for anyone wanting to experiment with the colour of their blusher, as it comes in a few vibrant shades, as well as the more traditional pinks and corals. For a liquid blush, we recommend the trusty Benetint Cheek & Lip Stain by Benefit. This 2-in-1 product provides the perfect pop of colour and can be used on both the cheeks and the lips!
Methodology
We began by using sources such as Buzzfeed, Editorialist and Glamour, to make a list of female celebrities who either are or were known for making unique fashion and beauty choices, as well as celebrities who are of mixed heritage and follow the traditional beauty standards of their culture.
We then used sources such as Time Out to create a small list of historical figures who have either lived in previous centuries or have been depicted in paintings.
Finally, we used AI technology to re-imagine how historic beauty trends from centuries gone by would look on some of the biggest stars from today. We also recreated iconic images from history, depicting historic female icons in the make-up trends of today.