The 13 Most Embarrassing '80s Beauty Trends
The earrings were big and the hair was bigger.
By Sam Escobar
The earrings were big and the hair was bigger.
1
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Sweatbands
If you're working out and actually need a sweatband, by all means, wear one — but skip the neon versions from the '80s. Those are best left behind with leg warmers.
2
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Giant Teased Hair
Voluminous curls can look wonderful, but not when they've been teased within an inch of their life.
3
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Dark Lip Liner
While a subtle lip contour à la Marilyn Monroe is an effective way to get a pretty pout, Madonna's way-too-dark lip liner from the '80s is a big no-no.
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Perms
Oh, perms. They seemed like such a great idea at the time — curly hair minus the curling iron? Yes, please! — but they always just wound up giving you poodle locks.
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Side Ponytails
Full House's Stephanie Tanner: adorable. The side ponytail she and innumerable other '80s kids wore: not so much.
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Eyeshadow Up to the Brow
In the '80s, nobody bothered to blend their makeup — especially when it came to eyeshadow. And as pop star Cyndi Lauper proves here, brow-skimming bright colors were all the rage.
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Scrunchies
We're glad this not-so-useful accessory became a thing of the past. Not only did your ponytail keep slipping out, but it also looked really messy. Or was that the point?
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Mullets
Though he was one of the biggest hunks of the decade, it's important to remember that at some point, John Stamos rocked a mullet.
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Feathered Mullet
Flattering on no one, this hairstyle inexplicably stayed popular throughout the '80s and into the early '90s.
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Crimped Hair
We get it, textured hair can be kind of cool. But this ubiquitous '80s style (modeled here by Taylor Dayne) just looks frizzy — and wasn't really flattering on anybody.
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Neon Plastic Earrings
Color (the brighter, the better) was considered totally awesome in the '80s. And that included your accessories. Case in point: Lisa Turtle's earring game was tight.
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Hot Pink Blush
A subtle touch of blush adds a healthy glow to your face. Caking on a hot pink shade, however, just makes you look a little scary.
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Rat Tails
This, um, interesting hairstyle was more popular amongst men, but women occasionally wore this unfortunate 'do, too.
Sam Escobar
Contributor
Sam's enthusiasm for makeup is only rivaled by their love of all things relating to cats. In their spare time, they enjoy watching scary movies, putting avocado on everything, and seeing how many shades of the rainbow they can dye their hair before 30.
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