By Liz W
As we approach a new decade, it is fun to try and guess how we will be remembered by the generations after us. Being in the midst of it all makes it difficult to predict which trends will define our time, and which ones will be forgotten. Makeup trends over the last 10 years have been shocking and risk taking, but overall, I think our looks measure up well to the past few decades. Generations before us and the beauty looks of the 60’s, 70’s, 80’s and 90’s inspired our definition of beauty and influenced the makeup trends during the first decade of the 21^st Century.

Flickr.com user K E T S U

In the 60’s it was all about super long lashes, thick cat eye liner, pastel shadow, and frosted pale lips. Being known for its psychedelic glamour, the 60’s look is imitated today, with huge lash rimmed smokey eyes paired with nude glossy lips being a red carpet staple since the start of the millennium.

In the 70’s, the hot look was sun kissed and shimmery. Everyone wanted to look like Farah Fawcett, with dewy bronze skin, lightly defined eyes, and of course the feathered hair. Natural was in, and the makeup trend was less is more. If there is anything that has boomed over the last ten years, it’s the tanning industry. Sun worshipers are paying the price for years of unprotected sun exposure, and most of us have turned to sunless tanners to get that back from the beach glow, without the risk.

The 80’s traded natural for neon, and are still thought of as the wildest and most brightly colored decade. No particular shade was in, unless you consider “rainbow” a color. Bright pink lips and over the top everything went perfectly with the highly spirited (and pigmented) decade. The 80’s looks have been making a comeback in recent years with day glow lips and bold colored eye shadows; they are just applied in a less shocking way today.

Flickr.com user Max Braun

As if the pattern was pre-planned, the 90’s flipped right back to the dark side. Color was out, and nude “anti-fashion” was in. The peppy beat of the 80’s was replaced with the grungy heroin chic attitude and style of the 90’s.   Today, the obsession with vampires (instead of rail thin runway models) has re-inspired the half-dead slept-on-hair and eyeliner look.

With such a mixture of styles to choose from, it is hard to say how we will be remembered. Hopefully in ten more years we aren’t shaking our heads with embarrassment as we look through old photos. But that being said, (besides a few red carpet makeup and fashion mishaps) I think we should be proud how beautifully we started the 2000’s.