7 Popular Makeup Brands in the 80s
Dark and heavy, thick and trendy. Makeup was considered an essential part of how every woman expressed themselves during the 80s. Bright pink lipstick with neon green eye shadow certainly wasn’t out of the question and the hottest brands back then knew it.
Many of them have also remained successful today, while others were left behind.
Here are some of the top makeup brands and products that every girl had in her vanity during the 80s.
1. Cover Girl
Even in the 80s, Cover Girl had a ton of products. Mascara, eye liner, lip stick, foundation, you name it, they had it. And it came in all colors. Natural and neon, you pick.
Cover Girl is also a branded that was founded in Maryland in 1961 and owned by the Noxzema Chemical Company. It was then purchased by Procter & Gamble in 1989 and then by Coty, Inc. in 2016. While the brand provides numerous consumer-grade cosmetics, their marketing strategy is allowing “cover girls”, such as models, singers and actresses who’ve been on the cover of magazines to wear their makeup.
Popular “cover girl” celebrity ambassadors included Drew Barrymore, Ellen DeGeneres, Dania Ramirez, Rihanna, Queen Latifah, Taylor Swift, Zendaya, Janelle Monae, Pink and more. It was also one of the largest global brands to conduct animal testing until recently. Thank goodness that’s no longer the case!
2. Maybelline
Their products are more subtle now, but back in the day, they had some wild ones. From eye shadow to lipstick to foundation, they had everything. One of their hottest products was their kissing potion, a sweet lip gloss that came in a clear tube with a red cap. The best part about it was that it tasted sweet but left no residue.
Another good one was Kissing Koolers, a lip gloss that both tasted and smelled good. They had different flavors like Cherry Cola, Watermelon Swirl, Strawberry Fizz and Peppermint Twist – everything teens loved.
Also their Great Lash mascara was huge back then and still popular today. It’s a lash lengthener that comes in a bright pink bottle with a neon green cap – you can’t miss it. It earned the Allure Readers’ Choice Award 20 years in a row and still remains one of Maybelline’s top selling products today. Maybelline was also the first company to introduce mascara to the makeup market. In 1913, a young Chicago chemist, Thomas Williams and his older sister, Mabel, were looking for ideas on a makeover that would turn heads as she was in love with a man who was in love with someone else. They first added Vaseline to her lashes and brows, followed by carbon dust to the Vaseline, which darkened them both dramatically. The product was a major success! In 1915, Mabel got the guy and Thomas founded the cash cow now known as Maybelline (combination of “Mabel” and “Vaseline”). Isn’t that an 80s rom-com?
3. Mood Magic Lipstick
Here’s a crazy one that was perfect for the 80s culture: Mood Magic Lipstick. It was a lipstick that supposedly changed color according to your mood. They came in a number of different tubes, although the majority of the lipsticks themselves were green in color.
Supposedly it contains aloe vera, is waterproof, kiss proof and lasts up to 24 hours. I’m just not sure if I want my lips changing colors. A little extreme for my taste but those more bold would like it!
4. Revlon’s Natural Wonder Cosmetics
Natural Wonder came out with a variety of products, although they were anything but natural. Blue, yellow and pink eye shadow with bright pink and red lipstick doesn’t speak natural to me, but women loved it!
Natural Wonder Cosmetics is now part of CVC Capital Partners, but from 1963 to 2000, it was operated by Revlon Consumer Products Corporation. They also had one of the first products to use a medicated foundation as well as provided a number of cheaper makeup products during the 80s and 90s.
Debbie Gibson was one of the more prominent spokeswoman for the brand, advertising their products to teens during 1988 – 1990 as well as designed a celebrity scene which was marketed in 1989, called Electric Youth.
5. Max Factor Cosmetics
Lipstick, lip liner, eye shadow, nail polish, mascara, foundation, Max Factor Cosmetics had everything! From blue to green to yellow to red, you name it they had it.
Max Factor Cosmetics is a line from Coty, Inc. and was founded in 1909 as Max Factor & Company by Maksymillian Fatorowicz, a beautician from Poland.
The brand name, Max Factor, shares etymology with a specific medicine branch that specialized in “maxillofacial surgery”, now more abbreviated to Max Facs.
Max Factor first specialized in movie makeup, until it was sold for $500 million in 1973. It was then purchased by Proctor & Gamble in 1991.
6. Lip Smackers
Cherry, Watermelon, Strawberry, Bubble Gum, even Dr. Pepper, 7Up and Root Beer, Lip Smackers had so many flavors. In the 80s, they introduced Meet Passion Fruit and Pina Colada. By 1987, they expanded to Australia as well as Europe in 1989. Back then, they were the lip balm for kids and teens, and even still on the market today.
Some kids even wore their tubes around their neck as a fashion accessory. But the only thing I didn’t care so much for these was that they did nothing for moisturizing or protecting my lips. They were so flavorful, they actually made them more chapped. But to each their own.
7. Coty
Despite all the crazy colors of the 80s, Coty actually used more of a natural look (unlike Natural Wonder) in their makeup brands. Lip gloss, eye shadow, lipstick, and more, Coty had great makeup for more conservative women in the workforce.
Their gigantic family of brands includes Rimmel, Covergirl, Sally Hansen, Adidas and Nautica. I’m sure all those sound familiar as they’re all over the drug stores today.
François Coty, one of the company’s founders helped to establish the modern beauty market in 1904. He first set out to revolutionize the fragrance market and reinvent the perfumer’s fragrance palette. The story goes that he “accidentally” dropped a bottle of his first fragrance, La Rose Jacqueminot, on the floor of a Parisian department store while trying to persuade the manager to carry his brand. As the strong smell filled the room, nearby customers quickly came by and purchased the bottles. In just a few weeks, La Rose Jacqueminot was all over Paris and the Coty name was forever etched in the fragrance industry.
Other founders of Coty include Eugène Rimmel, J-A Ponsin & A-N Bourjois, Max Factor, Sally Hansen and Cristina Carlino.
Other Popular Beauty Products
1. Aqua Net
Have you seen those huge ‘dos on women during the 80s? How do you think they got it to that volume? Certainly with Aqua Net. It was considered a staple item as everyone had some ready to go, especially for a night out.
Sure there were a number of other hair spray brands out there, like Rave and White Rain, but this was the go to. Why? Because of its marketing strategy to make their brand seem as ubiquitous as soap. It also stood out from the rest for its distinctive large purple cans as well as strong hold and smell. You can still buy it on Etsy, Walmart and Amazon today.
2. Lee Press-On Nails
Of course nail salons were still a thing in the 80s, but not every tween, teen and twenty-something had that kind of money. So the cheaper alternative was Lee Press-On nails. The best thing about them was that they were easy to press on and were perfect for one-time occasions, but they were also super easy to pop off.
They also didn’t easily fit all women’s fingers since we all have different sizes, not to mention they were thick so they didn’t look too realistic.
Nowadays, there are so many cheap nail press-ons, however, they never last long as they’re easy to chip and don’t stick too well to your nail. I’d rather save my money for the professional manicure.
3. Salon Selectives Shampoo and Conditioner
The goal of these products was to bring the experience of a salon in your own home. It was also famous for offering various levels of shampoos and conditioners for all types of hair. They’re also still available on Amazon!
4. Wella Balsam Shampoo
These guys preached that if you used Wella Balsam shampoo, your hair would look like the models. Except you also need to have good genes, a ton of hair spray and a really nice curling iron! A number of glamorous models endorsed the product including Cheryl Ladd, Jaclyn Smith and Brooke Shields. Nevertheless, the products did help to prevent split ends and rejuvenated dry, cracked hair.
5. Electric Youth Perfume by Debbie Gibson Revlon
Inspired by the pop princess’s song Electric Youth, this product was all about being young and embracing it. The scene represented electricity as young adults navigated the complicated challenges of adolescence. It also came in a nice bottle with a pink spring.
6. Caboodles
What better way to carry ‘round your makeup than in a colorful caboodle? Coming in all shapes, colors and sizes, they were definitely convenient for carrying over to a sleepover or to your friends’ house right before prom. They also make really nice Christmas gifts!
If you have a younger lady in the family who’s just getting into into makeup, she’d definitely love one of these cute carrying cases.
Which Makeup and Beauty Products Did You Use?
We’d love to know what we missed! There were simply too many makeup brands and beauty products to list but we want to hear what everyone else wore in the 80s. Please let us know in the comments below!
