• Rich, bold makeup characterized the 80s.Rich makeup palette. Shallow DOF image by glebedev from Fotolia.com
  
  One or several words can describe makeup from the 80s: "abundant," "overdone," "heavy," and "painted." Celebrities such as Madonna and Cyndi Lauper set the trends for what women, and some men, would follow.
  
  

Mica Makeup: Mother to Mineral Makeup

• "Glittery" describes makeup of the 80s.glittery christmas decorations image by Steve Mann from Fotolia.com
  
  Mica came into popularity in the 80s. Mica is a highly reflective, finely ground makeup with glittery properties but no grit or flakiness. It's inert, so it won't hurt your skin but could irritate your eyes. It comes in many colors and can be added to lip balm, moisturizer, and even nail polish. Mica later gave way to a more refined and subtle mineral makeup.
  
  

She's Got the Look

• There were few limits on eyeshadow colors.Eyes image by Christopher Howeth from Fotolia.com
  
  A "painted" face embodied the look of the 80s. Electric-blue eyeliner ruled, and the more, the better. Blue, teal, and bright purple, paired with bright blue eyeshadow backed up with a bold orange, were a hit. Blush was heavily contoured and meant to make a statement. In fact, the whole era made a statement for women--that of power. Even one of the most popular colors of lipstick--bright, bold red-- was applied heavily and signified boredom with the glass ceiling. The typical makeup bag held heavy foundation, a pressed-powder compact, a rainbow of eyeshadow, a few eyeliner pencils, several blush compacts, a collection of mascaras, and bright lipsticks in shades of red, pink, and orange.
  
  

Makeup Application

• In the 80s, "overdone" was the word.Creative makeup image by MAXFX from Fotolia.com
  
  Application techniques for the 80s look began with heavy foundation applied with a wet sponge or brush. Eyeliner was applied to upper and lower lashes and the inner rim of the eye--a practice no longer recommended. Lips were painted a bold, bright color for a pillowy, pouty look. Blush was applied heavily right on the cheekbones. The whole look was that of "face armor."