1980's

In Search of Clear Skin

It’s the mid-1980’s, before Proactive, before even Retin-A. However, even way back when Reagonomics was in full swing, women wore makeup (often LOTS of it) and teenagers got acne. We needed products to cleanse our pores, dry our pimples, and make us look all fresh and dewy and clean, at least until we spackled on some more Maybelline.

We needed SERIOUS skin care, and it took some shopping around and experimenting to find the skin care plan that worked for us.

Neutrogena’s clear orange soap bar left my skin feeling clean but not stripped of all moisture, so that was good. Using a bar, however, was less satisfying than a nice sudsy liquid or cream, and the bar tended to crack and look grubby after a couple of weeks. Neutrogena soap didn’t smell like much of anything, but at least that was better than pHisoderm’s weirdly medical odor. Neutrogena eventually came out with a pump, retaining the clear orange look, and I approved heartily. This ad for the original bar soap is from 1983:

Both pHisoderm and the Neutrogena bar partnered well with the Buf Puf, demonstrated by Sharon Stone in this commercial from 1987. Buf Pufs were a thicker, gentler version of the pot-scrubby side of kitchen sponges. As exfoliation tools, they worked great until they got all compacted and grody, which happened pretty quickly as I recall.

Noxema was a beloved product, largely because of the smell. Mmm, Noxema. It did seem awfully mild, not really big enough guns for my skin once for-real acne sunk its teeth into my T-zone. But it sure did smell and feel good to use, and was oh-so-soothing on sunburns.

Here’s the 1985 version of Noxema, in a fancy aerobics-inspired pump:

And a quick little commercial from 1986, which amuses me only because the glowing spokesmodel looks like the baby in the sun from Teletubbies:

Carol Alt is so fresh and pretty in this 1985 commercial for Noxema antiseptic skin cleanser, a corollary to the skin cream:

Unlike the mildly refreshing Noxema astringent that Carol sold us, Bonne Bell Ten-O-Six lotion was turpentine in a bottle. Based on peer reviews. The Ten-O-Six got shoved to the back of the bathroom cabinet. This fresh-faced ad is from 1983:

Sea Breeze was just strong enough; it felt like it was indeed doing some deep cleaning, without actually doing nerve damage to my skin. Sing along with me: “Beautiful skin can be a breeze, with Sea Breeze...”

When we got those really nasty pimples, we turned to Benzoyl Peroxide products, like Oxy. This commercial just makes me wince to watch; could this dude be any more irritating?

Clearasil was my acne medicine of choice.

 Aapri also had a great apricot facial scrub, sold here by a lady with a brisk British accent, which made EVERYTHING sound fancier:

This ad is from 1981:

Last but not least, we required weekly maintenance in addition to our morning and evening rituals. In a way-less-gross precursor to those vile Got Milk?  Mudd masks featured celebrities hiding behind their ugly mud masks. So, can you guess the identity of the masked woman in this 1986 advertisement?

her name rhymes with Chinchilla Leslie and she was once married to a king. And yes, she was totally beautiful, with or without the Mudd.

By Jinq Erl

Extreme Makeovers: 80’s Style

Who doesn't love a dramatic, life-altering makeover? From these awesome 80's makeovers, we learned that we didn't have to, like, learn stuff and change on the INSIDE. Changing our APPEARANCE was the only requirement for a huge burst of personal improvement. Turns out that a crimping iron, lots of Maybelline makeup, and the removal of a layer of clothing or two were really all it took to go from drab to fab.

In 1985, Rosanna Arquette’s way-conservative housewife Roberta gets bonked on the head and suffers from amnesia in Desperately Seeking Susan. When she wakes, her clothing options are from the trunk belonging to Madonna’s Susan, and they are wildly hip and edgy. With just a change of clothes (and a heaping helping of forgetfulness) Roberta goes from square to rockin’. Too bad we didn’t get to see Madonna transform from punky-cool to boring housewife, right?

We saw a guy makeover in 1987’s Can’t Buy Me Love. Uber-geek Ronald, played by Patrick Dempsey, pays his popular neighbor Cindy to pretend to be his girlfriend and teach him the Ways of Cool. All that power and popularity go to Ronald’s head, and predictable problems ensue.    

Student Exchange, a made-for-TV movie from 1987, is about two smart-yet-nerdy kids (why was it ALL the nerds were smart, anyway?) who decide to impersonate fashionable foreign exchange students for a year, since everyone loves a French accent.

Giving a paranormal spin to the whole makeover thing, 1989’s Teen Witch, like Jem, bypassed the tedious and time-consuming parts of a makeover. Here Louise casts a spell on herself to change herself from sweater-clad, ordinary girl to lacy skirted, big haired high school popularity queen:

(Side note: I LOVE the lacy blue jean mini she wears at the end with the ankle socks and heels! I totally had a skirt like that, except mine had ruffles of white eyelet instead of lace.)

1988’s Earth Girls are Easy has a girly musical makeover scene that is the essence of makeover fun. Julie Brown (NOT MTV’s Downtown Julie Brown) plays the wildly fashionable Candy, who helps her friend Valerie (Geena Davis) get late-80’s hot in order to win her man back. In the Curl Up and Dye Salon, Valerie goes from being a bashful brown-eyed brunette to a “Brand New Girl.”

By Jinq Erl

Blue Eye shadow – 80's Eyes in an Instant

With neon clothes, hair elevated to new heights and shoulder pads a-plenty, it is no surprise that 80's ebullience translated into makeup trends as well. And, what better way to make a bold and sassy fashion statement than with blue. It was an era defining makeup look. No 80's makeup bag 

was complete without a 

variety of azure and cobalt shadow, liner and mascara choices. I mean, really, one shade of blue couldn't possibly cover the myriad wardrobe and occasion options available to an 80's girl. 

L'Oreal, and every other makeup company, did a great job of showing us how gorgeous we’d look in our blue eye palette. This commercial for Shadow Rich eye shadow from 1983 is great. I love the step by step progression that serves as a how-to for those unsure how to apply with flare. After all, we were worth it.

L'Oreal Eye-shadow Commercial 1983

So, if you are trying to capture an authentic 80's eye look, go blue. Layer your blues – start with some teal eyeliner (applied to the inside of the eye), then add a royal blue to the bottom of the lid along the lash line and a lighter blue as you move up on the lid. Finally, accent your blues with a contrasting color like hot pink, orange, or yellow. You’ll have 80's eyes in an instant.

This look has made a comeback. With all the other 80's fashions back, it only makes sense that the makeup would follow. Here are some of the latest  takes on the blue eye shadow trend.

By Jinq Erl

80's New Wave Hairstyles – The Cure for Boring Hair

The general statement that fashion is cyclical has been proven time and time again as hairstyles from the past have made their way back into the mainstream.

At the same time, just a few years ago many fashion industry experts said that the 80's were possibly the worst time for fashion, but the My Generation has resurfaced and can be seen in everything from movies to fashion to hair. Most notably, the hair styles of the 80's are starting to appear more often on the heads of celebrities. While the sky high bangs of this decade have yet to return to being in vogue, other hair styles of the time are becoming more popular than ever.

Among the 80's hair styles making a comeback, the most popular is clearly the branch of new wave styles that emerged in the early 80's from the music genre of the same name, popularized by bands such as Soft Cell, The Cure, The Smiths, New Order, and, of course, A Flock of Seagulls.

Asymmetrical Hairstyles

The basic principle of this new wave haircut involves asymmetry—specifically having hair on one side noticeably longer than the other side. Big names, such as Rihanna, and Evan Rachel Wood have brought the style back to popular culture, emphasizing the flat and pressed sides as well as sharp lines that bring more attention to the contours of the face. 

    

                                                        

                         Rihanna                              Cyndi Lauper

Flock of Seagulls Styling

Another new wave hair style that has enjoyed new acceptance is the aptly titled Flock of Seagulls haircut. Named after the band, the style features short sides and back with a flowing top that comes down over the front of the face. The most popular celebrity to sport this look today is the singer La Roux, on whom the haircut matches the androgynous style of the performer. 

      

                       La Roux                         Mike Score (Flock of Seagulls)

New Wave Spikes

If you were a fan of David Gahan, or his band Depeche Mode in the eighties than you are sure to recognize one of his trademark eighties styles coming back. Justin Bieber can be found rocking this up and lightly spiked look. This new wave look can be achieved with short sides and the top brushed straight up and then back, with the modern version very light spike twists can be found making an appearance in the style. 

           

                Justin Bieber                            David Gahan (Depeche Mode)

One of the best things about 80's hair styles coming back into fashion is the wealth of reference pictures that are available for women to bring to the hairdresser. In addition, many of the haircuts rely on simple techniques to create the desired effect and even moderately competent hairdressers can achieve a good look with effort. To get the best possible 80's haircut, it is a good idea for a woman to bring several pictures to the salon and be as clear as possible in describing the desired hair style. If the theory of cyclical hair styles holds true, then time is running out and a woman should enjoy the 80's one last time before the haircuts go out of style for another 30 years.

By Jinq Erl

Beautiful Bushy Brown of 80's

In the eighties, we thought that skinny, over-plucked, penciled eyebrows were, like, totally for blue-hairs. We wanted our brows to be luxuriantly full and natural, like chic little caterpillars over our eyes. The poster child of the full brow look was, of course, Brooke Shields. Here’s some footage of the Pretty Baby herself with her mother, Terri, and Barbara Walters showing just how lovely a natural brow can be:

And Jennifer Connelly, all dolled up in 1986’s “Labyrinth”:

And Sean Young, with Harrison Ford in 1982’s “Blade Runner”:

And Kirstie Alley:

Pretty much everybody else who could rock the full brow look in the 80's did.

Eyebrows Through the Ages

We've never been more brow obsessed than we are right now. Shaping, grooming, and constantly maintaining brows has become a necessary beauty practice. It-girls, actors, and models alike have been defined by their brows, for better or worse, for the past century. Here are some of the most iconic arches from the past: 

20's

Original it-girl Clara Bow’s brows were a large part of her carefully constructed visual identity. They were very thin, downwards pointing, and worked well to express emotions on film. 

Would it work today? Probably not. Pencil thin eyebrows have become tacky and undesirable and the sad looking shape wouldn't be flattering for everyday.

30's

Joan Crawford’s striking beauty was only enhanced by her high arching brows.

Would it work today? Yes, but you’d have to be prepared for a few looks. The high arch of this brow shape would be striking on a woman with a rounder eye but almond shapes would be too harsh against it.

40's

Veronica Lake is best known for her flaxen locks but her rounded arches work perfectly to accent her face shape and signature look.

Would it work today? Absolutely. Slightly more shaped than a normal brow, this look would require regular upkeep so is high-maintenance.

50's

Audrey Hepburn’s brows are one of her most defining features but a close look at any image shows that they were almost completely drawn on.

Would it work today? Probably not. This is a very strong and very harsh brow that, when drawn on, would look forced on most women. If you’re lucky enough to have naturally thick brows you could shape them to emulate Audrey’s.

60's

With the signature makeup that Twiggy often wore, her brows had to be strong enough to stand out without taking away from the look. 

Would it work today? Definitely. A good rule to follow when attempting any strong eye is to think how your brows will look in comparison. A filled in but not overly defined brow works very well with strong liner.

70's

The 70s saw the success of models like Lauren Hutton and it was the time when we saw eyebrows in a more natural shape.

Would it work today? Yes. Most women are comfortable with their natural brow shape so this slightly shaped look is great for everyday.

80's

Probably the most iconic brows of a generation, Brooke Sheilds’ straight but full brows were typical of the 80s. 

Would it work today? Absolutely. Strong brows are one of the biggest trends of 2012 so we should expect more women going with a groomed version of  natural.

90's

The 90's brought an obsession with plucking, waxing, and grooming body hair, so many women are still fighting with the over-plucked brows they regret. Lucy Liu’s arches are a happy medium and representative of the era’s trends.

Would it work today? Unfortunately, many women are still struggling with the addiction to twee-zing so we still see over-shaped brows. If you want a thinner look, opt for a shape like Lucy’s that complements your eye and face shape.

00's

Julia Roberts was America’s sweetheart during the late 90's and her brows were natural, if not a little wiry.

Would it work today? Yes, but I’m not sure if you’d really want them. Leaving sparse brows unfilled can draw attention to the wrong area of your face.

By Jinq Erl 

A Great Lost in the 80's.

One of the most famous musicians of the century, John Lennon is remembered for being the founder member of 'The Beatles' and for his marriage to Yoko Ono.

Lennon was shot at the back as he was entering their New York apartment in Dakota by Mark David Chapman whom Lennon had signed an autograph for him earlier that evening. Chapman pleaded guilty and was sentenced to 20 years in prison.

The world still mourns and misses the talent of this gifted artist.

By Anusha Joseph

Did You Know?! : 1980's

The first disposable contact lenses were made from glass and covered the whole eye. 

By Anusha Joseph

Nintendo Releases 'Silver', the First Game & Watch 

Game & Watch (ゲーム＆ウオッチ, Gēmu ando Wocchi, or G&W) is a line of handheld electronic games produced by Nintendo from 1980 to 1991. Created by game designer Gunpei Yokoi, each Game & Watch features a single game to be played on an LCD screen in addition to a clock and an alarm (thus, 'Game & Watch').

Gunpei Yokoi, traveling on a bullet train, saw a bored businessman playing with an LCD calculator by pressing the buttons. Yokoi then thought of an idea for a watch that doubled as a miniature game machine for killing time.

The units use LR4x/SR4x "button-cell" batteries, the same type used in most laser pointers or watches. Different models were manufactured, with some having two screens and a clam-shell design (the Multi Screen Series). The Nintendo DS later reused this design.

Titles available in Game & Watch form vary from Mickey Mouse to Balloon Fight, including Nintendo staples such as Donkey Kong, The Legend of Zelda, and Mario Bros.. For a more complete list, see List of Game & Watch games.

Japanese Game and Watch Commercial

Nintendo Game and watch Marios cement factory 1983

Super Mario Bros. Game & Watch Closed

Japanese Game and Watch Commercial

By Jinq Erl

Technology Growth of 1980's 

Eight cools technologies from 80's 

1) The Personal Computer

POPULAR: The IBM 5150 brought computing power to the masses

2) The CD

FIRST CD PLAYER: The Philips CD100 was released in August 1982 

3) The Walkman 

PRE-POD: The Walkman was the music player to be seen with in the 80s

4) The Video Cassette Recorder

RE-RECORD: The Philips N1500 VCR, precursor to affordable VCRs

5) The mobile phone

CALL ME: The sleek and sexy DynaTAC 8000x

6) The ZX Spectrum

AFFORDABLE COMPUTING: The rubber-keyed ZX Spectrum

7) The Camcorder 

TAPE IT: The coin shows just how TINY these amazing storage tapes were!

8) Games Consoles
 
HOME GAMING: The Atari2600



By Jinq Erl

Famous Cars in 1980's

The 80's had the flashiest cars of all time.
They were in the movies, on the TV, in video games, and in our dreams.

Gullwing doors, racing vents, targa tops, huge spoilers.

Yes, every over-the-top design was put into action.

(1) Ferrari Testarossa

(2) 911 Turbo

(3) Trans-Am Firebird

(4) Lamborghini Countach

(5) A-Team's GMC G-SeriesVan

(6) 80's Batmobile

(7) KITT

(8) '88 Corvette

(9) IROC-Z Camaro

(10) Delorean

By Jinq Erl

Looking Back on the hottest toys in 1980's

If there is one thing from the 80's that remains cool in the new millennium, it's 80's toys. Some of the most popular 80's toys are worth more today than when they were on the shelves twenty years ago. Let's reminisce about some of the hottest 80's toys and let's look at how much they're worth today.

1) Fluppy Dogs 



2) Micro Machine


3) Child Dolls 


4) Pound puppies and pound purries


5) She-Ra


6) Smooshies


7) Star Wars Toys


8) Strawberry shortcake 


9) Wuzzles 




By Jinq Erl

Top 10 1980's Fashions Trends

As far as fashion goes, no decade is quite as no-no-notorious as the 80's. After all, in what other decade could you get away with wearing skin-tight pants one day and baggy “MC Hammer” pants the next? During what other time period could you wear leg warmers, a sweater and a miniskirt all at the same time (and in electric neon colors)? Take a walk down memory lane. Here are the top 10 80's fashion fads we used to love.In all of these fads, color was the order of the day. The drab khakis, white and black of the 90's do not apply. Big color and color mixed in unusual ways (say, bright yellow with red) were considered totally tubular – to the max.

1) Shoulder Pads

2) Mini Skirts

3) Leg Warmers

4) Huge Earrings

5) Finger-less Gloves

6) Parachute Pants

7) Members Only Jackets

8) UNITS

9) Stretch-Stirrup Pants

Over-sized Tops

Women's Fashions Year By Year from 1949-1980

 The Changing of Fashions Year by Year

Women in 1980's loved colorful

1980's Men Casual Outfit Fashion Trend

1980's Women Winter Fashion Trend

1980's Hair Fashion Trends for Men and Women

(1) Woman

(1) Man

By Jinq Erl

The birth of the world of Video Games

The world re-known Japanese video game was given birth during the early 80's. PAC-MAN hit U.S. shores in the month of October and quickly became a huge hit, selling over 100,000 units during its first year of release.
Till this very day, PAC MAN remains as one of the most popular video games in history.

By Anusha Joseph