Back to the '80s

Back to the \'80s

Shoulder pads, fish bowl spectacles, hair laquer and Pete Burns, the ‘80s was all about exaggeration, empowerment and making an entrance. Wall flowers were trampled on by power suit wearing women with stiff gravity-defying hair and make up which meant business. It\'s no wonder at a time when our future looks uncertain that the vivid colours from the ‘80s has made a comeback to both our wardrobes and make up bags pushing black kohl and hair straighteners to the back of the cupboard in favour of up-do\'s, blinding nail polishes and dramatic feline eyes. If the thought of bulk-buying Elnett is bringing you out in a cold sweat though, don\'t worry, the look this time around is watered-down with the focus kept on either the eyes or lips rather than the entire face and big hair. Read on for our step-by-step guide on how to pull off this tricky trend...

eyeshadows

The eyes are the main focus in this new trend so be brave and swap the metallic shadow you\'ve been using since you were sixteen for flashes of colour. Key shades for your make up bag are lime greens, icy blues and lemon, all much easier to wear than you might think. George at Asda has just released a new range of velvety eyeshadows in every colour under the rainbow and they are great for building up colour. Alternatively, for real make up addicts invest in Bobbi Browns eye palette, an essential for every fashionista\'s dressing table and easy to pop in your handbag for after work touch ups. If you\'re still not convinced try wetting an eyeliner brush and drawing on a vivid shade as eyeliner to ease you in.

George at Asda velvet eyeshadow, £2.50, Asda

Bobbi Brown eye palette, £49, bobbibrown.co.uk

Back to the \'80s

This season our lips and eyes will be doing all the talking so you will need to keep your face as natural as you can bear. Try using a primer to help even out skin tone and to give a natural glow. Clarins Instant Light Complexion Perfector gives a great even finish and helps make up stay put all day so you don\'t have to worry about touch ups.

Unless you want to look like Paris Hilton, skip the bronzer completely and instead apply a mineral foundation for a matte, natural finish. Urban Decay Surreal Skin Mineral makeup is great for leaving skin looking flawless and has a handy sponge attached to prevent spillages.

Urban Decay Surreal Skin makeup, £18

houseoffraser.co.uk

Clarins Instant Light Perfector, £21.05

uk.clarins.com

Defined cheekbones

Thankfully we\'ve all seen the light since the days of brushing on stripes of blusher and this time around less is definitely more. The key is to opt for a pearlescent liquid tint, like Benefit\'s Posie Tint which creates a subtle flushed look. Sweep on from the apples of the cheeks right up to the hairline for defined cheekbones without the risk of looking too ‘done\'.

Benefit Posie Tint, £22.50

boots.com

Eyeliner

Eyeliner is the linchpin to this whole look, just think of Amy Winehouse, can you imagine her beehive working without her trademark lined eyes with their feline flick? If you\'re going for coloured eyeshadow, stick with black liquid liner to define eyes and to prevent things looking too hippy. Keep the line thick towards the outer edges of eyes finishing off with an upwards flick in the corners. Max Factor\'s Glide & Define eyeliner has a really fine point to help you create a steady line and is completely smudge proof. Alternatively, keep your lids bare and opt for a splash of colour using coloured eyeliner. Clarin\'s eye pencils glide on and stay put through everything. Try the aquamarine colour for a shade that suits all eye colours.

Clarins eye pencil, £12, boots.com

Max Factor Masterpiece Glide and Define Liquid Eyeliner, £6.84, boots.com

Lipsticks

Lips have had a bit of a revamp this season with bright fuchcia\'s, matte pinks and vivid oranges adorning models lips at the spring summer shows so if you\'re a simple lip gloss kinda girl now\'s the time to take the plunge! Have fun with different shades to find out which ones suit your skin tone but whatever you do, don\'t match your lips to your outfit, you want to look edgy and modern not old and frumpy. Pale skins look great with matte nude and light pink shades whilst olive, dark skins can get away with bright and bold shades like purple and coral. Check out Barry M\'s vast collection of shades for a credit crunch friendly fashion fix or splash out MAC\'s Hello Kitty lipstick in Fashion Mews, definitely the shade of the season!

Barry M lip paint, £4.25

barrym.com

MAC Hello Kitty lipstick, £11.26

maccosmetics.co.uk

Back to the \'80s

Nails are where you can really afford to go to town on this year with new eye-popping shades available to suit all budgets. Black shades have been replaced with punky diesel blues whilst reds have been ditched in favour of coral shades, great for tanned hands and toes. Be brave and go for bright, vivid shades to liven up your wardrobe, Barry M\'s cool Spring Green shade is great for the office whilst O.P.I\'s Collins Avenue colour is already selling out. If your hands are looking a bit pasty next to all the vivid colours try out this top beauty tip. Mix a little fake tan with your usual hand cream and smooth in for a natural looking summer glow.

O.P.I. Nail Lacquer in Collins Avenue, £9.95

lenawhite.co.uk

Barry M Nail polish in Spring Green, £2.95

barrym.com