How to make '70s beauty look modern for spring 2021

Nostalgia is a vibe.

LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA - MARCH 14: Dua Lipa, winner of Best Pop Vocal Album for ‘Future Nostalgia’, poses in the media room during the 63rd Annual GRAMMY Awards at Los Angeles Convention Center on March 14, 2021 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Kevin Mazur/Getty Images for The Recording Academy )
(Image credit: Kevin Mazur /Getty Images)

Dua Lipa's Grammy Awards look was a tribute to music icon Cher - all lilac shimmering eyeshadow taken up to the brow bone and glossy pink lips. Suddenly the era's makeup is trending but working out how to make '70s beauty look modern is no small feat. 

What you definitely don't want to do is dust off your old makeup bag that's been relegated to the back of your closet. Disco eye makeup for 2021 needs a fresh new approach - and no actual chunks of glitter. False lashes are another gesture that will take this look into yesteryear territory so stick to two, clump-free swipes of the best mascara.

According to makeup maestro Charlotte Tilbury, your best tools for 70s-inspired glam are her jewel-toned Icon Eyeshadow Palette and Latex Love lip gloss in Belle du Soir.

Charlotte Tilbury Icon Eyeshadow Palette

(Image credit: Harvey Nichols)

"Start by covering the entire eyelid with a wash of the emerald eyeshadow, then take a brush and ‘smoke’ the sapphire blue into the socket to really blend it in," says Tilbury. "The colours should diffuse, blending into one another to create a unique shimmering, smoky shade that softens in the light."

For added definition, Tilbury recommends dipping into the Smoke shade and running it along the upper lash line to add intensity. To dial down the emerald and sapphire shades you can also use your finger to pat the classic black shadow over the top.

Better still, by playing up the eyes rather than the rest of the face, translates well to wearing face masks.

Team with effortless hair (something that shouldn't be too hard considering we haven't sat in a hairdresser chair in months) and you've nailed it.

Fiona Embleton is a beauty writer who is now Acting Beauty Editor at Stylist. She is obsessed with Isabel Marant and cats.