The 70s beauty scene wasn’t just wild – it was a full-on rebellion against good taste. These trends crashed through convention with zero apologies, similar to how the Sex Pistols shattered music norms. Picture disco lights bouncing off blue eyelids while Donna Summer played in the background. These weren’t just products; they were statements about breaking free from the buttoned-up 60s.
Want to channel some of that rebellious energy? The 70’s beauty playbook shows how makeup and hair became weapons of self-expression. These looks weren’t trying to make you prettier – they were trying to make you noticed. Bold, unapologetic, and impossible to ignore, much as if you cranked your amp to 11 when the neighbors are trying to sleep.
7. Sea Breeze Astringent
Sea Breeze astringent wasn’t skincare – it was facial punishment that somehow convinced an entire generation that beauty must hurt. This blue liquid hit skin with instant, intense sensation that quickly morphed into a five-alarm burn. The cooling feeling lasted about as long as the opening notes of “Stairway to Heaven” before the real show began.
The medicinal smell filled bathrooms across America with an aroma strong enough to clear sinuses three houses down. Despite the watery eyes and red skin it produced, teens and adults kept coming back for more. The logic followed that if it hurt, it must be working – sort of how disco survived despite being endlessly mocked. This bathroom staple became the beauty equivalent of uncomfortable platforms – painful but somehow worth it.
6. Sun In
Sun In promised sun-kissed highlights but delivered hair the color of a faded traffic cone. This spray-on formula was the DIY punk approach to hair color – unpredictable and potentially disastrous. It activated with heat about as reliably as that cassette player in “Guardians of the Galaxy” – sometimes perfect, sometimes total disaster.
The weird chemical citrus smell clung to hair for days, announcing to everyone that you’d taken matters into your own hands. Teenagers everywhere risked parental wrath for lighter locks without salon prices. This summer staple became the perfect teenage rebellion – relatively harmless but visibly defiant. The results were about as consistent as garage band demo tapes – sometimes surprisingly good, often memorably terrible.
5. Frosted Lipstick
Frosted lipstick hit the 70s makeup scene like a disco ball dropping at midnight – suddenly all anyone could see was shine. This pearlescent finish made lips look like they’d been dipped in liquid metal, catching light with each movement. The effect was about as subtle as platform boots in a library.
The shimmer range included everything from soft pinks to metallic silvers that paired perfectly with the decade’s other signature looks. Under disco lights, these lips lit up like neon signs. The metallic particles often dried lips to a rough texture, but the dramatic shine effect was worth the discomfort. The look screamed “I came to be seen” with the confidence of Debbie Harry taking the stage.
4. Noxzema
Noxzema hit faces with the subtlety of a cymbal crash – immediate, attention-grabbing, and impossible to ignore. The thick white cream packed a menthol punch that made your skin tingle like the opening notes of “Sweet Emotion.” This wasn’t gentle skincare; this was your face attending a rock concert.
The distinctive smell became instantly recognizable to anyone growing up during this era – sharp, medicinal, and overwhelming. People slathered it on everything from acne to sunburns with blind faith in its healing powers. The iconic blue jar took center stage in bathroom cabinets like a prized backstage pass. Something about that intense tingle convinced an entire generation it was working, similar to how people believed bigger hair equaled better music videos.
3. The Wedge Haircut
The wedge haircut sliced through the 70s hair scene with the precision of a perfectly timed drum solo. After Dorothy Hamill rocked it during the 1976 Olympics, it spread faster than rumors about KISS without makeup. The angular shape created a look that was both athletic and feminine, perfect for the changing times.
This low-maintenance style required minimal styling time – the hair equivalent of a three-chord punk song that still somehow rocks. The clean lines worked for straight hair types looking for something both practical and fashionable. It offered the perfect balance of edge and accessibility, similar to how “Star Wars” managed to be both revolutionary and mainstream. The wedge became the go-to for women breaking free from complicated styling routines.
2. Tickle Deodorant
Tickle deodorant strutted onto the scene with packaging as loud as stadium rock – neon colors and oversized applicators that looked more toys than hygiene products. The commercials for this stuff played out unrealistically peppy and full of random dancing.
The huge roller ball left a thick, wet layer that took forever to dry. The product came in funky scents aimed at young consumers looking to make underarm care seem exciting. Collecting these colorful containers became a teenage hobby, much the same way vinyl records are collected today. The whole concept was ridiculous but somehow worked in a decade that embraced excess in every form.
1. Feathered Hair Frenzy
Feathered hair took over the 70s faster than “Stayin’ Alive” climbed the charts – suddenly everywhere and impossible to escape. This style needed an arsenal of tools: round brushes, blow dryers, and enough hairspray to deplete the ozone layer. The daily styling ritual took longer than waiting for concert tickets before the internet.
When done right, the face-framing layers looked effortless. But one drop of humidity turned the carefully crafted masterpiece into something resembling a shocked cat. The maintenance level bordered on relationship status – demanding daily attention and constant care. Yet everyone from Farrah Fawcett to your next-door neighbor rocked this high-maintenance look that framed faces as perfectly as a well-composed album cover.
