70s Fancy Dress - Blondie Make Up Guide

Make-Up in the 1970s: Blondie’s Deborah Harry

Blondie’s front woman, Deborah “Debbie” Harry, was a punk rock / new wave icon in the 1970s.  She is best known for her messy bleached blonde hair and bright red lipstick.

To get Debbie Harry’s look, start by applying a translucent liquid foundation to the face.  To highlight the cheek bones, sweep a blush across the cheek and bring it all the way to the temple for a fierce rock star look.  For fairer complexions, try a dusty rose or light pink blush; for darker complexions, try a rose blush or one with peach or coral undertones.  To add to the glam, brush some sheer shimmer face powder over the cheek bones, highlighting the previously applied blush.

Smoldering eyes with bright eye shadows was very popular during the 1970’s punk rock era. Apply any shade of pink eye shadow over the top eyelids up all the way to the eyebrow.  For a bolder look slightly dampen the eye shadow before applying it to the lid, this will cause the shadow to become brighter and more solid looking.  Next, use a slanted eye shadow brush to apply a silver eye shadow to the outer lid, sweeping it in toward the inside of the eye along the crease of the lid, extending up just below the brow.  Use a solid black eye pencil to line the upper and lower lash lines.  Make the upper lash line a little thicker than the bottom.  Slightly dampen the silver eye shadow then apply it to the top lid just above the black liner.  Apply the dampened silver eye shadow on the lower lid just below the black liner.  This will tie the look together.

Snag Debbie Harry’s signature bright red lips by lining the lips with a red lip pencil.  Fill in the lips with a bright red lipstick.  For a glam look, use a shimmery lipstick.  For Debbie Harry’s classic look, stick with either a bright orange red or a true red shade.

Another signature of Debbie Harry’s in the 1970s was her messy bleached blonde hair, worn either just above or below the shoulders.  The more your hair looks like you just rolled out of bed, the more punk rock the look.  To fake the messy look, try spiral curling the hair into sections, then run your fingers through the freshly styled hair before it cools.  Flipping your hair a few times adds to the messy look, making it appear more natural. 

Debbie Harry often wore one strapped tank tops with stripes in both bright colors and black.  For cooler climates, wear a short jean jacket over the shirt and add a few buttons to enhance the punk rock look.  Thin silver hoop earrings and multiple necklaces in both silver and black will also help tie together the 1970’s punk rock look Deborah Harry made so famous. 

In the 1970s, Blondie’s front woman, Debbie Harry, made waves in both the music and fashion scenes.  Her feminine punk rock look is still a favorite style for many.