MEMORIES:

In the 80s, it was collectively agreed up that the decidedly dull look of previous decades demanded an extreme splash of color – vivid colors that could be applied to the eyes, the face, even the hair. Black would forever take a backseat to a new palette of (mostly temporary) colors that the New Romantics embraced and shared with the world.

 

Developing in the sub-culture before the mainstream took notice, it was a trend of color that would make a parrot jealous. Cosmetic companies were quick to realize the potential and began offering a complete line of products that allowed one to quickly transform themselves in a way that would surely turn heads. Colored mascara and other temporary products such as hair mousse and gel made it easy to transform the mundane into something a tad more vivid, a tad more shocking. Mascara wands weren’t limited to eyelash use; they were soon traveling towards the eyebrows and even through the hair itself – anywhere a splash of color was needed.

 

Of course, if you wanted hair like fashion maven, Cindy Lauper, there were plenty of colored mousses in a such subtle shades as eggplant purple, lime green and firecracker red to evoke the most puzzling of stares from the parental units. Products such as Pazazz and Colorific gave one the power of glitter-colored gels at their disposal. Of course, all of it was temporary, ensuring that when trends eventually changed, or when a fashion experiment went horribly awry, a little shampoo and water were all that were needed to set things right again – which certainly caused more than a few parents to let out a big sigh of relief.