10 Beauty Looks From the 1988 Emmys That Are Sheer '80s Perfection

The '80s were a very, very different time for red carpet beauty. Big hair was in, natural makeup was out, and if your lip and nail color didn't match, you probably shouldn't have even bothered leaving the house. With the 2018 Emmys poised to be the most fashionable show ever, we're taking a look back at the red carpet three decades ago. Stars like Jane Seymour and Jackee Harry brought their A-game, and there are elements of their beauty choices that still hold up today — hello, bangs! — and some that . . . well, not so much. After all, the '80s are back, haven't you heard?

01
Joan Rivers's Helmet Hair
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Joan Rivers's Helmet Hair

Joan Rivers will forever be a style and beauty icon, and her giant hair at the 1988 Emmy Awards is a classically '80s look. We can't even begin to imagine how much hairspray went into this look.

02
Holly Robinson Peete's Tight Curls
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Holly Robinson Peete's Tight Curls

Holly Robinson (before the Peete), starring on 21 Jump Street at the time, wore her hair in a tight updo for the ceremony, leaving just a few curls hanging loose by her left eye.

03
Linda Hamilton's Bold Pink Lip
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Linda Hamilton's Bold Pink Lip

Linda Hamilton, '80s royalty thanks to her role in The Terminator, proved to be ahead of her time on the red carpet with her neutral face makeup paired with a hot pink lip.

04
Phylicia Rashad's Shimmering Shadow
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Phylicia Rashad's Shimmering Shadow

Phylicia Rashad was one of the hottest TV actresses on the red carpet, with The Cosby Show smack in the middle of its eight-year run. She solidified her superstar status with some shimmering ultra violet eye shadow, one of this year's most popular trends.

05
Estelle Getty's Deep Red Lip
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Estelle Getty's Deep Red Lip

Estelle Getty took home an Emmy for her role on The Golden Girls that year, and we'll forever be applauding her bold move of pairing her crimson lipstick with her earrings and dress.

06
Mary Steenburgen's Wild Curls
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Mary Steenburgen's Wild Curls

Yes, that's Mary Steenburgen three decades ago. The woman doesn't age, and her big curls are still in style today.

07
Kirstie Alley's Shapely Brows
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Kirstie Alley's Shapely Brows

Cheers star Kirstie Alley gave Brooke Shields a run for her money with her perfectly shaped brows during the '88 show. She lost the Emmy to Bea Arthur that night, but this look is still a winner to us.

08
Jackee Harry's Wispy Bangs
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Jackee Harry's Wispy Bangs

Outstanding supporting actress nominee Jackee Harry deserved an Emmy for her red carpet look alone. We're particularly fond of her forehead-grazing bangs.

09
Tracey Ullman's Shaved Side
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Tracey Ullman's Shaved Side

Comedian Tracey Ullman was all the rage in 1988 thanks to her self-titled Fox series. She teased up her hair for the show, exposing a shaved and bleached patch on her right side. If you look closely, there's even a bow in there!

10
Jane Seymour's . . . Everything
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Jane Seymour's . . . Everything

Ah, Jane Seymour. She took home an Emmy for her role in the miniseries Onassis: The Richest Man in the World that year, and she was positively glowing. We love everything, from her impossibly perfect red lipstick to her not-a-strand-out-of-place updo.