When it comes to fashion week beauty trends, sometimes it seems as if all the make-up and hair pros have gathered for a secret pow wow pre-shows to decide on the decade du jour that they'll all without doubt reference on almost every runway.

Whether 40s silk headscarves, 70s disco or Victoriana, there's nothing that fashion week loves more than a decade specific reference. And generally speaking, we love it too. Give us a throwback beauty look to inspire our next going out out ensemble any day of the week and we'll be happy.

But AW18 was a little different. With backstage hair and make-up referencing almost every decade in modern history, we've got a hunch that the pros might have given the pow wow a miss this season.

Read on for your guide to every epic make-up decade you need to try for AW18...

1920s

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L'Oréal Professionnel

From classic finger waves with a 2018 'caught in the rain' twist at Erdem to Ryan Lo's nod to Parisian cafe culture and rosebud lip shapes, the 20s were out in full force for London Fashion Week.

'The side parting gives a masculine feel to the hair, whilst the finger wave creates a 1920s aesthetic,' said L'Oréal Professionnel's Anthony Turner. 'This is a girl who's been trudging around her estate in all weathers, so the wave is mushy and imperfect and the colour of the hair pins contrasts that of her hair to make it seem random and homemade.'

Go back in time with...

NARS x Erdem Lipstick in Wilflower, available in April

1930s/40s

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Getty Images

In a post-Weinstein fashion week, there was a yearning for the glamour of 1940s old Hollywood minus the all too stark reality of today's #MeToo red carpet era.

At Temperley, the queen of fabulous, Charlotte Tilbury, used the 1930s/40s inspired collection as an opportunity to launch her new Eyes to Mesmerise eye shadow in Star Gold as an ode to iconic film stars.

In contrast, Mary Katrantzou drew on the strong, architectural lines of the 1930s Bauhaus movement with models' hair being swept back away from their faces resulting in a graphic and androgynous finish.

Go back in time with...

Charlotte Tilbury Eyes To Mesmerise in Star Gold, available in May

1960s

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Getty Images

Taking inspiration from the film industry as well, but this time from the 1960s, Ashish drew on the talents of make-up pro Isamaya Ffrench to give models oversized beehives, pops of lime green on eyes, coral lipstick and painted on Twiggy-esque lashes.

Getting in on the mod 60s vibe was Sadie Williams, where models stormed the runway with rainbow-hued liquid liner flicks and Brigitte Bardot ponytails.

Go back in time with...

MAC Pro Longwear Fluidline in Blacktrack, £17

1970s

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Not to be overly specific (ok, we totally are) but AW18's take on last season's obsession with 80s glam was all about 1978 instead, according to cool kid make-up pro Isamaya Ffrench anyway.

Adorning models with iridescent, lavender hued eyes, coloured false lashes and uber highlighted skin at Halpern, Ffrench created a 'vicious disco' make-up look that could rock up at a club in 1978, no questions asked. Or as she put it, '1978 is the new 80s.'

Go back in time with...

MAC Extra Dimension Skin Finish in Soft Frost, £25.50

1980s

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'It's Annie Lennox-inspired 80s punk make-up to make the models feel empowered. It's not make-up to hide behind, it's make-up to make you feel strong,' said Thomas De Kluyver backstage at Ashley Williams where the decade of 'more is more' was about confidence, rather than cold hard cash.

The bold businesswoman badass vibes continued at Gareth Pugh where shoulder pads were bigger than Grace Jones', and nails featured two bold looks: leopard print and black PVC finish power talons (courtesy of legendary manicurist Marianne Newman).

Go back in time with...

MAC Powder Blush in Peony Petal, £19.50

1990s

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90s club kid make-up at Matty Bovan and market stall butterfly clips at Ashish brought back conflicting beauty trends from the decade that brought us Britney's fluffy bunchies, but also Kurt Cobain's grown out bleach job.

The throwback looks continued New York fashion week's revival of nostalgic hair accessories like the infamous crocodile clip at Alexander Wang and David Beckham's 90s hair accessory of choice, the zig zag plastic hair band.

Go back in time with...

Marc Jacobs Eye-Conic Longwear Eyeshadow Palette in Smartorial, £39

2018

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Nothing summed up 2018's much-needed inclusive ethos than Christopher Bailey's celebratory finale for Burberry. Featuring a brand spanking new rainbow version of the brand's iconic check, the beauty backstage was feeling the forward thinking vibes as well.

'Beauty is about diversity,' said make-up pro Wendy Rowe. 'That's the strength of the British person; not just the Burberry girl, it's about being happy with who you are and celebrating the colour palette that nature gave you in its purest form.'

Amen to that.

Step into 2018 with...

Burberry Fresh Glow Gel Stick Foundation & Concealer, £34