80s ICON REVISITS HER SIGNATURE MAKEUP LOOK—AND THE INTERNET IS OBSESSED
- Melissa Fleur Afshar
- Jan 31
- 3 min read
Newsweek Exclusive Feature
“Makeup and acting have always walked hand in hand for me,” actress and beauty icon Donna Mills, 85, told Newsweek.
Donna Mills, the 85-year-old Knots Landing star, has spent decades in the public eye, but she is now finding a new generation of fans on social media after sharing her defining 1980s makeup looks online under @thedonnamills.
Mills has been acting since the 1960s, with her filmography spanning both celebrated movies and soaps in which she acted alongside stars such as Clint Eastwood, Jennifer Lawrence and Martin Sheen. Still acting in her 80s, Mills has been growing a steady following on Instagram in tandem, where she occasionally posts makeup tips—a nod to her beauty-icon status in the 1980s and her 55-minute 1986 makeup tutorial, The Eyes Have It, which was sold on VHS.
"In the 1980s, I did a makeup video, and people still ask me for makeup tips, so, here's one for you," Mills told viewers in one clip, before diving straight into advice about the best place to apply blusher.
Filmed as a lighthearted look back on her career highs, the video, from July, 2025, quickly went viral. To date, it has been viewed over 830,000 times, leading to adoring comments from both longtime fans and new ones too.
What followed were several more candid makeup videos, with Mills revealing her top style tips on everything from lipstick to blusher, that she has picked up from years spent in makeup chairs.
"Makeup and acting have always walked hand in hand for me," Mills told Newsweek. "When I was on Knots Landing, the glamour quotient was high, and suddenly my look became almost as important as my acting and scene work, so I leaned into it.
"I'd always loved makeup and had a natural knack for it, so I began doing my own makeup on every job. People constantly asked about it, I got tons of fan mail about it, and so, in 1986, I released my own instructional video, which, thankfully, became a huge success. The video went platinum the next year."
Mills landed a lead role on CBS' Knots Landing in 1980, going on to star on the Dallas spinoff for over 8 years.
She most recently guest starred on Doctor Odyssey, an ABC medical drama that aired from September 26, 2024 to May 15, 2025.
Mills' fame in the 80s led to her bagging advertising deals for the most recognizable hair and makeup brands of the era, including Aqua
Net, the hairspray label then fronted by Fabergé. She was also reportedly the inspiration behind the character of Sandy, played by Olivia Newton-John in the 1978 musical film, Grease.
"As I’ve grown older in my career, my makeup and skincare have evolved right along with me," Mills said. "They’ve always been part of my storytelling. And I am grateful for the journey…And I still think the makeup aspect of my career is fun!"
Her first Instagram rendition of The Eyes Have It for Gen Z gained a praise from celebrity makeup artist Kristofer Buckle, who commented under Mills' post: "I have a VHS tape of yours…I think it’s called 'The Eyes Have it' so great!"
"I LOVE it," Ellen Malone, another pro makeup artist with upward of 100,000 followers, commented.
Celebrity makeup artist and beauty founder, Mally Roncal, added: "YOU ARE MY QUEEN!!!!! Literally my favorite makeup video of ALL TIME!!! I still have the VHS tape, and I will cherish it forever!!! I love you!!!!!!!"
Genevieve Turley, a makeup artist with other 730,000 followers, simply commented three heart emoji in response to the viral clip.
The short video walked viewers through where Mills places her own powder blush and how she uses the product to contour her features, showing off her signature confidence and charm as she presented her makeup hacks. She shared that Brett Freedman helped her film the video.
To the delight of Knots Landing fans, Mills has collaborated with former series co-stars Joan Van Ark and Michele Lee to host a podcast titled We’re Knot Done Yet, where the trio reminisce on the iconic series and the friendship between them that followed.
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