Do you want to experience a nostalgic atmosphere by going back to the 90s? Then you are definitely in the right place! In the 90s, people experienced fashion in every field to the fullest. In the makeup field, monochrome makeups became fashionable instead of the exaggerated and colorful makeups of the 80s. Matte foundations, dark lipsticks, and so on are very popular in 90’s makeup. Like in fashion trends, there is a comeback in makeup trends today. In addition, these comebacks can look very aesthetic thanks to more innovative and modern adaptations. In this article, I would like to talk about 90’s makeup fashion. Next, I will examine how these trends are still with us today. Hope you enjoy while reading as much as I enjoyed when I am writing.
If you want to get more information about the 90’s Era, you should definitely check other related articles:
- 90’s Shoes Trends
- 90’s Grunge Trend
- All About 90’s Outfit Trends
- Vintage Outfit Tips
- 2000’s Fashion Trends
90’s Skin and Body Makeup
First, I want to start with the skin and body. In the 90’s makeup, more matte-looking makeup was at the forefront instead of a bright look. So, if you want to follow the 90s style, take a break from using highlighters for a day. On the other hand, body shimmers were a big part of 90’s makeup. Celebrities used body shimmers on their concerts, events, and even their daily life!
Matte Skin
As I mentioned above, unlike the 80’s, matte foundation was really popular in 90’s, which matches the skin color. For example, while the first photo is 80’s makeup, you can see that 90’s makeup is much simpler in the second photo. It will be enough to examine the two photos below to understand the difference.
Celebrities have always been the pioneers of makeup trends. As you can see in the photos, celebrities such as Gwen Stefani and Jennifer Lopez really liked the matte foundation. I don’t know about you, but I think matte foundation makes our face look artificial. Gwen Stefani also seems to have been exposed to this situation. In my opinion, although matte foundations are successful in covering, anything shiny looks much more attractive.
Body Glitter
Body glitter was a big part of 90’s makeup. It’s impossible to forget the shine of the ’90s, which was used especially on stage and at events. In 90s they used glitter quite often on eyelids, lips, and hair. There was also another place where glitter was used in makeup. Body! Body glitter is a great makeup material whether applied on the décolleté or on the cheekbones. In particular, these glitters that Britney Spears applied all over her body at her concert created a very iconic photo. In the other picture, you can see Gwen Stefani with her body shimmering at the 1998 MTV VMA.
90’s Makeup on Eyes and Brows
Eye makeup was one of the most important parts of the 90’s makeup. From the blue shadow to the smokey eyes, there were many options in the context of eyeshadow. Also, ultra-volume lashes were quite popular. Well, what about eyebrows? They were thin, and perfectly plucked. I think the only place where 90’s makeup left permanent damage might be the eyebrows. Who followed this trend in 90’s, may have a great regret now.
Most Memorable 90’s Makeup Style: Blue Eyeshadow
Blue eyeshadow was arguably a 90’s classic. It was possible to see this makeup in all magazines, TV series, and red carpets. I think it’s a color that can look attractive if you apply it correctly and in the right shade. There were examples of blue eyeshadow in the ’90s that looked really bad. However, I can’t ignore the really cool-looking ones.
Purple Eyeshadow
Like blue eyeshadow, purple eyeshadow was among the popular eyeshadow colors of 90’s makeup. Purple is my favorite color but choosing the colors according to the skin tone is one of the first things to consider for healthy and eye-catching makeup.
I especially noticed that purple eyeshadow and red lipstick were used together in 90’s makeup. In my opinion, since purple and red are pretty dominant colors, using them together creates very eye-straining looks.
According to my research, if you have cool undertone, purple is just for you! It can make your skin look more alive and healthier than it is. But as I said before, when it is not applied correctly, make-up looks that do not look nice at all come out.
Smokey Eye
Smokey eye is an eye makeup that is still very popular today. I can say that its popularity started all the way back in the ’90s. Especially, smoky eye makeup will look very stylish at events and dinners. So, how can you do smokey eye makeup to yourself? What you need to do for a 90’s grunge smoky eye: A little messy, a little glossy, and a lot of black eyeshadows. Then, you can look at the flawless and sexy eyes.
Spider Lashes
Spider lashes were another trend of the 90’s makeup. The ultra-long lash look has a huge inspiration on 90’s girls. You can easily achieve spider lashes with two coats of mascara. Also, I can say that things can be easier with the help of false eyelashes. However, I think these “exaggerated eyelashes” look very unnatural and fake. Also, they are not suitable for daily use.
Eyeliner
Except for the grunge trend and blue eyeshadow, most of the 90’s makeup was actually pretty thin eyeliner. Surrounding the eyes with black eyeliner was one of those years’ trendiest eye makeup styles. But eyeliner was used only to emphasize the eye without being overdone. This eye makeup with eyeliner would be completed with a generous amount of mascara.
I think eyeliner has always made the eyes look attractive with its unique style in every period.
Pencil Thin Brows
Thin, perfectly plucked eyebrows are a must in 90’s makeup. In the ’90s, eyebrows should have been thin and dark, even quite prominent, and well-plucked. Also, not too much brow mascara, brow shadow, or pencil has been used. I think this is the worst trend of the 90’s I have ever seen.
90’s Makeup on Lips
The lipsticks used in 90’s makeup had a unique style. Dark lip colors like brown, cherry-red, and burgundy were among the most preferred lipstick colors. Also, overlined lips with a darker lip liner were the thing of the ’90s. The look could be completed with a gloss. You might think I put too much meaning on a lipstick. But there is something you should realize. Lipstick is one of the most important things that complete a makeup.
Burgundy Lipstick
If you look at any photos from the ’90s, you can see someone who wears burgundy lipstick. Countless 90’s celebrities wore it. I think burgundy lipstick makes a makeup very likable. As you can see in Jennifer Lopez and Cindy Crawford’s 90’s makeup, although the skin and eye makeup is simple, they look very attractive with burgundy lipstick.
Red Lips of 90’s Makeup
For more daring girls, here come bold colors. Yes, I am talking about red lipstick! No one will disagree with the idea that red lips are always classy. From matte to glossy, the red hue was worn by many celebrities and never lost its popularity. In addition, it is a timeless color that can be preferred for your night-out makeups.
Brown Lipstick
If I had to choose just one lipstick color that the 90’s makeup added to our lives, I would definitely choose brown. Brown lipstick was the most important part of the 90’s makeup. Also, if you look at the movies and TV shows of the ’90s, you can notice that the lipstick shades are mostly brown tones.
You can learn more about brown lipstick and get inspired by the photos in the following headings of the article.
Overlined Lips
Finally, ombre lips! 90’s makeup couldn’t be without dark lip liners that frame the lips. 90’s women literally loved and used dark lip liners. I think these lips look pretty stylish in terms of reflecting the 90’s so well.
Naomi Campbell is one of the celebrities who used framed lip makeup quite often in the 90s. In fact, she uses it so often that I can say that she has become an icon in this regard.
90’s Makeup Styles
The 90’s makeup contained many different styles. Each had its own unique style. While the grunge style adopted a more rebellious and messy face makeup, the supermodel style adopted a more attractive makeup with facial features in the foreground. In addition, no-makeup makeup style where naturalness is at the forefront was a makeup style in which even only blush was sufficient, in contrast to the grunge style. The brick-brown style, which was a bit of a mixture of all these, was a style that almost any type of eye makeup could be compatible with.
90’s Makeup Grunge Style
Grunge came into fashion in the early 1990s, inspired by the style and makeup of a musical group. Grunge makeup consists of dark lips and smoky eye makeup. Today, we can still see this trend as a popular makeup style.
The most crucial detail of this makeup is the smoky effect on the eyes. You can achieve this smoky effect by applying dark eyeshadow to the lower and upper lashes. In addition, this dramatic eye makeup is more preferred in night makeup.
Dark lipstick is among the essentials of grunge makeup.
Courtney Love, Gwen Stefani, and Kim Gordon defined ’90s grunge style, pioneering with dark and bold makeup.
Also, if you want to learn more about Grunge Style this article is just for you! You can find answers to your questions like “What is 90’s grunge look?”, “How do I have a 90’s grunge look?” In addition, celebrities with grunge heading pretty interesting to get inspiration.
90’s Makeup: Supermodel Style
Being a model in the ’90s brought a lot of fame with it. Cindy Crawford, Naomi Campbell, and Kate Moss were some of the supermodels of the ’90s. They took their place in history with their bronze and attractive beauties and fashion-shaping makeups.
The most important details of the 90’s makeup of supermodels are pink blush, arched eyebrows, and eye makeup that will make the eyes look slanted. Today, these makeup tips continue to be applied in their more modern form.
In addition, Tanned Skin Makeup: Get the Most Flawless Look article can help you achieve supermodel makeup.
Barely-There 90’s Makeup Style
Actually, minimalism and no-makeup makeup came into our lives in the ’90s. Celebrities like Jennifer Aniston and Kate Moss popularized this dewy, natural makeup. They avoided exaggerations such as bronzer or eye makeup and used a makeup that looked perfect by exaggerating only the blush.
If you’re wondering what to do to achieve that natural look, keep reading. It’s just all about natural tone makeup supplies. You have to moisturize your skin, use BB cream, lots of blush, and a highlighter.
You don’t have to use mascara. Or you can apply a little without exaggerating. However, you may use creamy lip color natural lipstick.
Brick-Brown Style
As I said before, brown lipstick was the most important part of the 90’s makeup. If I have to add a new info, brick brown style is a hybrid of grunge and no-makeup styles. TV shows could be good examples of this makeup style. Especially, in the one of the most famous shows of the 90s Friends series, Rachel, Monica, and Phoebe have used this makeup pretty often.
This style contains mascara, brow pencil, foundation, and finally, brick-brown lipstick, of course! Also, matte skin makeup is the signature of the 90s. Full-coverage matte foundation and powder are a must in this makeup.
It won’t be a surprise if I say that brown lipsticks and full-coverage matte foundations are back in 2019. But now, the thick and powdery foundations are entirely stuck in the 90s. Now is the era of the “modern mat.” Today, matte foundations are high-coverage foundations that are never seen as thick and powdery and offer a matte finish.
90’s Makeup of Today and Celebrities
Everything old is today new. Anything from clothing fashion to homeware and even makeup is back to trend again. Before I talk about makeup trends, there is an article I can recommend to you. How about keeping up with the fashion of clothes while doing 90’s makeup? Here’s All About the 90s Outfits.
If I go back to the topic of makeup, I can say that there are a lot of comebacks that I need to mention. However, I would like to share the most preferred and admired 90’s makeup trends. Blue eyeshadow, smokey eyes, dark lipsticks, and overdrawn lips are just some of these trends.
Shades of Blue Eyeshadow
If there is an eyeshadow color that we often see these days, it is blue.
In the makeup in the first photo, she used the dark blue tone of blue. The eyeshadow was applied by drawing sharp lines to give a more slanting look. Also, under-eye black eyeliner is definitely a style from the 90s to the present. She keeps skin makeup and lipstick simple so that all the attention is on the eyes. Unlike the first photo, a baby blue eyeshadow is used in the second photo. Contours were created in the eyes by applying white eyeshadow towards the tear through. Again, she keeps skin makeup and lipstick simple so that all the attention on the eyes.
Celebrities seem to like the blue eyeshadow a lot too. In the first photo, you can see Gigi Hadid with her blue eyeshadow and perfectly drawn eyeliner. Did you notice that she drew her lips with a darker pencil? The second photo features Emily Ratajkowski and her blue eyeshadow. I can say that she used blue eyeshadow in grunge style.
Smudged Eyes
It is really well-known that the eyes are the most attractive part of the face. Also, smokey eye makeup is a sophisticated and classic look that comes from 90’s makeup. The classic smokey eye contains colors like gray, black, and dark brown. Unlike these colors, I want to show you different and interesting smokey eye makeup colors.
In the first photo, there is coral blue smokey eye makeup. I think metallic tones are the perfect choice for smokey eyes. In the second photo, you can see a version of it in the same way but in a different color.
Let’s go back to the classic smokey eye makeup. In the first photo, you will see that black and brown tones look great in harmony with each other. There is traditional smokey eye makeup in burgundy tones in the second photo. I love the eye makeups in both pictures!
I chose two different photos to review the smokey eye makeup of the celebrities. In the first photo, you can see Selena Gomez wearing sparkly smoky eye makeup. She chose the classic black color and sparkles for some fun. I think this makeup can be suitable for Christmas as well. Shay Mitchell looks flawless with classic smokey eye makeup in the second photo. I can say it is a very successful smokey eye with all the attention on the eyes.
Today’s Dark Lipsticks
Finally, the lips! Another makeup trend from the 90s to the present is dark lipsticks. As I have said many times in this article, brown, burgundy, red, and brick color are the most suitable colors to apply 90’s makeup today.
In the first photo, there is makeup with burgundy lipstick. First of all, I want to point out how flawless the makeup looks. The best thing to accompany dark lipstick is understated eye makeup. In the second photo, there is a more matte finish makeup. This time, a more brownish brick-colored lipstick was used.
Dark lipstick is also very popular in the world of celebrities. First, we will examine Megan Fox’s makeup. I loved her makeup with plenty of blush, in which the burgundy lipstick is at the forefront. On the other hand, I wanted to choose a different color in the last photo to add some variation. Although I didn’t mention it, frosted lips were also an important part of ’90s makeup. You can get this look with an eye makeup that matches your lipstick like Rihanna for a modern look.
Overlined Lip Trend
Ombre lips are back! You can do your lips overlined with the help of a darker lip liner that was popular in the 90s. Even though it is a little troublesome to do, I think it makes the lips look fuller. And that’s what makes this trend beautiful!
In the first photo, she used lip liner and lipstick in close tones together. Today, it is more popular to use colors that are close to each other rather than darker lip pencils. But the dark lip liner trend is never over! You can see a good example of this in the second photo. It is very easy to go back to the 90s with the gloss applied to the lips framed with a dark lip liner.
You can even see Kim Kardashian with framed lips. She used a dark lip liner to frame her lip. As a lipstick, she chose a nude color. Thus, the correct and sexy 90s look was obtained on the lips. Emily Ratajkowski, on the other hand, preferred to use lip liner and lipstick in close tones as in the first photo of this heading.
Before finishing, I want to share a video about 90’s makeup with you. In this video, Alexa Demie shares her 90’s makeup tutorial. Also, she explains how she gets the perfect winged liner every single time. She explains everything steps by step. Especially I love her overlined lips which was a big trend on 90’s makeup.
So, girls, that’s all about 90’s makeup. I hope you enjoy, are inspired, and find what you can search for. In addition, if you need more help, check that 90s Makeup Looks Ideas boards.
Stay Stylish!
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