5 '90s Beauty Trends We Need To Bring Back (And 5 That Can Stay In The Past)

As a culture, we are experiencing a heavy wave of '90s nostalgia, particularly in beauty trends. We've seen celebrities rocking revamped versions of fads that were huge for many of us as kids and teens; blue eyeshadow, body glitter, and brown lipstick are all back and hotter than ever. The '90s grunge aesthetic is leading the helm, and with it, we're seeing the return of dark, smudgy eyes and monochromatic, mocha-toned makeup. Even brown blushes are making their way back into our makeup routines, and we're thankful for this '90s throwback because they can look more natural than pink-toned blushes. But '90s beauty wasn't all about browns; the era was also rich in colors, from highly pigmented eyeshadows to glittery eye wings, and those looks are also nudging their way back onto red carpets. Pastel eyeshadows are trending hard, and we're really enjoying the incorporation of sea foam green, lavender, baby pinks, and pale blues, because they're so dreamy. 

While we're having fun with these modernized renditions of '90s beauty, we also have to draw the line at some of those old looks. Certain styles deserve to stay in the past, like the thin, arched eyebrow that defined the era. Ultra-matte skin is another look we're happy to leave in the past. So with that in mind, we've compiled a list of '90s beauty we want to keep, and some trends we're keen to toss.

Brown lips were everything in the '90s. Mocha and chocolate brown shades dominated, and it's obvious why. The tone looks good on everyone. Thankfully, the brown lip has been inching its way back into contemporary beauty trends, and we're all about this revival. "I love the trend, because a clean '90s lip is the cheat code to looking like you've worn a full face," make-up artist Ranti Adeyemi told Vogue. "The '90s lip transcends eras, because it works for everyone. Who says no to a cool, over-structured lip?" While a full-coverage, brown lipstick is an excellent way to experiment with this trend, brown lip glosses have taken over as the contemporary upgrade for this '90s fad. To achieve this, Adeyemi told Vogue that you should choose a brown-toned lip liner that's slightly darker and cooler than your skin. Then swipe a chocolate brown gloss over the liner to get that intense impact. 

The '90s skinny brow needs to stay in the past. There's really no way around this. Over-plucked, pencil-thin brows dominated the era, and it's one trend that had a trickier comeback compared to other '90s beauty looks. We have seen some celebrities toying with the thin, structured brow lately. Bella Hadid has been trying out the look, and while a carefully groomed brow has its appeal, the ultra-fine arch has its drawbacks. "Over time, regular or improper waxing, tweezing, and plucking can damage the hair follicle," Nazanin Saedi, MD, a board-certified dermatologist, told Byrdie of the thin brow look. "If the hair follicle is permanently damaged, it will prevent further hair from growing." If you really want to experiment with this fad, consider bleaching brows or lightening them with concealer to experiment with the '90s minimalism aesthetic. 

One thing we distinctly remember from '90s beauty was glitter. There was shimmer and sparkle everywhere. While more mattified and subdued makeup trends have had their moments since, glitter is coming back in a big way, and we're signing up for a little dazzle. Play around with ultra-glittery eyeshadows. Spacepaste Glitter Concentrate in Houdini from Lemonhead is $22, and it's a gorgeous way to achieve this trend, as is the Liquid Glitter Eyeshadow in Disco Queen from E.L.F for $6. It's a playful way to experiment with color. 

Body glitter is another favorite from the '90s that we're seeing back on red carpets. Eva NYC's Kweeen Silver Glitter Spray from Ulta Beauty is $15, and is a lovely method for applying glitter to the body and hair. 

The '90s saw a rise in the grunge makeup trend, a look that was all about imperfection and drastic colors. Frequently, this applied to eye makeup, with gothic tones and smudgy effects, but it also impacted lip looks. Black lipsticks certainly packed a punch, but this fad isn't worth bringing back into the contemporary beauty space. We certainly love a statement lip, but the style is better achieved with colors that aren't as harsh as jet black. Opt for a rich merlot or hearty burgundy instead to keep the overall effect more modern and fresh. 

What we've loved and missed from the '90s hair trends are face-framing tendrils. At that time, the look was a little more severe. We saw celebs sporting double face-framing tendrils that were extremely straight and perfectly symmetrical, emerging from either side of a sharply-defined middle part. While that structured look is also back, softer tendrils have been trending hard lately. Curly, romantic tendrils offer a full, luscious effect to any updo, and we are all about it. Even the adorable little "tendy" hair trend from the '90s is back, which features one, solitary tendril that offers a flirty diversion to a casual updo. 

One of the more unfortunate crazes of '90s beauty was an extremely matte face from heavy foundation. The color often appeared slightly off, too, making the skin look ashen and too pale. Thankfully, the desired look now from foundation is a barely-there effect, also known as "skinimalism." Makeup artist Kevyn Aucoin explained his contemporary approach to foundation when speaking to Elle. "Instead of the thick cream or two-way foundation used in the '90s, I used a foundation that gives fresh, flawless coverage," he said. "This simple change to the foundation allows you to go super dramatic with the color—but not look costume-y or outdated." Coverage is much more sheer, and the goal is dewy, radiant skin that looks natural and healthy. Skin tints have replaced cakey foundations for a "better than bare" effect, and we are steering clear of anything too thick or mattifying. 

While brown lipstick was a high point of the '90s, the era was also famous for the glossy lip. Remember all of those Smackers lip glosses we carried around? Or how about the absolute choke hold that Lancôme Juicy Tubes had on the market. Best of all was Maybelline Kissing Potion, a little roll-on vial that made us believe that a good smooch was right around the corner. Matte lips are out, and the juicy, full-shine of a quality lip oil or gloss is back in business. Try the Shade Slick Tinted Lip Oil from Merit $24, or the Fat Oil Lip Drip from NYX for $9. 

If there's one hair look we don't want to see resurrected from the '90s, it's the fountain head hairstyle. The look was achieved thanks to a scrunchie (the first problem), which brought all the hair to the top of the head. The final effect, as the name suggests, was a spiky overflow of hair pointing in all directions. We love high ponytails, but the modern interpretation of this is a sleeker do. Think of Ariana Grande's iconic pony. There's height there, but it's not such a distracting event. 

Beauty trends in the '90s were really all about brown tones, and they weren't just relegated to lipsticks. Monochromatic makeup, in mocha and chocolate brown hues, were huge. In fact, the defining style of the '90s supermodels was the latte makeup look, which is trending all over again. The colors on the face were harmonious, and nothing stood out as too bold or brash. In contemporary beauty, we're after this consistency once again. Eyeshadows, lipsticks, and bronzers in caramels, bronzes, and browns keep the face looking polished and natural. Using the same product for blush and lips is another effortless way to nail the '90s supermodel style of monochromatic makeup. 

The whimsical butterfly clip has fluttered back into our hair clip routine, and we're psyched about it. Those can come back. What absolutely cannot come back from '90s beauty fads is the porcupine updo. The hair style required several small clips, often the precious butterfly clip, to raise hair vertically in a variety of different directions. It seems that the '90s was constantly trying to defy gravity with daring bouffants. We can certainly live without this (no offense, Claire Danes)! Instead, updos that have a little more softness to them — like the Pamela Anderson updo — are a better alternative if you're feeling nostalgic.