Five 90’s trends which are all the rage right now
Why do old trends come back to haunt us again? It has been observed that fashion is always cyclical, and what was out of fashion will always come back to fashion, albeit in a new way. One explanation for this is that designers are often inspired by what their parents wore, leading to what is called the 20-year rule – designers and trendsetters blend together modern elements with what their parents wore, creating a renaissance of trends. In other words, our nostalgia and love for trends bring these old designs and patterns back to life again.
Read on to find some 90’s beauty trends which have risen from the ashes in 2024!
- Deep brown lips
Who could forget style icons like Aishwarya Rai and their trademark deep brown-red lips? This lipstick was all the rage in the 90s. It was usually created by overlining lips with a dark brown lip liner before filling in the lips with a lighter brown, nude, or deep red lipstick. The lips were then often topped with gloss, creating an understated but glamorous look. Brown lips have seen a big comeback in recent years to match latte makeup trends. This glam look is sure to upgrade any makeup routine.
- Frosted, glossy lips
How did matte lipstick have such a chokehold over our collective imagination all these years? After the noughties and tens produced stars with creamy, matte lip tones, Gen Z has brought back a renaissance of shiny, glossy lips. While 90s stars embraced this look with their frosted lips, Gen Z prefers a more glossy twist, using lip gloss over traditional lip combinations to create a fresh, wet look on their lips.
- Straight, middle-parted hair
After the voluminous side parts of the 2000s and 2010s, hair trends have finally veered back to featuring middle parts! This flattering hairstyle frames both sides of the face and creates a symmetrical, yet natural glam. Middle parts have come back in a big way in the 2020s, with Gen Z-ers labelling side parts as old-fashioned and out of date. While 90s models tended to choose middle parts either with face framing wisps or simply left down and natural, 2020’s beauty trends are embracing voluminous, styled bangs, perhaps inspired by the K-Beauty rage. For inspiration, look no farther than Sabrina Carpenter’s iconic middle part and curtain bangs, a mainstay of her pop princess look.
- Voluminous curls
Thank the genetic lottery! Indian women have been blessed with some of the most beautiful black and brown curls in the world. 90s stars and style icons loved to play with their curls, often styling them into loose, voluminous hairdos. Think of actor Madhuri Dixit in the movie Hum Aapke Hai Kaun or Juhi Chawla in several Bollywood movies. Curly hair love took a slight dip in the 2000’s and 2010’s, but it’s back in full force in the 2020’s. This is partly through the popularity of several natural ‘curlies’ in the Indian film industry – Tapsee Pannu, Kangana Ranaut, and Sanya Malhotra to name a few.
This trend also coincided with curly hair love movements started by the African-American population, leading to a boom in curly hair products globally including India. 5. Minimalist eyes Aside from obvious glam queens of the 90s like Aishwarya Rai and Rani Mukerjee, most stars embraced minimal makeup looks in the 90s. Matte skin, nude or brown lips, and eyes with minimal eyeshadows were the name of the game. Actresses either chose simple black eyeliner or tightlined their eyes with black or brown pencils before smoking them out, creating a subtle smokey eye look. This minimalism has returned full swing with the clean girl look of TikTok and Instagram fame, with minimal bases and eyeshadow, glossy lips, and clear skin. The only change made is that Gen Z prefers dewy, glowy skin over the matte skin of the 90’s.
And there you have it! 2024 brings to us fresh spins on classic looks. We can perhaps expect Y2K fever to hit in the next few years. Until then, impress your clientele with fresh takes on the classic looks of their childhoods to keep them in trend.
