'90s Makeup Trends We're Hoping Make Comebacks

Nostalgia for the '90s can strike at any moment, whether you're charmed by the opening notes of the "Dawson's Creek" theme song (aka Paula Cole's "I Don't Wanna Wait") or swept away by the familiar scent of a cucumber-melon candle. But for makeup mavens, there's nothing quite like revisiting the beauty trends of the decade that ushered in Britney Spears, Bubble Tape, and Beanie Babies galore. Similar to the quirky time period itself, '90s makeup styles were a bit of a mixed bag. Moodier looks certainly had their moment — just recall the skinny brow trend, which we can thankfully now embrace without tweezers, and dark, vampy lips — but plenty of the decade's most-memorable makeup moments were far more lighthearted. 

From high-contrast eyeliner to reflective glitter gel, countless cosmetic fads of the '90s are sorely missed today. Fortunately, some of these trends are still kicking, artfully reinvented to reflect modern-day tastes. Holographic stickers, smiley-face pimple patches, and colorful face gems are just a few playful products that give nods to the sunny '90s. That being said, there are several bygone beauty trends from this period that deserve to share the spotlight after a long hiatus.

These days, it's not unusual to see graphic white eyeliner because it's been popularized by it-girls and beauty influencers alike. Take pop singer and "Wicked" phenomenon Ariana Grande, for example. The r.e.m. Beauty founder is known to wear elegant, white cat eyes, as well as fun, graphic shapes using the albatross hue. From her "Rain on Me" music-video collab with Lady Gaga to her recent red-carpet appearances, Grande's likely influenced the spate of white eyeliner on our Instagram feeds. But back in the '90s, white eyeliner was a bit more basic. Okay, a lot more basic. And honestly? It was kind of a vibe. 

To authentically replicate classic '90s white eyeliner, which is way more versatile than you'd expect, all you need is a pencil liner in the ghostliest white you can find. Wet n Wild's Color Icon pencil has long been a staple for this type of look, but any brand of white pencil liner will do. Don't worry about achieving the perfect cat eyeliner ends or cleaning up your wings, either — you actually want it to sit squarely above your lash line like a strip of White-Out! A thick layer of mascara — or several layers, in true '90s spider-lash fashion — is all you need to top off this beautiful blanc look, though you can add some liquid black eyeliner to really make your eyes pop.

In the '90s, glitter was everywhere. Our lava lamps, our jelly sandals, and our novelty coin purses from Claire's? Absolutely loaded with glitter, much to the chagrin of parents, teachers, and environmental researchers everywhere. (Sorry, y'all.) Of course, this trend wasn't limited to our interior-design choices or our accessories. Yup, you guessed it: Glitter-based cosmetics were all the rage, carried everywhere from Limited Too catalogs to drugstore shelves. Perfumes, body mists, rollerball gels, and eyeshadows all bore a healthy splash of sparkle in the '90s, and this vivacious makeup trend marched on well into the aughts.

True, we can still get our fix of sparkly stuff from the occasional liquid eyeshadow or lip gloss release, but we miss the long-lost era of glitter-ific everything. You can't beat waking up with raspberry-scented glitter gel in your hair, glitter dust on your shoulders, and the remnants of marshmallow shimmer gloss stuck to your lips. Sporting a classic, glittery eye on a regular basis might not be so great for your corneas or the planet — yes, we'll begrudgingly admit it — but wearing copious amounts of glitter genuinely feels, in the words of '90s chart-toppers Marcy's Playground, like "disco lemonade."

Another sweet '90s trend deserving of a resurgence? The gourmand lip-product craze of the 1990s, which gave us everything from passionfruit-infused lip plumpers to brownie-flavored balms. While it's true that flavored lip glosses still grace store shelves today, anyone who lived through the '90s can tell you that they're not quite as awesome as they once were. There was something uniquely special about sugary '90s lip glosses, from their cutesy packaging to their endless smorgasbord of sweet flavors to choose from. 

Whether you were more of a Lip Smackers lover or tore through NYC glossy pots, chances are you'd give anything to revisit your favorite flavored lip gloss (and not have to resort to tasty hacks to make them). But there's really no need to buy decades-old tubs of discontinued products on eBay or build a time machine in your backyard. Instead, why not try some current-day cosmetics to help fill the void? Cult-favorite flavored lip launches, like the Laneige Lip Sleeping Mask (and its many dupes), are close-enough swaps for discontinued '90s lippies. 

The 1970s were hazy and hedonistic, the 1980s were charmingly cool, and the 1990s ... well, things could only be described as a little weird. After all, a '90s baby's education largely consisted of playing "Oregon Trail," while after-school activities included stalking the local roller rink's vending machines for alien stickers. As a reflection of the times, '90s makeup was slightly out there, and one of the greatest, quirkiest trends of the '90s was none other than face gems. Stick-on earrings, piercings, and decorative eye designs were commonplace in the '90s and inspired largely by rave culture. Harajuku fashion also exploded in popularity toward the brink of the 2000s, setting off a wave of alternative trends like Band-Aids and stickers worn as facial adornments.

Fortunately for modern-day makeup enthusiasts, face gems and their kin have evolved in a very skin-friendly way. In place of craft stickers, bandages, and glue-on gems, an increasing number of beauty fans are turning to different types of pimple patches for a quick stick-on fix. With pimple patch collabs like Hello Kitty x Starface and Beekman 1802 x "Wicked," there are more covetable options than ever to add character to your face in a snap. What's more, this is one way to show off a '90s comeback trend while maintaining your self-care routine. Now, that's totally rad.