90s MAKEUP TRENDS ARE BACK – HERE ARE THE ONES YOU SHOULD TRY FIRST

In 2026, 90s makeup looks are going to be just as popular as their fashion counterpart. The era of sitcoms, scandals, and Walkmans is still influencing beauty to this day, thanks to pioneering makeup artists like Kevyn Aucoin, Sam Fine and Pat McGrath. Zillennial A-listers walked so Gen-Z celebs could run – think Bella Hadid’s Pamela-inspired brows or Zara Larsson’s colourful tour makeup (basically a love letter to I'm a Slave 4 U-era Britney). All of these 1990s makeup looks are circulating on socials right now, and we’ve rounded up the ones you should try first.

From grunge makeup á la Winona Ryder or Drew Barrymore to pop-princess-approved shimmer and the perfect vampy lip, there were a plethora of popular looks in the 90s, and now they're being adapted for 2020s tastes. If you want to look straight out of the era, read on for 5 of the key trends and how to recreate them.

Kevyn Aucoin is the father of modern makeup, so many of today’s beauty trends can be traced back to him. But what we’re most thankful for is his base makeup framework – that signature bright undereye, contour and blush system. He showcased his secrets on the likes of Cindy Crawford, Naomi Campbell and Madonna, who all shared the same seamless sculpted glam. You can follow Kevyn’s principles with a well-blended foundation, a light dust of contour and a peachy blush positioned on the apples of your cheeks.

 

GET THE LOOK:
Charlotte Tilbury Airbrush Flawless Foundation, £39
By Terry Hyalronic Serum Concealer 8HA, £39
Too Faced Chocolate Soleil Melting Bronzing & Sculpting Stick, £28
Benefit Wanderful World Mini Powder Blusher - Crystah, £16.50

What’s more iconic than the 90s brow? Your first encounter with them was likely some old photograph of your mum, but now they've come back around. The 2010s had their fun with IG brows (Anastasia Beverly Hills Dipbrow Pomade, eat your heart out), feathery brows and even bleached brows, but we're welcoming the slimline brow back with open arms. If you’re not ready to commit to the slim shave, you can dip your feet into the trend by hiding half your brow in skin-toned concealer, then sharpening up the remaining hair with a brow pencil.

 

GET THE LOOK:
L'Oreal Paris Infallible Faux Brow Tint Pen, £11.99
Charlotte Tilbury Brow Lift - Black Brown, £25
Morphe Micro Manager Gripping Brow Gel, £12
NYX Professional Makeup Tinted Eyebrow Gel, £11.99

90s lipstick was often a light nude or deep burgundy – soft pink and brown palettes only began to seep into our collective psyches after the turn of the millennium. Naomi Campbell was one of many celebs who loved a 90s red lipstick, complete with a cocoa-hued or black lipliner for some added dimension. Don’t default to a smokey eye when it comes to finishing the look – basic eye makeup can achieve the same femme fatale vibe.

 

GET THE LOOK:
KIKO Milano 3D Hydra Lip Stylo - 10 Hue Me More, £12.99
MAC Lipglazer Glossy Liner- Root For Me!, £20
MAC Lip Pencil- Caviar, £20
MAC Mini Macximal Silky Matte Lipstick- Diva, £16

Remember the makeup sets that came in teen magazines? Consider them a precursor to grown-up shimmery shadows. Amidst all the grunge glam, fun eyeshadows still held a place in the 90s makeup canon. Britney’s pop-princess aesthetic bore jewel-toned greens, vibrant blues and hot pink shimmer shadows – applied freely onto the eyelid and paired with nude lip combos. You can amp up the allure with rhinestones – like 90s makeup-enthusiast Maddy from Euphoria and MUA Sophia Sinot (the artist behind Zara Larsson's glam).

 

GET THE LOOK:
MAC Dazzleshadow Glitter Eye Shadow- Try Me On, £22
Morphe Electric Currant 12-Pan Eyeshadow Palette, £22
Pat McGrath Labs Mothership XI - Sunlit Seduction, £119
Too Faced Disco Crush High Shine Glitter Eye + Face Sparkle, £22

Many a YouTube beauty guru had their big break by teaching us how to achieve the perfect cut crease, but they were slowly replaced with clean girl-adjacent trends. Well, mourn the cut crease no longer – it's back, and we’re taking notes from the 90s eyeshadow looks of Destiny’s Child. Instead of the warm-toned neutrals of the 2010s, choose cooler tones. And of course, it would be criminal to forget the mandatory brow-bone highlight. Use the same light eyelid shade to bring attention to your slim brows.

 

GET THE LOOK:
Morphe Solo Artist Priming Cream Eyeshadow - DEBUT, £11
Morphe Bi-Liner Dual Ended Eye Pencil - Beige / Shimmer Cream, £14
NARS Eyeshadow Quad - Mojave, £47
Bobbi Brown Essential Eye Shadow Trio - Golden Hour, £36

The simple answer? Lipliner. Lipstick alone won't do it justice, and 90s lipliner looks were a cornerstone of the decade’s beauty. Line your lips with a pencil that's darker than your lipstick (you don't want them to match), diffuse it slightly into your lips, but don't blend it completely, and add lipstick. If you can see a clear difference in shades, you've got it down. When you’re so used to pursuing a natural-looking finish, it can be hard to appreciate a lipliner that looks crayoned on. But trust us, it’s the key to 90s makeup.