When it comes to makeup, trends come and go. This is why I gave little thought to when the girlies revived beauty trends from the 90s. I thought they’d have some fun with it and move on to the next thing, but I was completely wrong! After almost a year, beauty enthusiasts still love their dark, overlined lips with a light, glossy center.
As a kid in the 90s, I remember trying to replicate Aaliyah’s “One in a Million” look with a $1 eyeliner pencil and Lip Smackers gloss (don’t you dare judge me). Beauty has come a long way since then, so here are some great lip products that will have you looking like a 90s baddie in no time.
First, before starting any lip look, you should begin with a lovely, hydrating lip balm. Some of my favorites are by Grown Alchemist and fresh.
Now, for the most important part, the liner. This step allows you to shape your lips any way you’d like, so have fun with it. Learn from Auntie T.’s mistakes, do not use eyeliner – only use lipliner! Eyeliners tend to be a little drier, lip liners are formulated specifically for your mouth, so the formulas are creamier and spread much better. My holy grail lip liner is CTZN Cosmetics LIPSTROKE in Cinco. This rich color is ideal for those with extra melanin and perfect for a fire 90’s lip. If your skin tone is a bit lighter, I recommend you opt for the OG MAC Lip Pencil in Cork. Since Cork is a muted golden brown shade, it won’t look too harsh.
Finally, we get to the fun part, the gloss. This is where you get to have fun with this look because there are no right or wrong choices for lip gloss color (except for a shade darker than your lip liner, because that would be pointless, but I digress). For this, you could go to routes or use a traditional lip gloss; one of my faves is by Pat McGrath Labs. Their Lust: Gloss is a bit of a splurge at $29, but it comes in 35 shades, so there’s something for everyone. Or, if you dislike lip gloss’s sticky texture, you can opt for one of the newest trends in beauty, lip oil. Pacifica Beauty makes some great ones in stick form.
