90s makeup: key features and trends

During the 1990s, fashion and makeup changed radically compared with the previous decade. The extravagance of the 80s gave way to simplicity and a natural look. New top models such as Naomi Campbell and Kate Moss also took over the catwalks, dazzling with looks inspired by music styles like grunge.

It was an era defined by the trend of not following trends, but your own inspiration. Below we explain in more detail how 90s makeup evolved, its whole history and key features, so you can recreate it at home.

History of 90s makeup

Makeup in the 90s was all about absolute simplicity. The flamboyance of the 80s was left behind. It was an era shaped by new top models who revolutionised the catwalks, such as Claudia Schiffer, Cindy Crawford, Naomi Campbell and Kate Moss.

Naomi Campbell was a true icon of the 90s. She rose to success thanks to the backing of major fashion houses, which threatened to pull their adverts from Vogue if the magazine kept refusing to feature Campbell on one of its covers.

That is how she became the first non-white woman to appear on the cover of French Vogue. This gave rise to a new concept of female beauty, in which indifference to skin colour on the catwalk became one of the most important achievements of the 90s.

Besides models, actresses also became idols to follow thanks to their strong personalities. The character of Rachel in the hit series Friends, played by Jennifer Aniston, was a huge success thanks to her relaxed style and natural makeup.

Below you will find the most notable trends and features of the makeup that dominated this era, so you can recreate your own 90s outfit.

Key features of 90s makeup

Face and skin

For the face, the aim was to correct every imperfection with a foundation matching the skin tone, to look as natural as possible. In the same way, tanned skin was also a big trend at the time.

To add a sexy, elegant touch to the face, many women such as Cindy Crawford drew a fake beauty mark above the lips or on the chin.

Eyes

This decade favoured monochrome eyeshadows, especially pastel and earthy shades, designed to give depth to the eyes. The shadow was applied from the mobile lid up to the brow bone. It was also very common to wear mascara to lengthen and volumise the lashes.

Eyebrows

In the 90s, extremely thin, rounded brows came back into fashion, giving women a more mature and delicate face. The boldest even plucked their brows completely and drew them on with a pencil.

Lips

Lined, glossy lips in the style of Kate Moss were everywhere. This is when lip gloss became a hit in the beauty market. Another typical 90s lip colour was brown and similar shades, from soft terracotta to the darkest tones.

Cheekbones

Cheeks were done with blushers in subtle colours, as the goal was a natural tone that did not stand out too much, because the lips were the real stars of 90s makeup.

If you want to bring back those warm 90s tones, a blush stick in Toasted (terracotta) or Bare (warm nude) works on cheeks, eyelids and lips, giving that warm, understated finish of the decade. For a sun-kissed effect, the blush, bronzer and highlighter palette fits in any bag.

90s hairstyles

As for hair, the high bun with two loose strands framing the face was one of the most typical 90s hairstyles. Messy hair in bold shades with multicoloured highlights was the favourite look of the most rebellious and alternative women.

Finally, big, voluminous hair in the style of Mariah Carey became a trend. Haircuts with movement, like Meg Ryan's or Rachel's from Friends, also became hugely popular.

Frequently asked questions

What defines 90s makeup?

90s makeup is defined by naturalness and simplicity: light-coverage foundations matching the skin tone, monochrome eyeshadows in earthy and pastel shades, lined lips with gloss or brown tones, and subtle blush on the cheekbones. A far cry from the extravagance of the 80s.

What lipstick was worn in the 90s?

The most iconic 90s lip shades are brown, terracotta, earthy tones and clear, high-shine gloss. Heavily lined lips, even in a darker shade than the lipstick, were also very typical of the era.

What were eyebrows like in the 90s?

90s brows were very thin, almost completely plucked and rounded or arched. It was a very different look from the thick, natural brows worn today. To recreate it, you can draw a very thin brow with a fine pencil.