CBS Austin’s “We Are Austin” Segment On ’90s Beauty Trends That Are Making A Huge Comeback

Those of us who were on the verge of adolescence as the ’90s kicked off remember the era in all its glory: how Cindy Crawford, Linda Evangelista, and Naomi Campbell ruled the catwalk; how Drew Barrymore was still a daisy-loving wild child who made David Letterman blush by flashing her breasts during a televised visit; how Dawson, Joey, Jen, and Pacey played a romantic musical chairs on Dawson’s Creek; how Gwen Stefani and Shirley Manson led a new wave of powerful female rockstars; how the “Rachel” was the most coveted haircut in the entire country; and how the musical landscape encompassed everything from bubblegum pop (think Britney Spears) to grunge (led by Nirvana) and Latin pop (thanks to stars like Ricky Martin and Shakira going mainstream).

Since, like fashion, beauty trends tend to be cyclical in nature, we’re starting to see a number of makeup looks that hearken back to the ’90s. Yesterday, then, I stopped by CBS Austin’s “We Are Austin” to talk about ’90s beauty trends that are staging a comeback and showcase some looks I created that illustrate each rising trend. Take a look at the video above and keep reading for more details on each look, how it was created, and other products you can try out to create a similar look!

BLUE EYESHADOW

When I think of blue eye shadow, my mind immediately conjures up images of Christina Aguilera in her “Genie in a Bottle” days, when she wore periwinkle eye shadows to accentuate her own baby blues. But Xtina wasn’t alone in her love of blue lids:  stars like Cameron Diaz and Reese Witherspoon also embraced the trend. Nowadays, we’re seeing celebs like Lupita Nyong’o, Gigi Hadid, and Taylor Swift all rocking blue eye looks that are more adventurous than ever before. First, the color spectrum is much more expansive, with options ranging from navy and ultramarine to sapphire, cornflower blue, cerulean, cyan blue, and baby blue. Today’s blue shadows also deliver more intense pay-off in regards to pigment, and they’re available in cream, gel, gloss, and powder forms, as well as in finishes ranging from matte to satin, frosted, duochrome, iridescent, metallic, and glitter-packed.

JAMIE’S LOOK:

To illustrate the trend, I created a blue eyeshadow on our model Jamie, which you can see here:

To create the look, I started by applying the Inglot Aquastic Cream Shadow in 19 ($17 at InglotUSA.com), a water-based, crease-resistant cream eyeshadow that you can layer to achieve as sheer or opaque a look as you desire.

Next, while the Inglot shadow was still a bit damp, I applied the Make Up For Ever Star Powder in 960 Blue with Turquoise Highlights ($20 at MakeUpForEver.com), a silky powder shadow that catches the light to give lids a lovely bit of shine and a sophisticated but mesmerizing iridescent finish.

Love the look? Here are some additional products to pull off a blue eye look:

Pixi by Petra Mesmerizing Mineral Eye Palette in Aquamarine Dream ($12 at Target stores): This handy palette contains six mineral eyeshadows in a spectrum of blue shades so that you can create as bold or as dainty a look as you desire.

Urban Decay Eyeshadows in Narcotic (at top) and Chaos  ($19 each at UrbanDecay.com): Each of these shadows offers intense color pay-off and is both long-wearing and easy to layer, mix, and blend, allowing you to create a show-stopping look.

Revlon ColorStay 16 Hour Eyeshadow Quad in 580 Free Spirit  ($7.99 at drugstores): This eyeshadow quad features four coordinating shades, two of them cool-toned blues, each designed to last up to 16 hours.

GLOSS IS BACK!

Another trend we showcased with Jamie’s look was the return of lip gloss. For several years, gloss has taken a backseat to both solid and liquid lipsticks — particularly those with matte finishes — and while we’ll continue seeing matte pouts, we’ll also start seeing more shiny, glossy, sparkly lips. To illustrate the trend, I used the Kryolan High Gloss Brilliant Lip Shine in Girly  ($19.50 at US.Kryolan.com), which has special pearl pigments for greater radiance.

The pink gloss and blue eye shadows are a nod to early Aguilera!

METALLIC LIDS

With our second model, Sonia, we illustrated another trend that’s making a huge comeback: metallic eye shadows and liner. Gold, silver, bronze and copper eyes were a huge phenomenon in the ‘90s. Mel B, otherwise known as Scary Spice, rocked this intense silver shadow in the “Say You’ll Be There” music video, while Beyoncé looked like a golden goddess when she rocked a Midas-worthy gold shadow in the Destiny’s Child “Say My Name” video. And, of course, I always think of Jennifer Lopez’s “Waiting for Tonight” video since it marked the beginning of the J.Lo glow craze.

SONIA’S LOOK:

For Sonia, I created a look that blended bronze, copper, and gold tones. I started by applying the NYX Cosmetics Lid Lingerie in Bronze Mirage ($7.50 at NYXCosmetics.com, Ulta stores, and select drugstores) all along the crease and lid. The weightless eye tine has a creamy texture that’s not too dense, so it’s the perfect base for any additional cream or powder shadows.

Next, to give her eyes a radiance boost, I applied the Make Up For Ever Star Lit Powder in 12 ($21 at MakeUpForEver.com), which is an ultra-fine loose powder that contains highly reflective pearls, all along the lower lid area.

I completed the eye look by reaching for the Make Up For Ever Flash Color Pot in 4 Gold ($19 at MakeUpForEver.com) and, using an angled liner brush, applying it right along the lash line.

Here are some other products you can explore to create your own metallic eye look!

Inglot AMC Pure Pigment Eye Shadow 122 ($17 at InglotUSA.com): This hypoallergenic powder shadow contains 90% pure pigments that can swept onto bare lids or layered over cream colors.

Palladio Crushed Metallic Eyeshadows ($6.50 each at Sally Beauty stores and PalladioBeauty.com): These ultra-affordable single shadows feature a velvety creamy texture, and they glide onto lids effortlessly, coating them in intense color and giving them a reflective finish.

BROWN POUTS

The second trend showcased via Sonia’s look is the bold return of the brown lip! Back in the ’90s, Drew Barrymore, Julia Roberts, Shannon Doherty, and Brandy all rocked brown lips — and not just soft nude shades but, rather, richer and more decadent chocolate, coffee bean, sienna, and mahogany hues. Now, the brown lip is back thanks to celebs like Kylie Jenner.

To create Sonia’s look, I applied Lipstick Queen’s new Lipstick Chess lipstick in Knight ($21 at LipstickQueen.com), a delicious mocha color with a matte finish. Part of the brand’s new Lipstick Chess collection, this full-coverage lipstick is infused with essential oils, antioxidants, and vitamin E to keep lips moisturized and comfortable.

To set the look, I then applied the NYX Cosmetics Slim Lip Pencil in Dark Brown ($3.50 at NYXCosmetics.com, Ulta stores, and select drugstores).

Here are some other products to help you get the look:

NYX Cosmetics Soft Matte Lipstick in Main Street ($7 at NYXCosmetics.com, Ulta stores, and select drugstores): This chocolate brown lip has a soft and powdery matte finish.

Pop Beauty Matte Velvet Lipstick in Sienna ($16 at select drugstores): Though it looks like a pink-y brown in the above picture, this matte lip color is actually more of a toasted hazelnut shade.

GLITTER EVERYWHERE!

When I think of Britney Spears in her early years, I always remember the midriff-baring pink tube top she wore during her “…Baby One More Time” tour and how she applied pink glitter all along her décolleté while performing on stage. Glitter-y shadows and frosted lipstick were everywhere in the ’90s. Now, we’re seeing more high-fashion versions of that glittery look, as I illustrated with the look I created for our third model, the lovely Shay.

SHAY’S LOOK:

The photo above doesn’t even capture how fun and edgy this lip look really is, so make sure to check out the segment video above to get a better feel for this striking pout!

For Shay,  I created a glittery red lip reminiscent of the one Naomi Campbell wore to the 2016 VMAs. I started by applying the Make Up For Ever Artist Acrylip Lip Paint in 401 Raspberry Red ($24 at MakeUpForEver.com), which has the intensity of a liquid lipstick but preserves some shine as opposed to taking on a matte finish.

Next, before the lip color fully set, I reached for the Make Up For Ever Glitters Medium pot ($40 at MakeUpForEver.com). Using a flat eyeshadow brush, I covered both sides of the brush in the MUFE Acrylip Lip Paint and then dipper the brush inside the glitter pot. Next, I pressed the glitter onto Shay’s lips, using precise dabbing motions. I continued reapplying until I’d covered the entire lip area.

I know many of you might be intimidated to work with glitter, but don’t worry! If you use a damp brush (whether you dip it in water or a cream or liquid color), you should be fine! And if any glitter happens to stray off the lip area and end up on the chin or cheeks, just use a piece of Scotch tape to remove it.

If you love the lip look but want a simpler way to achieve it, try this great alternative:

Touch in Sol Metallic Liquid Foil Lipstick Duo ($25 at Sephora.com): This dual-ended lip product contains a metallic liquid lipstick on one side and a glittery gloss on the other. Each side has a sponge-tip applicator for greater ease and convenience. To use, you just want to apply the liquid lip color first, wait 1 minute, then apply the glittery gloss until you achieve that futuristic, edgy, foil-like pout.

GOTH LIPSTICK

We tend to remember the grunge movement when we think of the ‘90s, but the era was also the heyday of goth makeup — especially after the film The Craft. To this day, when many of us think about goth makeup, we remember Fairuza Balk with her blackened wine-colored lipstick in The Craft. Neve Campbell sported a similarly mysterious and sinister look in the film Wild Things, and the late R&B singer Aaliyah sported a futuristic, ominous-looking yet insanely stunning blackened green metallic lip in her “Are You That Somebody?” video.

Nowadays, we’re seeing a lot of vamp-y goth lips, but what’s really fun about the trend is the many iterations it takes. While there’s a multitude of black lipsticks and dark wine and plum shades, there are also more unconventional shades like navy blue, dark teal, and deep violet. For our model Ciara, then, we decided to create one of these edgier blue lips.

CIARA’S LOOK:

I began working on Ciara’s lip live towards the end of the segment and, while I didn’t get to complete it on air, I did finish her pout and post the look on Instagram and Facebook for all to see! To start, I used the AOA Studio Wonder Matte Liquid Lipstick in 2016 Litt ($1 at ShopMissa.com), an intense dark blue hue. Once I’d covered the entire pout using this color, I gave it a touch of iridescence by applying the Make Up For Ever Artist Plexiglass Lip Lacquer in 502P Beetle ($24 at MakeUpForEver.com) along the center of the pout.

Here are a few other products to help you achieve a goth-flavored lip:

Urban Decay Vice Liquid Lipstick in Blackmail (left) and Purgatory ($19 each at UrbanDecay.com): Urban Decay recently expanded its Vice lipstick range even further by unveiling a new assortment of liquid lipsticks, all of which have the uncanny and amazing pigment pay-off we’ve come to expect from Urban Decay. While they have a wet feel during the application process, once these liquid lipsticks dry down, they take on different finishes ranging from matte to metallized.

L’Oreal Infallible Lip Paint in Bewitching Berry, Navy Spy, and Violet Twist ($9.99 each at drugstores): These liquid lipsticks stay put for hours, cost less than $10 each, and come in off-kilter colors like Navy Spy, a Rihanna-worthy dark blue, and Bewitching Berry, an intriguing aubergine shade.