The 1990s were a decade of classic makeup trends that have inspired so many iconic looks we’ve seen throughout the years. The 90s were full of different aesthetics ranging from supermodel glam to dark and messy grunge styles.
We’ve seen 90s inspired makeup looks trending all over TikTok and Instagram, bringing nostalgia to our feeds. Today we’re giving you a makeup tutorial combining all of the best 90s trends-thin brows, fun shadows, and iconic lip combos-so that you can create your own show-stopping 90s makeup look.
Step 1: How to Get a Flawless Foundation Base
When it comes to a 90s makeup, we’re looking for bright and flawless skin. The 90s were all about the airbrushed look and luckily we know exactly how to replicate that with face primer and foundation. While we know recent trends have been all about glowy skin, the 90s favored a matte base to start with.
To get the look, start with your favorite skincare routine. We recommend the Holy Hydration! Collection for smooth, hydrated-looking skin. After your skin feels clean and moisturized, now you can go in with our Liquid Poreless Putty Primer for that ultimate matte, poreless makeup look. This face primer is perfect for a no-shine, flawless look.
Then grab your favorite medium or full-coverage foundation. For a medium-coverage look, we love the Soft Glam Satin Foundation. When going for a more full-coverage look, make sure to apply product evenly and use the shade closest to your natural skin tone. If you’re not sure which shade to use, check out our tips on finding your correct foundation shade to help you pick the best shade for you.
Step 2: How to Apply Liquid Blush and Highlighter
To achieve the 90s-inspired flush, we recommend starting with a cool-toned blush in a cream or liquid formula. Grab your favorite Cream Blush or Liquid Blush and apply to your cheekbones. Dust some powder blush on top to lock your liquid or cream formula in place. Then, to give your skin some glow, add highlighter to the highpoints of your face. Our Halo Glow Highlight Beauty Wand is perfect for adding some glow to the high-points of your cheekbones, bridge of the nose, and brow bone.
Step 3: How to Do a 90s Eyeshadow Makeup Look
A fun, bold eyeshadow should be the focal point of your 90s inspired makeup look. There were two main trending eyeshadow looks in the 90s: dusty, pastel, shimmer shades or iconic smokey eyes. Luckily, we’re here to help you achieve both. No matter which look you’re going for, start by grabbing your favorite eyeshadow primer to help the pigment, shimmer, and intensity of your eye look last.
If you’re going for a lighter look, focus on pastels such as pink, blue, and purple. Remember that just because you’re looking for pastel shades, it doesn’t mean to settle for less pigment - our Perfect Ten Eyeshadow Palette in shade So Bright Now offers any pastel shades you may need, while also packing a pigmented punch. To add some shimmer to your look, don’t forget to top your base shade with the Fine as Fleck Eyeshadow to add the perfect sheer sparkle. For a more metallic shine, swipe on our No Budge Long Lasting Eyeshadow Stick to add more pigment and shimmer to your eyes.
If you want your eyeshadow to serve more of a smokey eye look, you’ll be focusing on darker shades for a more dramatic and bold glam. Since we’re working with darker shades, you want to make sure that they blend together seamlessly- both our Perfect Ten Eyeshadow Palette in Everyday Smokey and our Bite Size Eyeshadow Palette in Truffles provide a full range of shadows to complete the perfect smokey eye look. These shadows are rich, pigmented, and most importantly, blendable. Apply shades from lightest to darkest, starting at your inner corner and making your way to your outer corner. Make sure to apply any shimmer shades to your lid instead of adding them in your crease. To make sure your shadows mix seamlessly, grab a fluffy eyeshadow brush and blend, blend, blend!
Step 4: How to Do 90s Eyeliner & Lashes
For a 90s inspired eyeliner look, cat eye and winged liner styles are all you need. Pick your favorite look, and we’ll teach you a lesson on liners! For a 90s cat eye look, we recommend using a liquid eyeliner pen to easily keep lines fine and thin. Our fan-favorite H2O Proof Inkwell Eyeliner is perfect for both of these 90s eyeliner looks.
To achieve a cat eye, start by lining your upper lash line as usual. When you reach your outer corner, drag the liner slightly out to create a winged effect. Then after lining your lower lash line, drag out the liner to meet the wing from the top lash line. Make sure your lines meet and create a point, without getting too thick. For a winged eyeliner look, line your upper lashes and then pull your liner slightly up when you reach the outer corner. Be sure to connect the wing to the outermost corner of your eye and fill in any gaps. To finish, curl your lashes with your favorite lash curler and apply tubing mascara to your lashes to complete your bold, 90s inspired eye look.
Step 5: How to Do 90s Brows
We all know that the 90s were all about thin and fine brows. But luckily in 2025, you don’t need to wax off your beautiful brows to get this 90s inspired brow look. First, start with clean brows and then begin to shape and fill in and sparse areas with our Holy Strokes Micro-Fine Brow Pen. Unlike the thick pencils of the 90s, this brow pen’s micro fine tip provides thin, hair-like strokes to blend seamlessly in with your eyebrows. To lock your brows in place, grab our iconic Brow Lift and apply with ease.
Pro Tip: Use the Holy Strokes Brow Pen to create fake freckles along your cheeks and nose to add to your 90s look!
Step 6: How to Do 90s Lips
90s inspired lip looks have been going viral- our feeds are filled with dark liners, frosted lips, and brown-toned neutrals- and obviously we are here for it! Here’s our favorite tips to help you achieve all of your dreamy, 90s inspired lip looks:
To achieve frosted lips, start with a clean, hydrated base. Apply a pink lip liner to add some pigment, and then go in with our O Face Satin lipstick to give the perfect shine.
For a lip look that’s all about dark lip liners, grab a shade that is darker than your natural skin-tone. We recommend using a brown lip liner to start. Carefully line your lips to give a perfectly outlined base. Since we want our dark liner to stand out, you can either fill in your lips with a lighter color, or just add our iconic Glow Reviver Lip Oil on top. This will give you the perfect amount of pigment, while also serving your lips with the perfect shine of a 90s supermodel.
For an overall shimmery look, start by plumping your pout with our Pout Clout Lip Plumping Pen. These plumping pens are perfect for adding some pigment, a boost of shine, and of course that plumping effect. Then, top your lips off the Glow Reviver Lip Oil Glimmers to achieve that ultra-glossy, lip shimmer look.
Step 7: Set Your 90s Look with Setting Spray and Powder
Since we want to lock our 90s inspired makeup look in place, we recommended setting your makeup with both a powder and a setting spray. Grab your favorite setting powder and lightly tap into your look so that all of your liquid products will stick to your skin. Lastly, mist some of the Power Grip Setting Spray over your glam so that you can serve 90s vibes all day!
Frequently Asked Questions about 90s Makeup Looks
Q: What makeup was popular in the 90s?
A: The 1990s embraced grunge and minimalist makeup trends, with brown lipstick, thin eyebrows, matte skin, and frosted eyeshadow being signature looks. Popular products included brown lip liner worn with nude lipstick, blue eyeshadow, body glitter, and dark lip colors.
Q: What color lipstick did they wear in the 90s?
A: Brown and mauve lipsticks dominated the 90s, often paired with dark brown lip liner. Popular shades included dark burgundy colors and frosted brown-nude tones. Coffee and chocolate-colored lips were signature looks during this time.
Q: What makes a 90s look?
A: A classic 90s makeup look often features thinly plucked eyebrows, matte brown or mauve lipstick with visible dark lip liner, frosted eyeshadow, and matte foundation. The eyes often had smudged black or brown liner, while cheeks remained neutral with minimal blush. The overall aesthetic emphasized either grunge (smudged, lived-in makeup) or a more polished minimalist look with brown-toned neutral colors.
Q: How to do 90s grunge eyeliner?
A: To achieve a 90s grunge eyeliner look, we recommend applying black liner to upper and lower lash lines, then use a small brush or Q-tip to deliberately smudge it outward. The key is embracing imperfection - liner should look lived-in and messy. Focus more product on the outer corners and gradually fade it inward. Skip wing tips, as grunge liner was all about that slept-in, smudgy effect rather than precise lines.
Q: Is brown lipstick 90s?
A: Yes! Brown lipstick is a classic 90s trend, particularly when paired with dark brown lip liner.
Q: Is eyeliner 90s?
A: Eyeliner was indeed a popular makeup trend in the 90s and is considered iconic for that era. The 90s eyeliner aesthetic has made a comeback in recent years, with many recreating grunge-inspired smudged looks or sleek winged liner. While not exclusively 90s, eyeliner was definitely a major part of iconic 90s makeup trends.