The changes in the beauty community over the past 20 years are revolutionary. After all, it’s hard to imagine a time before winged eyeliner, liquid lipsticks, and shimmery shadows, but the 1990s seemed to favor brick red lips over rainbow colored eye makeup.
After the vividly colored looks of the 1980s, perhaps society was ready for a break from electric blues and “mall hair.” It’s almost as if the ‘90s were trying to balance out the boldness of the 80s. Instead of bright pinks, reddish-brown and nude colored lips were often favored by women instead. Dark lip liner often accompanied lighter lipstick, all topped off with a lip gloss to give it a sheen. Although most of the neons were left to the ‘80s, women in the ‘90s still wanted something to spice up their lips. Shiny lips were often paired with glittery eyeshadow for more of a “going out” look. Iridescent or purple eyeshadow could also be paired with a frosty lip gloss. The bushy eyebrows from the ‘80s were trimmed down to pencil thin brows.
Teased hair from the ‘80s was officially a thing of the past. The 90s were filled with twists, braids, curls, and crimps. Hair was often curled for more volume, or it was crimped to achieve a more interesting hair texture. Very few women chose to wear their hair completely straight. Obsessed with framing their face, women chose to get bangs or pulled tendrils from their elaborate updo. Butterfly clips, hair jewels, and scrunchies were used to accessorize their updos as well.
Eventually the 1990s faded and the 2000s brought forth a different look. Although the curls from the ‘90s are much bouncier, the 2000s brought looser curls. A curling iron was a must-have, with many hairstyles centered around wavy hair, half-curly half-straight hair or flipped out ends. The tendrils that once framed the face were now clipped back and bangs were transformed into a teased poof on the top of your head. Combinations of twisted, curled, braided and crimped hair created many classic looks of the decade.
The makeup in the 2000s shifted slightly from the ‘90s. Lip gloss became an everyday product, rather than just used for going out. The pops of color from the ‘80s started to reappear in the form of purple or white eyeshadow and colorful eyeliner. Skinny eyebrows were often compared with rosy cheeks and a bronzed face.
The 2010s brought forth a new look. Thicker brows, liquid lipsticks, and elaborate hairstyles now rule. Contouring the face and highlighter became a staple to every look. Cut-crease and halo eye makeup entered the scene in a wide range of different colors. A few members of the beauty community took to the internet, and they now take the world by storm under the title of Beauty Guru. Though it’s hard to categorize the 2010s with only a few looks, since many women and men do their hair and makeup to suit them, pigmented eyeshadows and liquid lipsticks have become more popular over the years.