It's easy to get lured in by the cult of the new, and as research and development continue to progress, new products are often much better than older "classics". But there's a lot to be said for nostalgia, and it's surprising how many of the must haves from our teens are still available. Some '90s and early '00s products may have been reformulated or repackaged, but at the heart of it, these products are still the same as they were back in the days of chokers, cutoff jeans, bodysuits, and button-down floral dresses (*cough*). Since the '90s are definitely back when it comes to fashion [1], we decided to open the beauty time machine too. If you grew up bathing in Dewberry, swiping on Heather Shimmer, and saving up for CK One, you'll definitely recognise a few of these. The good news? You can still buy them if you fancy a trip down memory lane!
Bourjois Effet 3D Clear Lip Gloss
Guys, do you know how hard it is to find a clear lip gloss these days? In the '90s, we went through this stuff like it was going out of fashion (turns out, it was). The ultimate school makeup, we were all convinced we could persuade our teachers "it's just lip balm, miss!" so we weren't made to take it off. Collection 2000, Rimmel, and, if you were a bit posh, Bourjois Effet 3D Lip Gloss [2] (£7.99) were top choices, despite the fact that our hair got stuck in all of them.
Rimmel Hide The Blemish Concealer
How many '90s teenage spots got covered up with this classic? Decades later, Rimmel Hide The Blemish Concealer [3] (£4.99) is still going strong, thanks to it's no-nonsense packaging and thick, creamy formula that stays put all day.
Maybelline Great Lash Mascara
No teen makeup bag was complete without this bestselling mascara. It looked cute in the tube, and though it has none of the bells and whistles of rivals, it proved that sometimes classic is best. Maybelline Great Lash Mascara [4] (£4.80) remains a favourite of many women because it goes on easily, stays on all day, and the medium bristle brush works for all lashes for buildable volume.
Tribe Perfume
With hints of rose, jasmine, and orange flower, as well as vanilla and musk, Tribe Fragrance [5] (£25) was a predecessor to so many fragrances that came in the following years. Take That fans may remember this one, as the perfume brand sponsored one of the band's big tours in the '90s. Now it's back, for a whole new generation to spritz liberally in the school PE changing rooms.
Collection Lasting Perfection Ultimate Wear Powder
Remember when the year 2000 seemed a long way off? Though Collection 2000 may have shortened its name now the millennium has come and gone, some of the brand's core products from that era are still going strong. One such favourite is Collection Lasting Perfection Ultimate Wear Powder [6] (£4.19), which I vividly remember sweeping on during first break.
Barry M Dazzle Dust
No school disco was complete without liberally applied Barry M Dazzle Dust [7] (£4.59) in a rainbow of colours. Green, turquoise, and purple were the safe options, but kudos to those who experimented with yellow, orange, and hot pink as well. Still a must have for experimental makeup fans, there are new colours hitting the shelves regularly.
The Body Shop Hemp Body Butter
The Body Shop's body butters were the kind of treat you got at Christmas and birthdays, and if you were really lucky, you fooled someone into getting you the Hemp Body Butter [8] (£15), because that cannabis leaf was edgy AF when you were 14. Now, it's just a really good intensive moisturiser.
Clean and Clear Clean & Clear Blackhead Clearing Cleanser
TV advertising for teenage skin care was at its height in the '90s, and without blogs and YouTube to teach us that those things are actually sebaceous filaments, not blackheads, we were all obsessed with ridding our skin of those tiny little nose dots. Step forward Clean and Clear Clean & Clear Blackhead Clearing Cleanser 200ml [9] (£4.20), which is still going strong decades after it launched. The reason? It's far more gentle than other products on the market; plus it's purple, and who doesn't love that?
Collection Colour Lash Mascara Blue
We may have thought we were the first to discover blue mascara, but it was already a retro throwback, with thanks to our Gen X '80s pals who set the trend. In the '90s, the cool way to wear your Collection Colour Lash Mascara [10] (£1.99) was on only the tips of the lashes, applied after a couple of coats of classic black. Extra points if you also experimented with white mascara on the lower lashes. Yep, remember when that seemed like a good idea?
The Body Shop White Musk Perfume Oil
Is there any scent more synonymous with the '90s than White Musk? Ok, perhaps Dewberry, or CK One, but you get the picture. The Body Shop had us all shelling out our pocket money on body lotions and body sprays with the unmistakable scent. Nowadays, it's all a bit more glamorous. The Body Shop White Musk Perfume Oil [11] (£16) is giving the retro scent a renaissance. Maybe it's time to revisit?
Bath Pearls
Before Lush introduced us to the bath bomb, we collected bath pearls: little rubbery beads full of scented oil that came in all manner of colours, sizes, and shapes. Everyone had that one friend who had a whole jar or dish full by the bath, a carefully curated collection of starfish, dolphins, hearts, and turtles, none of which ever actually ended up in the bath. Though these babies have all but disappeared off the shelves, Amazon stocks a Dolphin Bath Pearl Pack [12] (£11) if you fancy reminiscing.
Rimmel Coffee Shimmer Lipstick
For a long time it felt like there were only three acceptable lipsticks at my school. All were from Rimmel, and they were Heather Shimmer, Coffee Shimmer, and Wild Clover. Literally every girl in my year wore one of the three. For me, Coffee Shimmer [13] (£3.95) was the one, a frosted pale brown that probably looked terrible, especially when teamed with brown eyeliner used as lip liner as so many of my peers did. This hue, along with Heather Shimmer, is still part of the core collection, though something tells me the teenagers of today are a little more clued-up on how to use it.
Maybelline Dream Matte Mousse
Fun fact: this didn't actually launch until 2005, but I bet a lot of people reading this associate this stuff with their first forays into foundation. Maybelline Dream Matte Mousse [14] (£7.99) was a revelation for oily skinned teens. The only problem? Most of us are a lot better at application and colour-matching than we were back then and it led to a lot of chalky, orange faces.
SO...? Perfumed Body Spray
Though I wish more teenage girls from my school had understood the very real difference between body spray and antiperspirant, there's still a special place in my heart reserved for those bargain fragrances that bring back vivid memories of post-PE lesson gossip sessions. One such offering, SO...? Perfumed Body Spray [15] (£1.99), is still ready and waiting on the shelves of your nearest Superdrug.
Barry M Classic Nail Paint
The bargain price of Barry M Classic Nail Paint [16] (£2.99) meant we could paint every digit a different colour. As an added bonus, this stuff was actually really great quality (and still is). The range has now expanded to include gel-finish polishes and more advanced formulas, but there'll always be a place in my heart for the unbeatable original.
Pantene 2 in 1 Shampoo and Conditioner
You couldn't escape the phenomenon of Pantene Pro-V in the '90s and no doubt you used it at some point. Though the formula has been tweaked and adjusted through the years, Pantene 2 in 1 Shampoo and Conditioner [17] (£3) still remains the stalwart 2-in-1 product in the UK market, a quick fix for those who need beautiful hair in a hurry.
Wella Shockwaves Ultra Strong Hold Gel Styler
The '90s was an era of experimental hair, from the flippy '60s-inspired styles of the first half to spiky pineapple 'dos and twisted half-up 'dos of the latter. No wonder so many of us got through bottle after bottle of Shockwaves Wella Ultra Strong Hold Gel Styler [18] (£2.70). It's still going strong, should you decide to get those butterfly clips out of hibernation.