10 Iconic ’90s Lip Combos You’ll Want To Copy In 2024 Zoë Weiner

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Considering most “cool” things tend to come back around every 20 to 30 years, it’s no surprise the beauty trends of the ’90s have returned. The same looks we once poured over in glossy magazine pages are now everywhere on our TikTok and Instagram feeds, but no trend has had a stronger hold than the iconic ’90s lip combos.

The era’s go-to looks were characterized by dark, statement-making lip liner and glossy finishes. “I grew up on the gloss and liner trend, and it’s something I’m slowly starting to see come back,” Tisha Thompson, a makeup artist and the founder of LYS Beauty, previously told Byrdie. “This trend is easy to update with so many lip colors in the market to explore, so I always love seeing people experiment with different bold liner colors.”

From dark brown liner and gloss to frosty pink lips, keep scrolling for 10 of the most notable lip combos from the ’90s.

Glossy Cinnamon


In the ’90s, Victoria Beckham spiced up her life with a cinnamon-shaded makeup look. She lined her lips with a brown pencil, then topped things off with a super-shiny nude gloss that’s become emblematic of this particular era. While it’s unknown which products she used to get this glam, you can recreate it in 2024 using the Lip Definer and Posh Gloss from Beckham’s namesake makeup line.

Supermodel Brown


A list of iconic ’90s lip looks wouldn’t be complete without an appearance from Naomi Campbell, who is largely considered to be one of the godmothers of the brown lip liner trend that’s come back in full force over the last few years. To achieve the look on deeper skin tones, pros recommend choosing a lip pencil shade that contrasts with your complexion. Complete the look with a few coats of clear lip gloss.

Muted Pink


Pamela Anderson’s beauty influence may have begun in 1992 when she ran down the beach in Baywatch, but it’s still strong three decades later.

According to makeup artist Erin Parsons, who recreated Anderson’s glam on TikTok using tips and products from the actress’ makeup artist, these matte pink lips require a multi-step technique.

Start by applying a lip stain only to your bottom lip, then press your lips together to transfer the top. Next, use a pencil to overline your lips, then gently pat foundation over your lips to mute the color and set it with a powder before finishing things off with pinkish-nude lipstick.

Liner-Only

Halle Berry highlighted how gorgeous a fawn-colored lip liner can be in the ’90s and early aughts. The actress went for a liner-only look, outlining her top and bottom lips and leaving the center bare. The brown liner’s satin finish gives Berry’s lips a subtle sheen.

Golden Gloss


Gold lip looks don’t get as much attention as their brown and nude counterparts, but this portrait of Mary J. Blige may make you reconsider the shade as your go-to neutral. In 1995, the rapper made a strong case for outlining your lips with light brown pencil and topping things off with a super-shiny gloss with hints of gold.

Two-Toned Berry


Brandy’s deep berry lip liner and baby pink gloss pairing screams ’90s glam. The overall look packs a dimensional punch, emphasizing the endless lip combo possibilities. Though purple and pink may not be the most popular lip colors, Brandy’s striking look is inspiring us to bring the two-toned combo back.

Baby Pink


Penelope Cruz’s take on ’90s lip liner feels ahead of its time, giving off a “no-makeup makeup” vibe before it was a thing. She regularly lined her lips in a shade slightly darker than her lip tone and let her natural lip color peek through in the center. The easiest way to try this look in 2024? Grab your favorite baby pink lip liner and a sheer tinted balm.

High-Shine Red


In most cases, ’90s lip trends were all about neutral tones, but leave it to Nia Long to deliver a bright, bold color combo that would look just as at home in 2024 as when she wore it decades ago. The actress opted for a gorgeous red lip with a glossy finish and a lip liner in the same shade.

Shiny Spice


Cindy Crawford was quite the trendsetter in the ’90s. Though it’s hard to know precisely which product combo she used to achieve this glossy, starkly-lined look, the liner shade looks suspiciously similar to MAC Cosmetics’ Lip Pencil in Spice. It’s the lipliner all the cool girls wore before the 2000s.

Frosty and Glossy


High-shine lips were a go-to for Christina Aguilera during her Genie in a Bottle era. Here, the singer outlined her lips with a pencil slightly deeper than her natural lip tone and completed the look with a frosty gloss. Icy and iridescent lip looks like this were such a signature of the time.

Read the original article on Byrdie.

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