I Tested The 4 Most ICONIC Shades Of 90s Revlon Lipstick - Kim K's Fave Included (2023)

FAQs

What is the 90s lipstick? ›

Those of us who were around remember it clearly: deep, rich dark brown liner, contrasted by a lighter lip. Sometimes the lipstick was a neutral hue. Other times, it was a glossy red or even a shimmery metallic that looked like liquid when you swiped it on.

The '90s are knocking, and they're here to deliver a very special beauty trend from the past: brown lipstick. We may have tried to leave dark brown, matte lipstick looks behind in our teens, but this trend has been thrown into the beauty arena once more thanks to the catwalks, Instagram, and celebrities alike.

Just like cherry-red lips are indicative to the '80s, a bitten red lip traces back to the '90s. From matte to glossy, this deep hue was worn by the likes of Gwyneth Paltrow, Gwen Stefani, and Reese Witherspoon.

Lips. Makeup's main concern in the 80s clearly wasn't promoting a natural look, so popular lipstick colors included cherry red, orange, fuchsia and even purple. Lip gloss was plentiful, cheap and everywhere. The late 80s saw a shift toward more matte makeup and darker lip colors such as burgundy and reddish brown.

A lot of 90s beauty trends were very vampy and grunge-inspired, so it's no wonder that all the most popular lipstick shades were brown/mauve/violet shades. Whenever the 90s are depicted in present day, usually the dark lip is included.

1. Burgundy-black lips. Early '90s grunge fashion ushered in the deepest of deep berry lip colors, with everyone from Courtney Love to Naomi Campbell sporting a dramatically opaque blackberry pout. Back then, the lip color was usually heavily pigmented with a velvety finish that smacked of edgy glam.

Authentic '90s makeup meant ultra-thin eyebrows, frosted lips, and even face gems. While we may have at one point thought these looks were gone for good, some of the hottest makeup trends from the '90s are currently making a comeback.

1998, Film Society of Lincoln Center Honors Martin Scorsese

The red lipstick returned for this look, which also featured another short, closely cropped haircut.

There aren't many trends from the '90s that we love to revisit, but dark lipstick will never go out of style. Goth girls owned the look back then with their vampy pouts. Meg Ryan, Halle Berry and Gwen Stefani gave it a glamorous touch for the red carpet.

For this, overline at the center of the top lip near the Cupid's bow, and gradually bring the liner to your natural lip line as you reach the corners of your mouth. Then overline the center of your bottom lip and bring the line to your natural lip line as you reach the corner of your mouth.

What were the 90s beauty standards? ›

The 1990's look suggested that women should be extremely thin with bones protruding out from the skin. Collar bones, ankles bones and other protrusions were glamourized. This ideal included height, in that women who were very tall were considered more beautiful.

The Queen was a fan of Elizabeth Arden's lipsticks for years. According to Hello, the brand has held a Royal Warrant for over 55 years.

Taylor Collected Elizabeth Arden Lipstick

Taylor favored a fellow Elizabeth – Elizabeth Arden – for lips. "She had a lot of makeup. Her assistant would be buying new makeup all the time. I would bring her new stuff.

The latest TikTok trend to hit our radar is "siren eyes." Learn all about this sultry look and how to re-create it for yourself.

Lip gloss really came into its own in the 90s and was a particularly cool trend if you were in your teens and twenties.

In the '90s, grunge makeup most likely included three components: a matte base, dark lipstick and smoky eyes. Now, it can include a variation of the three. Page says that the trend that helped define the '90s isn't much different than the grunge makeup you might see in 2022; its moody essence is still there.

Early 1990s style basics

The most popular clothing colors were blue, green, orange, pink, and yellow, often paired together in patterns inspired by comic book and pop art.

After two decades of saturated and vibrant colors, the 90s grunge scene brought darker, subdued colors into style. Dark plum, forest green, dark brown, black, and deep red began to emerge as fashion turned towards flannel shirts, jeans, and combat boots[5].

The star used nude 2.5 lip liner. Next comes the liquid lipstick which she fills in, even where there is liner on the skin. Kim said she was using KKW Beauty nude gloss 1.5. This is a method that her sister Kylie Jenner has touted for years and helped make her Lip Kit a bestseller.

Cindy Crawford was definitely one of the top supermodels of the '90s: not only did she routinely slay the runway and lock down every major magazine cover, she also hosted MTV's House Of Style and gave Pepsi some much-needed sex appeal.

What aesthetic was popular in the 90s? ›

Groovival, a term coined by the The Consumer Aesthetics Research Institute, was the '90s answer to rehashing the groovy flower power aesthetic of the 1960s and '70s. This both appealed to 'boomers' for its nostalgic qualities, as well as to young children for its bright colors and novelty groovy motifs.

Three of the world's OG makeup artists, Bobbi Brown, Dick Page, and Gucci Westman, take us through their favorite 90s looks and why we're still loving them, over 30 years later.

Ivanka Trump's eyeshadow is created by an unknown $6 mascara purchased at a natural market in Mexico. She also carries Burt's Bees Beeswax Lip Balm wherever she goes, and she enjoys the Tom Ford red lipstick range.

On Michelle, Ray used The Lip Bar's best-selling shade Bawse Lady, a true red that's got a reputation for being flattering on every skin tone. In partnership with When We All Vote, the Black women owned brand renamed the iconic lipstick Bawse Voter for a limited time.

“The two classic reds we always had in Angelina Jolie's makeup bag were Russian Red and Ruby Woo from MAC,” Jolie's makeup artist, Tony G, says.

Another trend was to wear black shirts, black ties, and black suits. Black leather reefer jackets and trenchcoats were also fashionable in the late 1990s, the latter inspired by The Matrix.

The first reported use of lipstick goes way back to 3500 B.C. when the queen of ancient Sumeria used white lead and crushed red rocks to color her lips. Men and women of Egypt used lipstick as a status symbol. Women in ancient Greece often wore red lipstick.

The Camden Collection has a matte lipstick, a lip tint, a liquid liner, a brow pencil, a blush-and-bronzer duo, and two nail polishes. True to Winehouse's signature look, the collection's colors are limited to black, red, and pink. The lip and nail products are available in the shades Amy Black and Amy Red.

Bright, Dark, or Red Lipstick Is Aging.

Sometimes I see a fabulous older woman who pulls off a bright red lip or a bold color, and yes, it makes a statement. BUT the bad news is that bright, dark or very red lipstick can attract more unwanted attention to your mouth, wrinkles, teeth, and jawline than you might like.

Fine lines will start to appear around the mouth as the lips become thinner and flatter, which ages the face significantly. The loss of volume in the lips can quickly create a less defined profile and a sullen countenance, even if you're a generally happy person.

Do big lips make you look older? ›

Research has shown that women with bigger, fuller lips appear younger than their biological age and more attractive to men. And a 2010 study found that there's a “facial golden ratio”: women with big lips are scientifically more attractive than those with narrow lips, as bigger lips suggest stronger mating potential.

Scrunchies, acid-wash jeans, tube tops, and capri pants reigned supreme among '90s style trends, along with crimped hair, Mary-Kate and Ashley Olsen, and punk rock.

The 90s makeup trends were a culmination of a variety of styles. Grunge eyeliners, pale blue eye shadow, burgundy lips, overdrawn lips, thin brows, and glitter have become popular once again. Red lips and shimmery eyes have once again become popular and have also been seen in wedding looks.

Slip dresses, bomber jackets, scrunchies and plaid flannel shirts were all the rage during the '90s — and many of these fashion trends are working their way back into vogue (although some of these pieces may have never left your closet).

“The '90s were the most 'advanced' pre-Web era in terms of culture, which is why it might seem so appealing to those who didn't experience it.” Revisiting favorite moments of the past can also offer opportunities for thoughtful reexamination.

Princess Diana was a fan of natural lipstick shades

One colour we know she did wear, on an engagement shoot for Vogue, was Max Factor's Tint of Pink Lipstick. Although discontinued, Max Factor's Colour Elixir Lipstick in Pink Brandy is a similar shade.

Charlotte Tilbury's Matte Revolution lipstick in Very Victoria, (opens in new tab) a gorgeous brown-pink tone that complements a wide range of skin tones and hair colors.

Princess Margaret's penchant for products clearly never waivered, as she was spotted wearing everything from punchy coral lipsticks to bright blue eyeshadow throughout her life.

What is the best selling shade of lipstick in the world? ›

According to the company, Millennial Pink is the preferred lip colour globally – “over 20 percent of lipstick try-ons in the United States and the UK are Millennial Pink shades, and 15 percent of lip colour try-ons in China and Japan are Millennial pinks.

M.A.C., Lakme, Purplle, Maybelline New York, Sugar Cosmetics are some of the best lipstick brands that offer highly pigmented, long-lasting, and creamy lipsticks.

Celebrities and models were seen rocking everything from dark lip liner to bold, sparkly eyeshadow, and the maximalism didn't stop there. Authentic '90s makeup meant ultra-thin eyebrows, frosted lips, and even face gems.

1990s makeup overview

While natural and grunge looks were popular through the early to mid '90s, styles became brighter and more glittery as the end of the decade approached. Color palettes ranged from burgundies and browns for eyes and lips to pastel blue shadow paired with frosted lips.

Slip dresses, bomber jackets, scrunchies and plaid flannel shirts were all the rage during the '90s — and many of these fashion trends are working their way back into vogue (although some of these pieces may have never left your closet).

Scrunchies, acid-wash jeans, tube tops, and capri pants reigned supreme among '90s style trends, along with crimped hair, Mary-Kate and Ashley Olsen, and punk rock.