June 25, 2024
We know, we know, we lived through it. We danced to the Spice Girls before Posh had Becks (and her own fashion line). We did grunge, we emulated Kate Moss, we had a treasured collection of Impulse. But, there’s no denying it : the ‘90s are back. And while we won’t be twisting our hair into butterfly clips anytime soon, there are some beauty products from the ‘90s that have a sweet nostalgia — and also translate to the oughts. And that we can get behind. Here is our round up of ‘90s inspired beauty, with a distinctly modern twist.
You had: Lipsmackers in every flavour
The 2024 twist: Crazy Rumors Lip Balms, $7.95
While the OG was pumped full of artificial flavours and fragrances, Crazy Rumors relies on what nature gave us, without skimping on the fun. Each vegan balm is made from 100% natural food grade flavours and made with organic oils and waxes. But don’t worry, it’s not all hemp seeds and lavender; there’s Pina Colada, Banana Split and even Bubblegum all at a crazy (see what we did there?) price that feels like it’s still in the ‘90s.
You had: Little Trees car freshener that smelled like toilet spray
The 2024 twist: Smelly Balls Reusable Air Freshener
After you’ve finished having a giggle at the name, you’ll be wowed by these reusable felt “balls” come in chic colour combos (or that of your favourite footy team) and fragrances more befitting a high end perfume, rather than an air freshener. You just add a few drops to the balls, and reapply when the scent fades. Try Serene for fresh ocean smells, Roadie for coconut and lime or Cove for tobacco and vanilla.
You had: Zinc sticks, in a fluoro rainbow of colours.
The 2024 twist: Surfmud Mineral Sunscreen, SPF 50, $29.95
Did you even grow up in the ‘80s and ‘90s if you didn’t wear zinc stick? No, you did not. It was a rite of passage, but also, it only covered that small stripe of face which was a bit… weird. Now we get that you need more than a swipe over your nose, so the new iterations are zinc-based sunscreens (for all over your face and body). Made by surfers for surfers and ocean-lovers alike, this has the ultra-high coverage of the old Zinc Sticks, but, um, without the fluoro. This non-nano, zinc oxide based sunscreen also has 100% Recyclable, 100% Landfill biodegradable packaging so you can care for your skin ‚ and the environment too.
You had: THE scent of the ‘90s: CK One
The 2024 twist: The Perfume Oil Company, Santal, 30ml, $84.95
CK One was the first unisex fragrance, and, at the time it was truly a revelation. Now, of course, stealing your partner’s fragrance is par for the course, but some scents tend to hit the perfect “appeal-to-all” balance more than others — and this is one. Inspired by Le Labo’s iconic Santal 33, it’s the warm woods, amber and cardamom that make this a sexy blend that works well on all skins. Also, because it’s a perfume oil, it’s ultra concentrated, so you’re not wasting a drop of the precious.
You had: Impulse — every variant.
The 2024 twist: Blossom Refresh Aromatherapy Room Mist, $13.95
The thing about Impulse, other than their highly-flammable-yet-gone-in-seconds scent, was that it didn’t really do anything for you, outside of helping you fit in with everyone else at school. In 2024 we care more about our wellbeing and expect more from our beauty products. Enter: This Aromatherapy Mist. With lemongrass, lavender and tea tree, it’s designed to refresh and to shift your mood when you’re feeling kind of slumpy. And while, it’s technically for the room, we love a spritz around the body, especially around the 3pm mark when the energy starts to fizz out.
If the ‘90s weren’t your era you can find a huge selection of bath, body and home products for nostalgia, or for now on MU Australia.
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