Like the resurgence of the 90s-inspired Y2K fashion trend, beauty is seeing a comeback of some of the era’s most archetypal, if not questionable, looks.
According to findings by Note Cosmetics, an affordable make-up and skin care brand, searches for ‘eyeliner on guys’, more commonly coined ‘guyliner’, in 2021 almost tripled compared with 2020.
Regularly rocked by the likes of Hollywood super star Johnny Depp and Green Day vocalist Billie Joe Armstrong – who teamed up with Kat Von D Beauty, as it was formerly known, on a collection of eyeliner products – the trend was up 282% on searches in 2020.
Whether they should have stayed in the over plucked years of the 90s or not, coloured mascaras are also expected to be revived in the beauty arena.
Violet and blue mascara saw an increase of online searches throughout the first five months of 2021: 200% and 79%, respectively.
- Press on nails and scrunchies among top nostalgic beauty trends on TikTok
- Colour’s comeback: Beauty set to benefit from Brits’ return to office
A staple among the grunge crowds of the 90s was dark lipstick, and two decades later, the beauty sector could see the punk-rock look brought back to life.
According to stats, searches for black lipsticks were up 58%, to 156,000.
Hip hop days of the 90s aside, it's also been heavily documented that colour cosmetics will make a comeback as people begin their return to the office.
Among the top make-up trends from Note was the make-up look popularised by the Kardashian clan: contouring.
The phrase was the most searched-for make-up trend between January and May in 2021, according to the brand’s findings, at 98,700.
Meanwhile, red lipstick, another product expected to benefit from the easing of Covid-19 restrictions, was searched for almost 45,000 times.
“Popular make-up trends that are crossing the boundaries of trends gone by include contouring, red lips and winged eyeliner,” wrote the brand.
“These bolder looks show that we’re ready to let our creative sides run wild with a pop of colour or a statement eye.”
