Beauty products that will make you nostalgic for the ‘90s

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Melanie Sutrathada is an In The Know lifestyle contributor. Follow her on Instagram and Twitter for more.

Oh, the ‘90s. What a time to be alive. I’m not sure if it’s the glitter we smeared all over our bodies for a middle school dance or the uber shiny gloss that was literally dripping off our lips, but the ‘90s were definitely a defining decade. I mean, there are certain things I am happy to have left behind — like those overplucked eyebrows of doom that still haunt me as an adult. But there are still so many gems (most of which bought at the mall on the weekend) that fill my heart with joy and would have Baby Spice envious.

Here are some of our favorite beauty products that will have you taking a walk down memory lane:

12pk Butterfly Clips, $6.00

Credit: Target

Were you even a ‘90s kid if you didn’t have at least one of these babies clipped to opposite sides of your middle part as you poured through the pages of Tiger Beat or J-14? I think not. These hair accessories were a right of passage and part of your everything – until you discovered the world of Limewire and showed your true colors by ranking your friends in order of importance on MySpace.

Lip Smacker Best Flavor Forever Lip Balm Party Pack, $12.29

Credit: Target

Lip Smackers can live rent-free in my head forever. I mean, who wouldn’t want flavored lip balms that taste and smell like cotton candy or Dr. Pepper? ‘90s kids couldn’t get enough of these, and the high of adding new Lip Smackers to your collection was essentially the equivalent of throwing back a half dozen Pixie Sticks.

Claire’s Neutral Tattoo Choker Necklace, $5.99

Credit: Claire’s

Every self-respecting girl in the ‘90s owned at least one of these plastic tattoo choker necklaces from Claire’s. If it was cool enough for Sabrina the Teenage Witch, you can bet that it was also cool enough for me and every other girl who loved Limited Too and Bath and Body Works.

Bath & Body Works Cucumber Melon, $13.50

Credit: Bath and Body Works

Speaking of Bath and Body Works, the words “cucumber melon” instantly take me back to middle school because this was the go-to scent of every single girl in my grade. Ok, maybe it wasn’t every single girl, but it sure felt like it, considering you instantly knew the second someone in the class was applying it. I wasn’t allowed to wear perfume back then, so I slathered my entire body in this lotion or the one with the warm vanilla sugar scent. Both were simply iconic.

Victoria’s Secret Love Spell Fragrance Mist, $18

Credit: Victoria’s Secret

Did you just get chills seeing that purple bottle? I’m with you. I had no idea Victoria’s Secret even made this anymore until I randomly found it on a 2 a.m. shopping spree. I immediately hit “add to cart” before I could even think of stopping myself. The fruity-floral scent is one that just about every ‘90s kid remembers.

ORLY x Lisa Frank® Markie™ Nail Wraps, $11.99 per set

Credit: ORLY

While these gorgeous nail wraps from ORLY were not around while we were growing up in the ‘90s, the Lisa Frank designs remind me of those days spent back-to-school shopping. These nail wraps would have been a match made in heaven for all my folders and notebooks covered in rainbow baby tigers and golden retrievers.

Hot Tools Professional Micro 24K Gold Crimper, $49.99

Credit: Amazon

Oh, hair crimping. There was so much hair crimping back then. We sure did love that zigzag, wavy look in the ‘90s. Not going to lie, though, I secretly danced in my room when I saw that crimped hair is having a moment again. This and frosty lips with dark liner can stay forever, please and thank you.

Claire’s Roll On Body Glitter, $4.79

Credit: Claire’s

If wearing strawberry-scented roll-on body glitter as an adult is wrong, I don’t want to be right. This type of body glitter was a staple for pre-teens in the ‘90s and was applied liberally anywhere and everywhere for all dances and special occasions. We basically looked like the aftermath of an arts and crafts project gone wrong, but at least we had fun and smelled like strawberries.

Lancome Juicy Tubes, $20

Credit: Lancome

I can still feel the sticky, uber shiny magic of this lip gloss. Having one of these coveted department store goodies made you part of the ‘90s elite, and I’m pretty sure we all wanted to be that girl. I screamed when my mom finally got me one after I had begged for months, and my Juicy Tubes immediately became one of my most prized possessions, even if my hair was constantly stuck in it. 

About Face Fractal Glitter Eye Paint, $21

Credit: About Face

The shimmering mousse eye shadow from About Face wasn’t around when I was growing up, but I can’t tell you how much I wish it was. Just about every pre-teen I knew tried to combine glitter and blue eye shadow at one point and then promptly never tried it again. My friends and I would have lost our minds over this eye shadow at a sleepover as we smothered our eyelids in it as we fought over which *NSYNC member we were going to marry.

Caboodles On-The-Go Girl™ Pop-Up Cosmetics Organizer, $15.99

Credit: Bed Bath and Beyond

Hey now, hey now, this is what dreams are made of. We’re talking, of course, about Caboodles. This is the original iconic case that started it all, and I don’t think any ‘90s baby will ever truly be over these. You could easily put anything on this list into your pink sparkly Caboodle and be on your way to greatness. And well, we wouldn’t fault you if you went ahead and bought one right now.

If you enjoyed this article, check out this roundup of pumpkin beauty products that will feed your fall fix!

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