History of Makeup: The 90s Makeup Look

Matte skin was all the rage in the 90s, darlings. In my makeup kit, I would carry matte foundations that buffed into the skin to create super-smooth, airbrushed-looking complexions that looked fresh from the cover of a magazine. To get the 90s makeup look, apply AIRbrush Flawless Foundation for instantly flawless-looking skin. This full-coverage foundation has a natural-matte finish that feels weightless and blends seamlessly with my Hollywood Complexion Brush for super-matte, supermodel skin. Once you’ve given your complexion the AIRbrush effect, apply Charlotte’s Beautiful Skin Radiant Concealer under the eyes, around the mouth, and anywhere you want to add extra coverage.

Discover my matte makeup routine

Pressed powder is the secret to getting the smooth, velvety finish that was popular in the 90s. Set your supermodel complexion with my AIRbrush Flawless Finish finishing powder to smooth and blur the look of skin while helping to increase the longevity of your face makeup. I created my Powder & Sculpt Brush as the perfect tool for applying a light veil of powder; the tapered bristles nestle effortlessly into the contours of the under eye and the hollows of the cheeks for the perfect powder application.

Tilbury Tip: To mimic the effects of runway lights, apply AIRbrush Brightening Flawless Finish under the eyes; on the tops of the cheeks; and in the centre of the forehead for a flattering spotlight effect.

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To create the illusion of a more sculpted-looking facial framework, use bronzer to soft-sculpt the look of your complexion. The modern-matte texture of my AIRbrush Bronzer is perfect for getting the well-defined, bronzed bombshell look of a 90s supermodel. With The AIR Brush, swirl bronzer onto the contours of the face, focusing on the cheeks, forehead and jawline to define and sharpen their appearance. Then, delicately contour your nose with my nose trick; tap into your bronzer with the Eye Blender Brush then make soft, sweeping motions down either side of the nose, underneath the tip of the nose and into the eye socket for a chiselling effect.

Tilbury Tip: To get the lifted-looking cheeks of a 90s supermodel, blend your bronzer higher on the tops of your cheekbones towards the tops of the ears.

Discover the difference between bronzer vs contour

In the 90s, brows were famously kept pencil thin, but don’t worry darlings, you can get the 90s eyebrow look without tweezing away your full, fluffy brows. First, take the spoolie end of my Brow Cheat eyebrow pencil and brush your brow hairs into place – for a 90s look, brush hairs sideways rather than upwards to create a skinnier brow shape. Next, create a defined line underneath the brow with brow pencil, starting at the inner portion of the brow and gliding outwards to create a well-defined tail. Once you’ve perfected your pencil brows, use Brow Fix clear sculpting gel to help lock the 90s nostalgia into place.

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Create a 90s eye makeup look using my 90s-inspired eyeshadow palette – The Super Nudes Easy Eye Palette. The modern-matte shades in this palette are perfect for creating easy supermodel eyes; there are three cool-toned shades and three warm-toned shades that work in harmony to create everyone’s perfect 90s eye look. Using the 90s-inspired shades in my Super Nudes Easy Eye Palette, prime your eyelids with a wash of nude eyeshadow. Choose a matte shade that closely matches your skin tone, then use the Eye Blender Brush to sweep it onto the eye area to create a silky-smooth base for your 90s eye makeup.

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Take a matte eyeshadow that’s deeper than your skin tone and subtly define the look of your eye shape. Use patting motions to build pigment at the outer corner of your eye, then use circular motions to get a seamless-looking blend. For a 90s makeup look, create a shape that angles upwards and outwards towards the tail of your brow, then back through the crease to create a soft V shape without any harsh edges.

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For added dimension, use a dark eyeshadow to define the look of your 90s eye makeup. The chocolate brown and black shades in The Super Nudes Easy Eye Palette are perfect for accentuating the look of the eyes; apply a small amount of dark eyeshadow in the outer corner and along the lash line to create a well-defined, cat-eye effect. With the same dark matte eyeshadow, glide along the lower lash line with the Eye Smudger Brush to enhance and define the look of your eyes. This step will create smokey, sultry, supermodel eyes reminiscent of the 90s stars that commanded the catwalk.

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I have been creating my signature Feline Flick for decades, darlings. This classic eye makeup step complements every eye look and gives this 90s makeup the quintessential Tilbury touch. With the black shade of my Super Nudes Duo Liner, apply eye-defining eyeliner close to the upper lash line and extend outwards to create an iconic Feline Flick. Reach for the Eye Liner Brush to gently smoke out your eyeliner to capture the smouldering look of the 1990s.

Discover how to apply winged eyeliner

To complete your 90s eye makeup, apply Pillow Talk Push Up Lashes! mascara to coat the lashes with captivating, jet-black pigment. This mascara is inspired by the beautifying powers of my Pillow Talk collection, lifting and stretching the look of lashes for bigger, brighter-looking eyes that could rule the runway.

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90s lip colours were notoriously nude, with browns, beiges and taupes being the go-to lipstick shades of the era. The secret to getting a 90s lipstick look is to reach for a darker lip liner and a lighter lipstick to create a dimensional, supermodel pout. I created The Super Nudes collection as a pout-perfecting hotbed of 90s-inspired nude lipsticks; from the rosy tones of Supermodel to the beige beauty of Runway Royalty, discover your dream nude lipstick and pair it with my Lip Cheat lip liner to get the 90s look.

Ria used Lip Cheat in Hot Gossip to neatly overline the lips in flattering, rose-toned nude, then paired it with Matte Revolution apricot-nude lipstick in Cover Star for the perfect 90s pout.

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Blush and highlighter were applied light-handedly in the 90s with cool, barely there shades being the most popular. My two-toned Cheek to Chic powder blushes are the perfect pop of colour for your 90s makeup look, delicately veiling the apples of the cheeks with flattering, just-a-pinch blush. Choose Sex on Fire for a sultry, mauve-pink pop or The Climax for a hint of reddish-brown. As for highlighter, reach for my Hollywood Glow Glide Face Architect Highlighters for an illuminating, sculpting effect, applying lightly to the tops of the cheeks, centre of the nose and along the brow bone. Apply Champagne Glow for incandescent, glowing highlights, or Moonlit Glow for an extra-icy glaze.

Discover where to apply highlighter

Before you hit the runway, darlings, it’s time for some finishing touches! Give yourself a 90s-inspired beauty mark with my Lip Cheat in Foxy Brown for instant glamour. Then, spritz AIRbrush Flawless Setting Spray onto the face for an airbrushing effect – it helps to mesh creams and powders together while locking in your 90s makeup look for the evening! 

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