Beauty looks to bring back from your teenage years

Most of us look back at our teenage years and cringe. Between dealing with that awkward stage, pining after boy bands, and donning butterfly clips, it wasn’t exactly the most effortlessly cool period of our life.

But every decade or so, the trends we thought would never again see the light of day (Birkenstocks, anyone?) come back with a vengeance.

And beauty trends are no exception.

We’ve gone through the archives and put together the trendiest beauty looks and products every woman should bring back from their teens. From Vaseline to coloured eyeliner and even scrunchies, take a walk down memory lane and give these looks a go. 

EYES

Coloured eyeliner

Coloured eyes were a hit back in the day. The brighter the colour and the more obvious the eye, the better you looked (apparently). While a generous dusting of coloured eye shadow will most likely leave you looking like you just lost a bar fight, a subtly applied eyeliner will deliver the right amount of drama.

We recommend choosing a colour that complements your eye colour. Follow this handy guide:

Green eyes – Dark purple

Brown eyes – Green

Hazel eyes – Purple

Blue eyes – Dark blue

If this trend tickles your fancy,If this trend tickles your fancy, you can’t go past Australis GelifEYE Liners. The semi-matte gel eyeliners come in a range of colours to suit any complexion.

Still not convinced about coloured eyeliner? Check out this video – bh’s Carli does a stellar job at explaining how to wear it.

Vaseline

 As a teenager, make-up products were often in short supply. Our parents fronted our expenses, and most were convinced that we should let our natural beauty shine through instead of spending their well-earned dollars on the latest trend.

Vaseline was our saviour – it could be used on our body, lips and eyes.

These days, it’s best to use Vaseline as you would a highlighter. Dab it onto your brow bone, along your cheekbones or above your top lip for a dewy, natural glow.

Virgin brows

 Bold, often bushy brows were all the rage during our teenage years, thanks to Brooke Shields (and our fear of tweezers). Now, virgin brows are back in a big way – think Cara Delevingne, Beyonce and Sofia Vergara. Mimic these style setters, put down the tools and let your natural shape shine through.

LIPS

Lip liner

If you were a teenager in the 90s, you no doubt experimented with not-so-subtle lip liner. While brown liner teamed with a nude lip is a beauty faux pas nowadays, lip liner is still a necessary (and often overlooked) product in any girl’s beauty bag.

Lip liner makes lips look fuller, prevents lip colour from feathering and prolongs its wear. Just make sure you choose a liner one shade darker than your natural lip colour, or your lippie of choice.

We love M.A.C Pro Longwear Lip Pencil as it helps to define lips for up to 15 hours.

Shiny lips

Before we discovered the joy of lip colour, our teenage selves were suckers for super-shiny lip gloss. We loved applying that sticky, clear goop before a date with our girlfriends at the local shopping centre. Thankfully, lip gloss has come a long way.

Get the best of both worlds and rock both colour and shine with a high-shine lipstick, such as Estee Lauder Vivid Shine Lipstick. Its Dimensional Pearl Technology creates a unique diamond-like finish and extra sparkle on the lips. Teenage you would be so jealous.

HAIR

Pastel strands

Pastel-coloured hair has been in and out of fashion over the past few decades, and was a staple at athletics carnivals, mufti days and birthday parties. With celebrities such as Kylie Jenner, Kelly Osbourne and Nicole Richie rocking permanently coloured ‘dos right now, there’s no reason why you can’t, too!

Check out bh’s Sam’s violet hair makeover for a little inspiration.

Or, if you aren’t quite that brave, try Fudge Urban Hair Chalk for vibrant, coloured hair that can be washed out at the end of the day.

Braids

As a teenager, braids were practical. They kept your hair out of your face and free of knots, so you had time to focus on the important things (read: hanging out with your friends). As an adult, braids are a great style for a day at work or a night on the town. To create an on-trend braid, add the Scunci Criss Crosser Tool to your arsenal. It makes the difficult-to-master fishtail braid a breeze.

Scrunchies

Carrie may have proclaimed that “no self-respecting New York City woman would be caught dead running around Manhattan in a scrunchie”, but she was wrong: the infamous hair accessory is back. Selena Gomez, Jennifer Lopez and Whitney Port have all been seen sporting a scrunchie. Pop the Ombrello Scrunchie around a top-knot, or use it to create a half-up, half-down style, for a cute, bang on-trend look.

Have you embraced any of the above styles? Do you have any other trends to bring back from your teenage years?

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