The makeup and hair products I used when I was young will always have a special place in my heart. They are the first beauty items that I got to pick out at the store myself and experimented with.
Sadly, the beauty product industry is constantly changing, taking items off the market and replacing them with new ones. Some of my favorites have disappeared off the shelf over the years, leaving me remembering the good old days of the following six products.
If any one line of cosmetics could truly sum up the '90s, it would be Street Wear. Revlon's teen-targeted line included lip colors and liners, eye shadows, mascaras, and nail polish in a colorful but grunge-friendly palate. There were lots of mauve and brown lipsticks, brightly colored nails, and everything glossy, glittery, and frosted. Basically, everything you'd need to be the unofficial ruler of your high school. The product line re-launched in India with different branding and products, but has long been defunct in the U.S. With '90s fashion back in vogue, why not revive this well-loved piece of the '90s look?
Believe it or not, Caboodles still exist in a few forms, although I could argue that they just aren't the same. The Caboodles lip gloss, however, bit the dust long ago. I don't think I knew a single girl who had a Caboodle and didn't have their lip gloss stashed inside. One version came on a key ring for oh-so-convenient carrying, and another came in a tube that fit nicely into the top deck of your Caboodle. The lip gloss was shimmery and thick, and came in flavors like "Orange U Lucky" and "Fruitopian." If they were lovingly revived today, they'd be a guaranteed hit with young girls that are starting to get into makeup.
Bonne Bell was famous for their Lip Smackers and Lip Lix chapstick, but I loved their line of Bottled Emotion perfumes. They each came in a different bright color, and the scents were named after different emotions. So whether you were feeling Daring, Shy, or Playful, you could be appropriately scented.They also came in small, lipstick-shaped bottles that were easy to stick in your Caboodle or in one of your many overalls pockets. They were the perfect beauty products for teens: cheap, colorful, and appealing to their many, uncontrollable emotions.
Lots of wacky things happened in the '70s, and not least of them is beer shampoo. The brand Body on Tap boasted beer as an ingredient, and claimed to provide big body and hold. Plus, it has the unspoken feature of attracting beer-loving men to its light beer scent. Whether they used the shampoo or not, many people may remember their line of sudsy commercials. With beer being as popular as ever, how does this shampoo not still exist? Beer lovers want to know!
Who can forget the pretty little glass jars of Naturistics Lip Balm? The tops twisted off to reveal a cross between lip gloss and balm, perfect for everyday wear. They came in lots of flavors, such as Watermelon, Cherry Vanilla, and Bubble Gum. They also offered simpler, more sophisticated flavors like Cool Mint and Vanilla (which I wore). And don't forget their Sweet Lips line of tube lip gloss, whose packaging looked exactly like a small tube of watercolor paint. I used these lip glosses constantly, and the cute packaging made it feel like a treat. Plus, it tasted good. Not that I was eating my lip gloss…
Although you can still get a buy a few scents at the Gap Factory stores from time to time, the Gap fragrance line is largely gone. More importantly, the original scents — Grass, Earth, Day, and Heaven — are no longer available. These light, unisex scents popped up in the mid-'90s, and were worn by high schoolers everywhere. You can still find mourners all over the Internet, saddened by the loss of their favorite scent. Grass was divisive, but fiercely loved by some (and hated by others, like me).
Don't worry, you can still buy a hair crimper. But the hair stamper, a flat iron that "stamped" shapes into your hair, has gone the way of the dinosaurs. The contraption, made my Conair with the model name "Impressions," had interchangeable plates in heart, star, and zig-zag patterns. It actually seems like a pretty bad idea — wouldn't it damage your hair? And how do you keep the shapes whole, since hair is made up of lots of different hairs that move? It seems like it would have looked ridiculous, but that doesn't stop me from wishing it was still around. I'm dying to try the heart shapes for my next Valentine's 'do.
Any beauty products we missed that you're particularly nostalgic for?
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Count me in for Naturistics Lip Balm! And I still make a special trip to the Gap Outlet to stock up on Gap Dream.
Okay - this will date me for sure - but where's the love for Dippity-Do?
Believe it or not, Sheila, you can still buy Dippity-Do! Definitely wanted to include it.
I miss the Gap scents! I used to love Heaven. I had forgotten all about them!
Loved Love's Lemon Perfume. Not sure if that's the right name.
Does anyone remember?
Revlon Street Wear's lipstick color called Blood was my signature color in high school. I still miss it to this day.