Fall 2022 is signaling the resurgence of even more hair and makeup looks from the ’90s and 2000s, from crimped texture and zig-zag parts to emo-like waterliner. Nostalgia for decades past has been a constant source of inspiration in fashion, with a particular fixation on the ’90s and early aughts in particular. Get ready to dust off your emo eyeliner and bust out your crimping iron, because the Fall 2022 runways are heralding a resurgence of even more nostalgic trends — this time, in hair and makeup.
This season’s runways are positively rife with throwback beauty moments, with seemingly no old-school trend off limits. The Christian Cowan beauty look championed several early-2000s styles — chunky zig-zag parts, intense black waterliner, dip-dyed pink hair, and, yes, squared-off acrylic nails! — all at once, for a particularly delightful effect.
The square nail trend is an especially fun one to watch. 2022 has been a year for sculptural nail art, but the trend of long square nails originated in the ’90s. While it seems to have been awhile since we have embraced extra long acrylic nails, NYFW showed that the trend will be making a return. With this trend, we may not be able to easily secure a necklace or open a soda can, but we can look as fabulous as a runway model.
At both Christian Cowan and Laquan Smith’s shows, model’s makeup looks took inspiration from ’80s trends with bright and bold blush. Models at Cowan’s show had all over pink blush which stood out against Cowan’s black and silver outfits. While many of us apply blush just to the apples of our cheeks, this ’80s blush trend uses a different technique known as blush contouring. This method allows the blush to carry throughout the face and make sharp cheekbones that pop out.
At Kim Shui and Christian Siriano, pastel (especially bright blue and purple) eyeshadow and eyeliner made model’s eyelids pop off the runway. The light blue eyeshadow was reminiscent of Y2K frosty eyelids, bringing us back to some of Britney Spears and Christina Aguilera’s most iconic red carpet looks. Shui’s show no doubt had many Y2K influences, with the throwback eyeshadow trend tying together each look.
If you’re a fan of 90’s Grunge, then the Eckhaus Latta show was definitely for you. The ’90s were no doubt grunge’s peak. From sultry eyeliner to sunken eye looks, grunge looks encapsulated a rebellious and messy spirit. This trend was brought back to the runway at Eckhaus Latta. Complementing the grunge-esque clothing, models wore smudged eyeliner with sharp bronzed cheekbones. Skin was matte and lips looked seemingly untouched, with the messy eye looks being the focus of the face.
Meanwhile, models at Victor Glemaud, Khiry and Elena Velez sported punk-y lipstick; for at least one model at the latter, it was accompanied by a spiky-ended low bun many of us spent the better part of 2002 coveting. Who cares if everything old is new again? Work it, baby! Own it!
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