While there have certainly been times I've wanted to trade my sister in for another model, the truth is I can't really imagine my life without her. Sisterhood is one of life's strongest bonds — you've got a built-in BFF. So having my sister right there by my side during the '90s is just one more reason I'll never not be nostalgic about the decade. There is no shortage of things you shared with your sister in the '90s that remind you just how much fun you had back then, even when you didn't realize you were.
Granted, you may not feel the same way if you were either (a) much older than your sister or (b) much too close in age to your sister. In the first case, your experiences were likely wildly different; in the second, your sister may have straight-up tried to steal your life. But my sister and I were lucky in that, at exactly two years apart, we fell in within the sweet spot of sisterhood — not close enough to cramp each other's style (bonus points for using a '90s expression?) but close enough to legitimately be besties. The good news is it all levels out in the end, no matter the age difference. When you get older, you invariably realize your sister might just be your favorite person on the face of the planet.
So in honor of our awesome sisters, let's take a look back at some of the things we shared with these sibs in the '90s.
1. Herbal Essences
Is there any scene more iconic to a '90s girl than Herbal Essences? I happily shared my hair-washing obsession with my younger sis, so we both spent the better part of the decade smelling like rose hips and chamomile.
2. Inside Jokes
Because my sister and I spent so much time together, there were many, many things we understood and no one else did — which was totally fine by us. To this day, some of our inside jokes from the '90s dissolve us into a fit of can't-breathe-so-you-jump-up-and-down-in-your-seat laughter.
3. Lip Smackers ... Or Wet 'n Wild Lipstick
I can't tell you how many times my sister swiped the Lip Smackers from vanity or, perhaps an even greater number, how many times I handed her my Wet n' Wild beige shimmer lipstick before we went, well, anywhere. I can practically still taste the tropical colada-like formula.
4. The Latest YM Magazine
YM accounted for a major corner of the teen magazine market in the '90s, so it said a lot when you were willing to hand your coveted copy over to your sis — especially if you went to the extra trouble to write your answers to the bazillion quizzes on a separate sheet of paper so she could take them, too.
5. A Room
Was this by choice? No. Was it fun anyway? Absolutely. Staying up way past bedtime, borrowing each other's clothes, painting our toenails some dreamy blue shade from Hard Candy, and living in utter chaos and not being judged for it — all of these things were made possible by sharing a room with your sis in the '90s.
6. Teen Spirit
Oh, who am I kidding? I still share my deodorant with my sister when we're together (and vice versa). You would think two grown-ass women would have figured this whole song-and-dance out by now, but we're apparently still living in the '90s in more ways than one.
7. Crushes
While real life crushes were obviously off limits, it was a blast sharing celebrity crushes with your sis in the '90s. My sis and I would pore over the pages of Tiger Beat just to catch a glimpse of Jonathan Taylor Thomas, Devon Sawa, or Jared Leto. Swoon. Any or all of whom may have adorned our wall in poster-form at some point.
8. Your Favorite Perfume
Sure, you'd eventually grow into a woman who wanted her own, distinctive signature scent. But back in the '90s, you were perfectly content to let your sis share spritzes from your classic standby scent (which, in my case, was Elizabeth Arden's Sunflowers).
9. Clothes
I mean, right? Isn't this one of the best parts of having a sister, period? In the '90s, this entailed a lot of babydoll dresses, chokers and, yes, the much-maligned overalls.
10. Friends
If you were born within a two year margin of each other like my sister and I, some friend-sharing is inevitable. Her friends were like my little sisters, and my friends automatically adored her because she was like a younger, crazier (sorry, sis... you know it's true) of me. This made slumber parties, school dances, and every other girl-centric occasion all the more fun because your posse included the one person who really knew everything about you — and who loved you anyway.
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