Summer makeup as a kid wasn't all that different from this season's beauty trends as adults. It was all about the color, shine, and fun. Yep, '90s summer beauty products were the best, coming in an array of crazy colors (when else could we nab blue or yellow lipstick?) and a delicious medley of flavors (here's looking at you, juice box lip glosses). While our more grownup counterparts in high school and college often sported brown lips like Drew Barrymore and played with smoky purple eyeshadows, the majority of us were still dipping a toe into the makeup world with more beginner pieces, like push-pop lipsticks and Dr. Pepper lip balms.
But everyone has to start somewhere, right? Whether you opted for a bare face but went wild with body glitter mists, or bowed out of the lotion game and instead went crazy with hair dyes, summer usually offered the opportunity to get a little more creative. After all, there was no homeroom to attend the next morning.
Mom might have still disapproved, but this was summer vacation after all. It was our time to cut loose and fly free. All that said, below are 11 '90s beauty products you probably spent all your money on during the summer.
1. Lip Sparklers
School was out, which of course meant we could go a little crazy with our makeup. Not only did these glossies give us a grownup-like shine, but they tasted just like juice or hard candy. It was a total win-win. Bust out the stick-on earrings and glittery lip gloss, kids, it's going to be a wild summer.
2. A Hoard Of Lip Smackers
The weather was hot, allowance money was burning a hole in our pockets, and Bonne Belle came out with a list of new summer flavors that needed our attention. Give me all the piña coladas and birthday cake flavors I can carry, please.
3. Mood Lipstick
Princessa Mood Lipstick, $7.50, eBay.com
Even though their color was nowhere near the intense, marker-like shades they promised, having an array of purple and yellow lippies in our makeup boxes sure gave us something fun to look at.
4. Sun-In Products
Sure, we could have just used lemon in our hair and teased out some highlights that way, but Sun-In was so much cooler. All we needed was our besties on pool towels and a boom box playing a Backstreet Boys CD and we were in heaven.
5. Teen Spirit Deo
Because, puberty. Evil, terrible, puberty.
6. Hair Mascara
Joyous Professional Temporary Hair Color, $6.29, eBay.com
If your mom wouldn't let you get away with a box of hair dye from Walgreens, hair mascara was likely your next best bet. Coming in a discreet makeup-like tube, you could easily color a couple of strands a crazy, rebellious hue befitting a summer day out with your friends.
7. Gap's Grass Scent
Because nothing said summer more than "I mowed the grass in a sherbet Polo." God I miss this.
8. Bath & Body Works "Art Stuff" Collections
Bath And Body Art Stuff Glitter Splash, $15, eBay.com
This right here was my first foray into the world of self-pampering. I'd beg my mom to throw in a bottle of glittery mists into her basket of Sweet Pea lotions and Cherry Blossom body washes every time we went to Bath & Body Works. I loved staring at my pretty collection on the bathtub ledge, making me feel so mature and diva-esque. And the crafts spin didn't hurt, either — what kid wasn't obsessed with covering themselves head to toe in glitter?
9. Hard Candy Nail Polish
Whether you got it to paint your fingers in summery shades of electric yellow and hard blue, or just wanted the free ring that came with it, these Hard Candy nail polishes were on most pre-teen girls' wish lists.
10. Bonne Belle Lip Shades
Bonne Bell Lip Shades, $8, eBay.com
Did you want a grownup lipstick just like your older sister or cool babysitter had? Were you tired of the baby kits your mom kept buying you that were just lip balms in disguise? Bonne Belle Lip Shades were the answer to your prayers. They fit perfectly into your tiny handbag and were cheap enough to buy in bulk.
11. Sweet Treats Gloss
Lippie that was just as tasty as a popsicle, these fun, squeezable glosses were a hot commodity in the kid-makeup world.
Even though more than a decade has passed, I'd be absolutely game to introduce any of these summery products into my makeup bag. There's always a little room for '90s nostalgia.
Images: Naturistic (1); eBay (4); Teen Spirit (1); Hard Candy (1); Sun-In (1); Bonne Bell (1)
