This look is currently gaining the attention of the younger generation, with social media influencers attempting to “revive” the classic makeup style.

Thanks to a challenge that emerged on TikTok recently, users are recreating iconic makeup looks from the year in which they were born. This has sparked discussion among local makeup artists and netizens, who feel the shared ’90s looks fail to accurately represent the era’s authentic style.

Specifically, the recreated looks in most of the videos feature foundations that are too thick, and colours that are too dark or too bright, diminishing the face’s natural beauty.

The trend has caught the attention of veteran makeup artist Zulfazli Suhadi, who has over 40 years of experience in the industry and whose makeup skills were the choice of many veteran artistes.

Having worked with renowned names such as Siti Nurhaliza, Erra Fazira and Sofea Jane, Zulfazli feels many content creators taking up the challenge are using the wrong makeup techniques, which results in one’s natural beauty being overshadowed.

“Most of the recreated makeup looks I’ve seen are actually from the ’80s, not ’90s. This is because authentic ’90s makeup features natural tones, without using excessive shading,” said the 58-year-old.

“Makeup in the ’90s didn’t use a lot of colours, and the eyeshadow wasn’t too bright. If the eyeshadow is vibrant, the face powder too white, and dark shades are used excessively, then that’s actually ’80s-style makeup,” he told Bernama.

According to Zulfazli, primary features of the ’90s include thin eyebrows and a simple application of face powder without contouring.

“We would mainly use blush for contouring. The makeup shades were also more earth-toned. Red lipstick was common, and colour combinations were usually coordinated – if the eyeshadow was purple, the lipstick would also be purple,” he said.

Still, Zulfazli is thrilled to see the style making a comeback, and hopes content creators will do proper research before uploading new videos.

Meanwhile, TikTok influencer Izziatul Adlina Mohamed Shokri, who is among those who have shared content on ’90s makeup, agreed that the style of that era was simple and not too heavy, enhancing natural beauty without altering one’s original appearance.

Better known as Izzy Adlina, the 37-year-old noted that ’90s makeup complemented all skin tones, facial features and face shapes, unlike the themed styles seen today such as Douyin, Bollywood, soft glam or full glam.

She also said the application techniques used were easy to follow.

“As someone from Generation X, I feel offended by the way the younger ones are portraying ’90s makeup. Since when was ’90s makeup that ugly? Have you noticed that Gen X people tend to age well? It’s because they embrace the ‘less is more’ approach,” she said in a video posted online.