Mad Fads
9 years ago by
Remember MAC lipglass? Or when Drew Barrymore convinced us all to tweeze our eyebrows into non-existent arches? Or, even better, the chola–inspired nude lip with very obvious lipliner look? Oy.
I was flipping through a magazine the other day when a tube of that notorious (and intensely shiny) lipglass flashed by, and I was suddenly transported to memories of a much younger, much glossier version of myself. I remember gliding it onto my lips, thinking how sexy I looked while Portishead or Sneakerpimps played in the background.
Lipglass was seriously everywhere. Makeup artists sang the praises of it and hyped its versatility to female kind—Use it on your eyelids for a “greasy” look! (um, what?) Smear it on your cheekbones to highlight and contour! Dab it on your T-zone, embrace the shine! (okay, so that never happened)—still, you get the idea. Every single, solitary girl I knew had a tube of it. And we all walked around thinking we were sexy as hell. But, after a bug (or two…or three) fell prey to the goopy stuff (as in, literally got stuck and died on my shellacked lips) and after the 106th dude I knew expressed their distaste for the stuff, I realized that lipglass was sort of ridiculous.
Happily, the fad soon passed. Here, for your consideration, are some current fads I’m anticipating our future selves will be doing some head scratching about.
1. Bleached eyebrows: Why? Just, why?
2. Pastel hair: I’ve seen my fair share of this look and part of me wants to say, “More power to you!” While another part (the part that makes up 99.9% of what I think) says these colors belong in that assortment of Easter candy that your Grandma puts out in that little crystal bowl every year—NOT in your hair.
3. Flash tattoos: beauty’s version of a Long Island iced tea—trashy masquerading as fancy (and not very well, I might add).
4. The mom lob is to 2015 what Winona’s greasy tousled Reality Bites haircut was to the 90’s. Ubiquitous.
5. Coconut oil: in your mouth, on your skin, in your hair, on your food. Pretty sure if you Google “too much of a good thing” coconut oil will be the top hit (okay, maybe second after Kim’s planet of a derrière).
Are there any beauty trends out there that you think are ridiculous? Do you plan on trying/have tried/hated or loved any of the aforementioned?
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From the Archives: Tonal Dressing
Ombre hair (or what the call here in Spain “the California”)… if its subtle it’s nice, as with highlights, but too many people are just walking around with two colors of hair…
i still have a tube of lip glass! :)
http://littleaesthete.com
Personnellement je n’ai rien contre et je trouve ça plutôt bien mais la tendance eau détox et compagnie va finir par nous blaser ! Ok c’est sain mais l’été ça rime aussi avec soiré, rosé et apéro et tout ça ce n’est pas très healthy.
Amélie
https://charlesrayandcoco.wordpress.com
Oh oui l’été, c’est rosé! Fuck l’eau de coco! ;P
Les “lèvres nude entourées d’un trait de lipliner hyper voyant” qu’on voyait partout aux US dans les 90s… Yuk… Merci d’avoir fait ce rappel des horreurs qu’on s’impose parfois (perso, j’étais hyper fan du mascara pour cheveux Dior et des vernis à paillette).
That extreme cowlick, as high and strait up as you could, and big hair in the wrong way in the nineties. And the oversized clothing with the to big shoulders. AWFUL and more than ridiculous.
A 1980s perm, ha ha. It would double your age and give you that poodle look :)))
http://lifestylebyola.blogspot.com/
Contouring for daily life – if only for the 99% of the time it’s not executed well.
I am so with you on the contouring. The “Kim Kardashian” Kontour doesn’t look natural on anyone in real life. I think it even looks bad on most professionals even if they know how to blend properly etc. because it’s so fake. Also, because usually such a thick layer of product is created, it looks greasy and highlights unevenness in the skin structure.
No, give me just a bit of blush and/ or bronzer and I’ll be just fine!
Oh God I love looking at old magazines from the 90s and 80s and seeing all the horrific things that were going down. Then I turn to magazines from the 00s and they’re hardly any better at all! I bet the thick, dark eyebrows trend will go out eventually although I actually really like it xxx
Lucy @ La Lingua Italy
Coconut oil deserves a bye from this list,…in countries where it’s a staple, there is virtually no heart disease.
I don’t think I’ll ever find myself scratching my head about coconut oil.
Where I come from in India, people have been using it for centuries, as you said, in your mouth, on your skin, in your hair, on your food, and they usually have luscious hair, gorgeous skin and considerably few health concerns. Now this might just be a combination of other factors, such as genes and lifestyle, but I do see a pattern with the coconut oil.
Just because something is trending, doesn’t make it a fad.
PS: Agree with all the other points (even though I love my mom lob)
I was just about to say the same thing. In fact I just used coconut oil in my hair overnight like a good Indian girl – my grandma would approve!
Les platform shoes… non mais sérieux ?!
fads are so funny! I remember pounding on the lipglass — now I see someone with it and I’m like “eww that was me at one point!”
At the moment my hair has some pastel purple but again it’s fun for a moment and then natural is always more appealing!
http://hashtagliz.com
Instagram brows. “on fleek”. Contouring. Young girls absolutely plastering themselves in full coverage foundation, concealer and powder, often either on youtube or inspired by youtube. No, it doesn’t look “just like skin” if you use a Beauty Blender or a Buffing Brush. Cut creases. “Kylie Jenner lips”. Fake curling iron “curls”.
I’m a survivor of the late 80’s/early 90’s so I know all about regrettable teenage pictures. And so will this generation….muahahahaha!
mwouaaaaaahhhh… Tellement drôle !!!!
????????
Merci
mwouaaaaaahhhh… Tellement drôle !!!!
????????
Merci
Yessss! All this and the hideous platform shoes and creepers. WHHHYYYYYYY!
Some may be hating on me after this…but I’ve got to say tattoos. Yes, maybe some folks will never tire of them until they are laid to rest, but I can’t personally imagine feeling the same way about them 20-30 years down the road as you did when they were fresh and exciting. I see half and full sleeves on a lot of ladies these days, and I always wonder how they will feel about it down the road. Also..must add the horrible earlobe gauges that make huge sloppy stretchy rings of your earlobes..Someday your grand kids will have something to grab onto. That’s a plus!
Ok so you just convinced me not to go for a Lob. I was seriously considering it but what happens in 2016 and its all about veeeeeryy long hair!????
As for Coconut Oil it was a complete disaster for my hair. It was supposed to make it shine and now its all dry :(
I think I will stick to the classical almond oil!
Rhizlaine
Nooo don’t say that! The lob has been steady since 2011 and it is a pretty flattering cut with little commitment. Don’t let this this dissuade you. Thanks to it, I now know I look 1000 times better with a shorter cut because of my previous lob arrangement.
I had the same reaction to Coconut Oil! After doing some online research, I found out my hair was sensitive to protein, keratin, and a few oils like coconut and avocado. You may have the same thing! Anyway, once you remove these ingredients from your routine, your hair returns to normal. Google “hair with protein sensitivity” :-).
Haha, quite funny! Not sure about coconut oil though…
Oh the lipgloss, that scares me still. Getting your hair stuck in it then having it stick to your face, ew.
The coconut oil has helped my dry skin/ezcema so I’m ok with that but feel its getting a little crazy.
I think contouring is the hardest thing in real life.
Hilarious to think of all the trends gone by which were so horrifying! I have to agree with an earlier commenter and say contouring, and add the flat-ironed-to-death look, too. A note: for a blog that is generally body positive, I’m surprised you brought Kim and the size of her butt into the conversation. I get it, you were making a joke about how it is Too Much, but it came off as tacky to me.
Ooh, I cringed a bit at the “okay, maybe second after Kim’s planet of a derrière…” comment. It’s one thing to make fun of the world’s goofy trends, but I feel this comment crossed the line to body shaming. Girl’s got a booty, that’s for sure! But I’d rather celebrate flaunting what you got. Otherwise, giggled through this—the flash tattoos comment was right on.
http://kate-welsh.squarespace.com
OMBRE Hair has to be my top choice. Enough already.
Lipglass is the reason my husbands hates ALL forms of lipgloss and lipstick. It ruined him for life…and seriously hampers my use of lipsticks. ( I like kisses more than gloss!)
How about pastel blue/green/pink hair color? Btw I love the lipstick in todays photo! Does anyone know the brand and shade? xo
The top knot for girls…and guys? They look hideous…
White sneakers. We did it in the 90s and it doesn’t look any better ;)
This is an awesome post Lisa, because the underlying theme is: do what suits you rather than what is trendy. I recently bought a fashion “how to” book from the 1980s and most of the pictures were hilarious but I really learned a lot from the photos of women who were dressed in a classic, timeless style.
P.S. Coconut oil dried out my hair, also!
Ok, ce n’est pas de la mode… mais c’est quoi ce truc avec les débardeurs dos nageur et les deux bretelles trop moche de soutien gorge qui dépassent de chaque coté… Je vois toute les jeunes avec ça !
????
N’y a t’il pas des soutien gorge dos croisé ?????
A NY aussi c’est comme ça ?
Le soutien gorge apparent comme signe de coolitude?
Hahaha j’adore ta façon d’écrire !
Je n’ai essayé qu’une seule des tendances que tu as mentionné, l’huile de coco (en fait bien avant que ça devienne une tendance aussi répandue, c’était une amie Africaine qui me l’a conseillé. Idem pour le kale, j’ai découvert ça en 2008 et j’ai tout simplement adoré…). L’huile de coco, je l’utilise surtout sur ma peau hyper-sensible et c’est parfois le seul remède qui calme mes éruptions d’acné hormonal… (j’en parle sur mon blog si ça intéresse certaines).
Bises,
Victoire
http://www.victoirefa.com
1) Contouring.
2) Septum Piercings.
3) Beards. (a man thing, but still)
Ombre hair, ombre EYEBROWS, half top-knots, very angular eyebrows, very filled in full brows… In fact every “trend” regarding the brows. Leave the brows alone.
Solarium… in some cases (people) looks absolutely hilarious (and kitsch)!
Greets from Greece :)
beautyfollower.blogspot.gr
The BROWS. We will look back at our pictures and shiver with dicomfort.
Yes! Totally agree ’bout the brows!
Coconut oil is just a beauty trend in the west. In India, its been a beauty must have for years.
Check ads: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ghQZ2b2axw8
I’ve been hair masquing with it every weekend since I was a baby. My grandmum has done the same, shes 90 and has no greys.
Totally agree about the Ombre hair trend. This is what my brunette hair looks like when I get the color too dark on top of my head and the ends are too light from the Summer sun. It is not intentional and it is not a great look.
Also agree about tattoos. I can’t believe those people will want those in 20 years or 50 years.
Septum piercings are another huge issue for me. Just yuck. Just stop.
While I enjoyed this post, I was a little taken aback when I read the phrase “cholo-inspired”. I had always thought of the word “cholo” as a slightly derogatory term (depending on how someone said it and who said it). What do other people think?
Thank you!
Ooo! This whole face-painting scenario happening with all my college age friends: contouring, septum rings, drawn-on eyebrows, painted-on matte lips in weird colors, full and half top knots, nail art… oh, just make it all stop please!
Oh yes I am still paying the price for those over tweezed eye brows. Back then I was going for an extreme look–think “Girl With The Dragon Tattoo” you know what I should have bleached back then, because when I was over the look I could have just dyed them back, now they are not growing back. : (
Allie of ALLIENYC
allienyc.com
Le overdrawn lip– moderation with this technique is fleeting. Miranda Sings vibes are becoming all too real! xx
http://www.ADIMAY.com
This list blows. Haters gonna hate.
Personally the only thing I can’t live without (on the list) is coconut oil. But I find lobs, pastel hair, and flash tattoos, on some women so lovely. I question bleached eyebrows, but there is something to say about being audacious.
Totally agree with you, Iretak. Fashion fads and trends make this blog live a life over years and years. Without the trends and new ideas and inventions this blog would not survive.
When people ridicule trends I guess they are conservative by heart. They don’t like changes at all and they put themselves as norms for society. I am happy to have been through the fashion eras of the 70’s (soft materials, happy colours), 80’s (the most experimental and creative decade), 90’s (straight lines and gender crossing), 00’s (sporty street style, denim acceptance increases even in offices) and now the 10’s, with eco-friendliness, shabby chic etc. Times are changing and that is a good thing. I love change and I love when people have the freedom to try new things!
I remember in the 90’s how the 70’s fashion was totally dissed and now we bring it all back again? It is dangerous to stand there and criticize something since it is highly likely that it will come back and you’ll probably wear/use it again.
As for lipglass – you all write how your men didn’t like it. I didn’t have a problem getting kissed with or without lipglass, so the problem was probably more the choice of man than the choice of lipwear…
Can we add almond shaped nails, er, talons, to this list?
Where do we begin? Extraordinarily large painted on brows, chopped ratty over coloured hair, vagina revealing ragged shorts, diamond teeth implants, tattoos,piercings anywhere but your ears, large holey ear thingys, large fake square fingernails, enormous and dangerous heels, hairless private parts ( why is this so?), the infamous trout pout….and my special favourite…..the enormous and painful looking boob job.
We will look back on these with the same horror and amusement as we did at the ginormous shoulder pads of the eighties, the strangulating flared jeans ( that almost cut us in half) and horrifically super sized ‘butterbox’ cork platforms of the seventies, the singed ‘freewave’ perms of the sixties, the unbearably small waists of the fifties and I could go on, and on, and on ????….because I’ve been a victim too!
Lipgloss! When I was a teenager my friends were all obsessed with it. Very sticky though, and having a gust of wind would mean some hair sticking on to your lips, aye, not very sexy
http://thefervour.com
While some are already questioning this trend I think we will be appalled by the amount of injectables, plastic surgery and facial augmentation women (and men) subject themselves to. The pendulum will swing in revolt.
And nail art is sure to get some huge giggles!
Ah le gloss, les mecs le détestent et on les comprend. Embrasser une fille aux lèvres visqueuses…bah
On pourrait rajouter tous ces régimes débiles pour perdre 5 kilos en 3 jours non, aussi…
Just before reading your post I saw out the window a young girl with her hair dyed in pastel colours! Although I find it ridiculous, apparently there are some who still adopt this kind of long-gone trends!
http://fashion-soup.com/
Never had a lipglass, and I never liked any sort of lip gloss. They’re so sticky I don’t know how anyone could stand wearing them, especially in this tropical weather we have.
Oooh, I love VCO. Being in tropics and having lots of coconut trees, VCO is particularly easy to get by. I’ve been using it for years, even before it has become a fad. I will still continue using it way after people get tired of it.
No make up, no problem haha
Plucked eyebrows! I am 65 now and have a eyebrow disaster for having left only a very thin line in the 70s. Why is it that when something is in fashion we have the impression that it will last forever? As if it is the utmost beautiful thing in the world. I never expected my originally thick brows would be in fashion again. By the way, tattooing the eyebrows works, but you should be very careful when choosing the “expert” and the color.
Faux glasses. Especially in tortiseshell.
Wool hats (beanies?) In warm weather.
The term and idea of “festival style.” Horrible. Just be.
Oh how much I love to see “Lisa” in the area “published by”! It makes me dream of being me to publish these lovely articles!
Congrats! I love your job!
PS what about the newsletter?
Extreme asymmetrical undercuts (on both men and women.) Or the half shaved head/ long hair on the ladies. I say this from experience.
Les sourcils décolorés ? En tout cas, c’est sûr, ça ne passera pas par moi ! En revanche le tatouage éphémère, bien posé, discret j’en ai vu des sympas qui pour l’été, sont plutôt sympa (et je ne suis pas tatouage du tout!)
I bought lipglass, but never wore it because my husband called it ‘sticky shit.’ I can’t stand over-plucked eyebrows. They make the wearer look so sever.
In the 90’s I had a bright red stripe in the front of my hair and I loved it, so the pastel hair trend doesn’t bug me. I did the lob and I love it. There are some beauty trends that are fun and while you would never do them again you love them at the time.
I do think we will look back on dropped shoulders the way we look back at shoulder pads.
Donut/sock buns. Overly styled, curling iron “mermaid” hair. Really dry, fried-looking beachy waves. Tattoos of twee sayings. Twee tattoos in general. Dry brushing.
My husband hates denim jackets. He cringes and jokes that the 90’s are calling. Lol. I on the other hand love it. To me, it’s a classic piece (and a trendy piece that pops it’s head once in a while…oxymoron?) that will never go out of style.
xoxo
Fun idea for a piece, but the delivery was poor. I can see that it was supposed to be funny and snarky, but it came across as mean-spirited—I’m not a fan of Kim K-W either, but the comment about her body was distasteful. Certainly not chic, nor was it in the spirit of this blog. Additionally, using terms like “chola lipliner” is obviously problematic. Come on, guys. You’re better than this.
False eyelashes, most particularly for everyday. Why? Isn’t mascara enough? Are we all supposed to look like Barbie?
French manicure, should be a no-go
I got sucked into the MAC Lipglass thing as well. It looked fun, but required hair pulled back and absolutely no kissing – which is just far too high maintenance for my tastes. Love before lipstick. ;-) #Mwah
I am generally wary of tool intensive hair rituals. Growing up in the late 90’s and mid-2000’s, it was big to get your hair pin straight with a flat iron and have tons of highlights, low lights, etc. It usually looked fried and sad and it was really difficult to maintain through humidity and rain. I am also not a huge fan of the curling iron resurgence now. The curls often look so stiff and fake. My boyfriend calls it newscaster hair. I really appreciate a more care free attitude for hair and I love it when people embrace their natural kinks, waves and curls.
What’s wrong with coconut oil? It is just a natural ingredient that is now trending but you can’t deny its usefulness.
Hehe! Love this list! Oh the lipglass memories!!! I’d like to second the platform/ wedge sneakers, Wolverine’esk eyebrows and those weird metallic skin stickers. And add plumb/ black lipstick, the angry drawn on Scouse brow and the words epic and amazeballs.
Pants with words written across the backside and wearing sweatpants/workout clothes when you’re not working out. Especially on a plane.
Flash tattoos? I just googled them because I had no idea what they were! Are you referring to the metalic temporary tattoos or is it something else?
I have to say the “fad” that I stay far, far away from is the high-waisted short shorts with the butt cheeks hanging out! At least here in Madrid it’s too popular. I love high-waisted skirts and shorts but I personally think that no matter how beautiful your legs (and butt) are, the whole butt-cheeks-hanging-out never, ever looks classy.
I love the lipstick that woman on the photo is wearing, kinda feel it would be nice on me too, can you tell me what is it?
Si vous êtes noir-e-s (Africain-e-s, Antillais-e-s), l’huile de noix de coco (l’avocat, l’aloes, le beurre de karité, le beurre de cacao) ne seront jamais un fad. C’est un style de vie qui précède les années 2000. Beaucoup de ces-dits “fads” sont puisés de cultures noir-e-s et hispaniques, il est donc évident qu’ils ne durent qu’un instant pour certaines personnes. Certains termes de ce post sont problématiques, mais des commentaires avant moi l’on déjà bien démontré.
the crazy 90s hair up do: super tight but with a few very thin strands left to fall on your face to “frame it”
Haha…your coconut oil point made me laugh. It’s true!
I am personally so over OTK boots, and those short Western-style suede booties that are EVERYwhere, and anything on or implanted in a human that makes them resemble a Barbie doll.
L’huile de coco sur les cheveux est utilisé en Inde depuis je ne sais combien de temps. Pour avoir habité là-bas, je peux témoigner : ca rend les cheveux super super brillants, même quand il sont bouclés, tie and dyé, et qu’on fait de la natation tous les jours (vive le chlore… -_-) ! J’approuve, et je recommande !!
“Et vous, il y a des tendances beauté que vous trouvez ridicules en ce moment ? Vous avez prévu d’essayer/avez déjà essayé/détesté ou adorez l’une des tendances mentionnées ci-dessus ?”
Les régimes.
En dehors d’une raison de santé, c’est ridicule, ça fait fille stupide qui a deux de QI, individu manipulable avec un manque de personnalité, pauvre fille désespérée, plouc, idiote. Bref c’est nul. Et la maigreur est laide. Je connais des filles bien plus grosses que moi, qui ont droit à des histoires d’amour bien plus belles que les miennes alors que je suis mince. Bref si on vous parle de régime, dite non et dite oui si on vous propose de reprendre du désert. Cela donne le sourire donc c’est plus séduisant. :)
Bisous et bonne année à vous les modeuses !
Do you know what a flash tattoo is?
What shade is your lipstick in this photo, love it.
This is really good for the every one.