The other day, while rummaging through old memories, I found my 1996 NUS student card.
First of all: rude.
Apparently, at 19, I had the kind of confidence that only comes from surviving on caffeine, bad decisions, and whatever beauty products I could justify as a student.
The photo instantly transported me back to the era of moody dark berry lips, softly smudged eyes, questionable brows, and the absolute chokehold grunge had on all of us.
And honestly? I kind of love her.
So naturally, I decided to recreate the look.
Now, here’s the funny part.
While 1996 me absolutely could not afford a full luxury makeup routine, the lipstick was MAC.
Dark purple lipstick wasn’t exactly easy to come by back then, and MAC was one of the few brands doing those bold, slightly rebellious shades that felt worlds away from the safer makeup counters. I can’t remember the exact shade — it may have been Cyber — but I distinctly remember that lipstick.
Which honestly makes perfect sense, because nearly 30 years later I’m still exactly the same.
@syntheticdotstyle Recreating the makeup I wore on my 1996 NUS card with the original naked palette by @urbandecayuk ♬ original sound – Karen Synthetic.Style
I still own shades in that same gloriously dramatic family. I’ve always loved a bold lip. Some things clearly survive every life chapter.
What has changed is everything else.
2026 me has better formulas, better technique, and a much clearer understanding that some products behave very differently at 47 than they did at 19.
One of the funniest parts of recreating this look was realising how little my actual aesthetic has changed.
I’m still drawn to slightly moody makeup. Still love a rock-chick edge. Still prefer makeup with personality over anything too polished or beige.
The difference now is knowing how to create that vibe without accidentally making myself look dehydrated, exhausted, or aggressively matte.
For the eyes, I leaned into Urban Decay’s original Naked palette revival, which felt like the perfect modern nod to that era without becoming a full costume recreation.
For skin, I used products that give glow, movement, and life rather than the kind of flat powder-heavy finishes many of us survived the first time around.
And the lip?
Absolutely non-negotiable.
Because if you’re recreating your 90s makeup look and there isn’t a bold dark berry lip involved, what are we even doing?
The best part of this little nostalgia experiment was realising that recreating an old look doesn’t mean copying the past exactly.
Sometimes it just means borrowing the bits you loved, upgrading the formulas, and leaving the bad brows behind.
Products Used
- Face: Hydra Tint from Sculpted by Amy
- Eyes: Urban Decay original naked palette
- Eyes: MAC Kohl eye pencil in Feline
- Lips: MAC lip pencil in plum
- Lips: MAC MACximal silky matte lipstick in Rebel
- Lips: MAC Lustreglass lipstick in Succumb to plum