Beauty Throwback: Get Geri Halliwell’s Iconic ’90s Look
If you’re talking about our all-time beauty (and life) inspirations, Geri Halliwell, aka Ginger Spice, is number one forever. Back in the ’90s, there was literally nobody we wanted to be MORE than the firey-haired, fearless Spice Girl—and let’s be honest, there’s still a part of us longing to dye our hair red, put on a Union Jack dress and platform boots and pinch a prince’s bum.
Today is Geri’s 43rd birthday, and what better way to celebrate than with a Throwback Thursday? Let’s break down exactly how to get Geri’s iconic ’90s hair and makeup look—because don’t we all want to spice up our lives just a little?
Skin: As we’ve noted before, the ’90s were known for very matte, heavy duty foundation—Geri has beautiful freckles and you can hardly see them in this picture. Get a matte (but not heavy) look with Clinique Stay-Matte Oil Free Foundation ($24, sephora.com) applied with either your fingers or a makeup sponge; Geri probably would have applied her makeup with a brush, because 1996 happened to us all. Conceal any dark circles with foundation that matches your complexion exactly, then set with lightweight powder. We love MAC Mineralize Skinfinish Natural Powder ($32, maccosmetics.com) for the way it mattifies and adds just a hint of additional coverage.
Cheeks: Ginger Spice was into cheekbone contouring before it was cool. Because we’re going for a slightly softer look, use a cream product just under your cheekbones to add some gentle definition. The NYX Wonder Stick ($11.99, ulta.com) is a game-changer as far as easy to apply and blend contour is concerned; skip adding hardcore highlight and apply some gentle powder highlighter down the bridge of your nose and onto your cheeks instead. Laura Mercier Matte Baked Radiance ($40, sephora.com) adds just enough natural-looking shine to the high planes of your face without turning you into a discoball.
Eyes: Geri’s eye makeup—smoky color concentrated on the upper lid—is not only a really easy look to recreate, it’s also totally current. To get this look, dampen a soft black powder eyeshadow and, using a small brush, run it along your upper lashline. Blend it out at the corners in a triangular wing shape, softening the black with a matte rose shade. Our favorite is Nooner, in the Urban Decay Naked3 Palette ($54, sephora.com). Add some shimmery shadow a shade lighter than your skin tone at the inner corners of your eyes and under the arch of your brows for highlight—stay away from flat white (which Geri is wearing here) as it reads as far too harsh. Add a great volumizing mascara to your top lashes only, add some nude eyeliner to your lower waterline, and voila. You have a sexy, eye-opening smoky eye shadow style inspired by your favorite Spice Girl.
Eyebrows: Geri’s thin, overly penciled-in brows are VERY 1996, and not exactly the look we want to serve today. Instead, use a very thin brow pencil like Anastasia Brow Wiz ($21, sephora.com) to fill in and define your brows; choose an eyebrow color a shade darker than your hair if your lovely locks are light, and a shade lighter if your hair is dark.
Lips: Sorry, Kylie Jenner, but Ginger Spice has the best overdrawn lips of all time. To get this look in a slightly more modern way, trace just outside the natural perimeter of your lips with a liner in a similar shade to your lipstick. Don’t overexaggerate the shape or make your kisser FAR bigger than it is normally; subtle enhancement is the name of the game in 2015. Finally, fill in your lips with a brown-red plum shade similar to Geri’s; we love MAC Viva Glam III ($17, maccosmetics.com) worn with Half Red Lip Pencil ($16.50, maccosmetics.com).
Hair: If there’s anyone out there who says they didn’t want Ginger’s firey red and blonde hair in the ’90s, they are fibbing extensively. We may no longer want to rock fire engine red hair, but we DO want to keep our color looking as gorgeous as Geri’s for as long as possible. Enter L’Oreal EverPure Sulfate Free Shampoo and Conditioner ($6.29 each, drugstore.com), the very best color protecting line ever. Unlike many other sulfate-free shampoos, EverPure actually gets your hair clean without stripping your color out; perfect for bottle blondes, brunettes and—yes—redheads. You can further protect your glorious color from the fading effects of sun, wind and pollution with Phyto Phytomist Color Protect Radiance Mist ($28, sephora.com). Not only does this lightweight, beautifully scented product ensure that your color remains perfect, it’s also a non-greasy leave in conditioner. How’s that for amazing?
More from Daily Makeover: We Break Down Cindy Crawford’s Amazing Makeup Look.
