The nineties can be summed up in two words: matte and brown. It was as bland as it sounds and for someone who suffered acne and was desperate to feel pretty, it was a lethal combination.
I was self-conscious about my scars and did not understand why my skin had so many of them which refused to fade no matter how much Clinique 3-Step I used. I tried to cover my scars with drugstore foundations but since there was no tester, it was a crapshoot in terms of shade – of which there were very few for my desi skin. Further, the liquid would just mix with my sebum to create a pilled mess.
In 1994 I heard of a Canadian brand called M.A.C. and it had a foundation called Studio Fix which could mattify skin and cover imperfections which sounded like the panacea for my skin woes. I dragged my dad to a small boutique located in the Cavendish Mall to purchase a coveted compact. My dad, in all his wisdom, balked at the price, and asked the salesgirl, “What is this? Medicine?” I died a slow death and the salesgirl chuckled and said that she had a dad too…
I clutched that compact, just like I used clutch my new Barbie as a child, because for once in my miserable, frustrated teen angst-ridden existence, I could create the illusion of perfect, scar-free, matte skin, paired with a natural look.
The four elements of my natural look consisted of M.A.C. cake black liner, Brown blush, Chintz lipstick and Chestnut liner. It was all brown all the time, and so much better than the garish colours of the eighties. I was not Alexis Colby from Dynasty, I wanted to be Brenda Walsh from Beverly Hills 90210.
Oh and let’s not forget tweezed brows that reduced my medium caterpillars into a pair of dilapidated tadpoles.
I piled on Studio Fix because I wanted to achieve the matte look with no scars. I then drew a thick dark liquid line to define my eyes; smiled widely to tap on Brown blush on the apples of my cheeks; slightly overdrew my lips with Chestnut liner to achieve the pouty supermodel look; and loaded on Chintz lipstick. The results were less than flattering as my pictures from the nineties amply demonstrate:
Various pictures from the nineties
They say hindsight is 20/20, and in my case it was crystal clear that I made the following errors in my enthusiasm for the matte, brown look:
- not addressing my scars under the guidance of a dermatologist;
- abusing the matte concept to the point where my skin no longer breathed; and
- applied matte brown all over my face to the point where I looked like I dipped my face in cocoa powder.
Over the past two seasons, the nineties have re-emerged but this time I am wiser, with better skin and the ability to translate the matte, brown look for desi girls.
The brown, matte look has a double foci namely the skin, and the lips. My lessons from my McGill days taught me that matte brown shadow on brown eyes, which have a dark circles, is a difficult combination to pull off when you are rushed on a Monday morning. Further, brown blush on brown skin – why, what is the point?
Note that even though the eyes and cheeks are not the foci they are integral to pulling off a modernised 90’s matte, brown look that makes you look Cocoa Aware.
The skin must be matte – not flat. Instead of covering your face in a matte foundation (powder or liquid), use a matte primer. I adore Benefit the POREfessional Matte Rescue.
Photo Credit: sephora.com
I have been using this product all summer and no longer need to “powder my nose” at lunchtime. My pores look diminished and the foundation goes on and stays put.
From left to right – bare skin, applying primer, primed skin.
At this point I always contour my nose. I learned about contouring from memorising the techniques included in the late, great Kevyn Aucoin’s tome Making Faces (Little, Brown & Company (Canada) Limited, 1997).
Photo Credit: sephora.com
Mr. Aucoin was a maetsro of make-up who reigned in the nineties until his untimely passing in 2002 (RIP) who changed the make-up look from overdone in the eighties to the natural look of the nineties. In his hands brown make-up made you look like an adorable fawn.
I enjoy using the Diorblush Light & Contour (3 shades available) because this double-sided stick allows me to apply dark cream down the sides of my nose and then the light cream down the centre.
Photo Credit: dior.com
One flip of the stick, and my nose looks slim and sculpted.
From left to right – contouring my nose
Continuing with the matte – not flat approach, I spot-apply foundation where there is discolouration and blemishes. A matte primer already creates the uniform, grease-free surface and if your forehead/chin/cheeks/temples look(s) great why waste product? I recommend using a lightweight, brightening foundation such as bareMinerals BARESKIN™ Pure Brightening Serum Foundation (available in 20 shades) because as a 40 year old, I want a liquid that does not cling to nascent fine lines and creates the illusion that I sleep more than eight hours.
Photo Credit: sephora.com
If your skin is scarred and excessively oily, a great alternative is Estée Lauder Double Wear Stay-in-Place Makeup (available in 30 shades). I used Double Wear in my twenties and early-thirties because this product gave me skin confidence while I treated the scars and the oiliness.
Photo Credit: sephora.com
One of the contributing factors to my matte, flat face of the nineties was that I just slopped on the foundation. Achtung: in addition to selecting a foundation that you spot-apply on troubled areas, use a tool that allows you to control how much product you pour onto the foundation brush. bareMinerals Perfecting Face Brush is circular with a mini well in the middle.
Photo Credit: sephora.com
When I fill the well a quarter of the way up, I am confident that I have enough product to cover my trouble areas – and to blend my nose.
From left to right – filling the well, spot application, blending the nose, foundation applied
The next step is to apply concealer on my dark circles. I love that Dior Fix-it (available in 6 shades) primes the skin and adds colour in one fell swoop.
Photo Credit: dior.com
I can blend in the product knowing that it will not cake and I will look rested.
From left to right – applying concealer
To set it, I rely on another trick (which people nowadays refer to as baking) that Mr. Aucoin discussed in Making Faces. I apply excess powder on the concealer, such as Laura Mercier Translucent Powder, and let it set while I do the rest of my make-up.
Photo Credit: sephora.com
The added bonus is that the powder catches errant flakes of eye make-up.
From left to right – applying powder and then letting it bake
With the skin nearly done, I focus on the eyebrows. Thankfully my dilapidated tadpoles have grown into tamed and disciplined caterpillars. Over-plucked eyebrows that are designed to mimic the forties look (see: Madonna Bad Girl video on Youtube) are tough on darker skin because 1) the skin on the plucked area is paler than the rest of the eyelid and forehead, which clearly demarks where you plucked – not a desired look; and 2) as a hairy desi girl I attest that it is hard work to spot and pluck on a daily basis. I advise that you clean up your natural shape, fill in the sparseness and set them. Givenchy Eyebrow Pencil in Brunette is a powder delivered in a the form of a pencil, which delivers colour precisely.
Photo Credit: sephora.com and me using the pencil
I then set my brows with Givenchy Brow Filler to create a heightened effect.
From left to right – Photo Credit: givenchybeauty.com, applying the Brow Filler and my brows done
Many desi women, myself included, have dark eyelids.
My dark lids
Instead of applying eye shadow base which is matte, I use a liquid highlighter such as Dior Flash Luminizer (available in five shades) all over the eyelids to add glow to the face and to act as a counterpoint to the matte skin.
From left to right: Photo Credit: dior.com, applying Luminizer and eyes are brighter
Mr. Aucoin extolled the virtues of curled eyelashes and I am proud to say that I have been following his sage advice since 1994. My favourite eyelash curler, unsurprisingly, is the one from his eponymous line, because I never pinched my eyelids with it. I curl at the base, proceed to mid-lash and curl again to ensure that my eyelashes are curled, not electro-shocked looking.
From left to right: Photo Credit: sephora.com, curling lashes and curled lashes
I mentioned earlier that brown eye shadow is difficult to apply when you are rushed and I lament how I enthusiastically applied liquid black liner during my foolish youth. The best way to use brown that enhances your eyes quickly and looks smoking hot is to use a deep brown pencil. I love Nars Velvet Liner in Mambo, a warm milk chocolate brown, and Last Frontier, deep chestnut, that evokes the Black Forest… but not quite.
From left to right: Last Frontier and Mambo, Photo Credit: sephora.com
The velvety depth of these two brown shades define desi dark peepers without the harshness of black. The pencil is creamy so it will not tug on crepey lids, and the colour sets to a smoky finish.
From left to right: applying liner and lined
The next step is mascara. Given the brown theme, it is natural to ask if brown or black mascara is better for the matte, brown look. The answer lies first in the function of mascara and the natural colour of your eyes and hair.
It is trite to observe that mascara functions like a curtain for the eyes, by making them look open and adding definition. Bearing the function in mind, I observe that contrary to popular belief, not all desi women are dark haired, dark-eyed to the point of jet black. Dark can range from deep honey to jet black, and if your eye and hair colour falls between deep honey and milk chocolate range, you can pull off brown mascara and have defined eyes. Benefit Roller Lash will be shortly releasing its beloved lifting and curling mascara in brown, and this mascara is a delicious milk chocolate brown that enhances the curl and adds a touch of flirt to the lashes. For the rest of us, black is a great option because it defines the eyes, without directly interacting with the brown make-up. I am still loving the Givenchy Noir Couture because its three snowmen brush permits me to reach small lashes, and the formula allows me to build the effect.
From left to right: Photo Credit: sephora.com, applying mascara and my eyes with mascara
After applying several coats of mascara, I use my trusty Make Up For Ever 134 Large Powder Fan Brush to remove the powder from under my eyes.
Photo Credit: sephora.com
The bristles are soft and they lift away of the powder without smudging the concealer.
I am removing the powder
I then add a few dabs of the Dior Luminizer on the area where the circles meets the upper cheek to add more luminosity to the eye area.
I am applying more Luminizer
The second focus of the matte, brown look are the lips. I must admit that as a teenager in the nineties I felt that I was relegated to the Chintz and Chestnut combination while my friends were able to work the M.A.C. Spice liner and create chocolate lips that ranged from sexy taupe to warm chocolate brown. I searched in vain for lighter brown shades but the ones I found were always too light. I remember looking at pictures and thinking that my lips looked thin, like two slabs of chopped liver, even though I had taken great care to define the cupid’s bow.
As a 40 year old woman, I understand that when wearing a deeper shade of lipstick, two tools are essential – lip balm and lip liner. I am blown away by Givenchy Perfecto Beautifying Lip Balm because it plumps, softens and adds pink sheen to my lips.
From left to right: Photo Credit: sephora.com, applying balm and pink lips
The balm reacts with your pH to create your unique nude, so that product is for all desi women. The pink is key to wearing brown lipstick because the intensity of brown, regardless of the formulation (satin, matte, gloss.. etc) can overpower the pout, reducing it to two slabs of liver.
In researching lip colours I braced myself to face the same disappointments of my youth. Instead, I was almost moved to tears to see that the there are many modern brown shades that suit desi women. I am impressed in particular with the The Estée Edit The Barest Lip Color collection (available in 6 shades) because the satin, sheer finish deposits brown colour that enhances the pout while the matching The Estée Edit The Barest Contour Liner defines the lips in a coordinated matte pencil. I am in love with 05 In the Buff because it looks like I drank chocolate milk!
From left to right: Photo Credit: sephora.com, applying In the Buff Lipstick and liner
If you prefer a stronger, matte look, Estée Lauder Pure Color Envy in Desirous is a deep reddish brown that announces your presence. I use my 05 In the Buff The Barest Contour Liner to define my lips.
Photo Credit: esteelauder.com
If you want an undiluted brown that is strong, sexy brown statement, then let’s hail the legendary Bobbi Brown Lip Color in Chocolate. This bullet glides on like melted chocolate and tells the world that you mastered the nineties!
Photo Credit: bobbibrown.ca
After all this work, the final step is blush. I did not explore blush in youth because I felt that it would draw attention to my scars and bumps. Thankfully, with better skin, I now appreciate the lifting and refreshing effects of blush. Given the brown make-up, a bit of freshness in the form a mauvey-pink adds definition while respecting the palette. For light-to-medium complected desi women, I recommend Benefit Dandelion and for darker-complected women, I recommend Benefit Dallas.
Photo Credit: sephora.com and I am applying blush
AND HERE IS THE FINAL LOOK:
In revisiting the nineties I learned the following lessons:
- Matte does not mean flat. You can achieve matte skin with primer;
- Foundation does not mean you have to cover your face completely, spot application permits your skin breathe and look flawless at the same time;
- Eyebrows are not meant to be shaped like dilapidated tadpoles. The key is to groom them well and use products to enhance their colour and shape;
- No matter how you slice it, desi women have dark circles which is not conducive to applying brown eye shadow in a rush. The key is to prepare the eye with concealer and luminizer, and to set the work with powder so that your 3 minute investment lasts for the next eight hours;
- Mascara is not the focal point but it should not be neglected. Brown mascara is a viable option for lighter-complected desi women who have lighter hair and eyes, and b;ack mascara remains a classic accent that suits all desi women which will respect the brown palette. Oh yeah – and don’t forget to curl them!
- Dark eye shadow is tricky to apply perfectly when you are in a rush so use a brown pencil to look smoking hot;
- Brown is a strong colour that can reduce a pout to looking like two slabs of chopped liver. To reduce the intensity of the colour while invoking chocolate desires, apply a pink-tinted balm;
- Desi women rejoice – the market has caught up to us. We are brown but there are brown shades of lipstick for all of our tones, the key is to figure out what formula and statement you wish to make with your lips;
- The devil is in the details so make sure to add a hint of pink-mauvey blush to lift the face.
So now that you are Cocoa Aware, treat yourself to a brownie at Juliette & Chocolat!
Beauty Tips for Desi Ladies in North America and Europe 
Enjoyed the read and the transition from nineties makeup to nineties-inspired makeup!! You look lovely!
Thanks so much! I appreciate how you observe 90’s versus 90’s-inspired make-up:)