Nothing hurts my ego more than when I ask my crew if they’ve heard a song from the late 90s or early 2000s and they get nothing but frowns and eyes glasses staring at me in silence. It’s brutal, and it’s happened more than once. I know I’m not old in the grand scheme of things, but it’s hard not to feel like an old person when I’m on my Gen Z team. The thing is, I like getting old, and I can’t imagine what it would have been like growing up without my favorite pop stars. At least my fellow millennial extraordinaire/beauty director Erin Jahns can relate.
Unless You’ve Lived Through The Girl And Boy Group Boom, You Can’t Fully Understand The Strangling Of These Stars always have on us. But beauty brand SHEGLAM clearly gets it, and their new Vinyl Pop ($7.49) color palette is proof that we can still live our Y2K pop star dreams. “My goal with this makeup was to look like a backup dancer for Britney Spears or Christina Aguilera,” Erin tells me. Here, she breaks down what she used and how to create the ultimate early 2000s vibe.
“I wanted my skin to look baby soft, almost like I was wearing no foundation, but I used the palette to give my eyes, lips, and high points of my face a glow. I used the sheer lip gloss and neutral shimmer in the center of the palette to create a pretty glow on my lids and the inner corners of my eyes, and I even dabbed a little shimmer on my lips, which created this frosted lip look that feels so reminiscent of the early 2000s. Since 2000 was the era of super thin brows, I opted to leave mine completely alone and rounded it all out with a few coats of the All-In-One Volume & Length Mascara ($5.99) for extra definition and flutter. I also used the Creamy Brown Pigment for an effortless cat eye. — Erin Jahns, Beauty Director
“I love the range of shades and finishes in the palette. I rely on the mix of mattes and shimmers to create a really dimensional eye that will show up in real life and in photos. And this one goes one step further with creamy options (both clear and brown!) to give you even more freedom of play.
“I used the Vinyl Pop color palette in Rose Sonata ($7.49) and started with the neutral shade (lower right) in my creases, then added the brown shade below in my outer corners and along my lower lash line. To finish, I used the shimmer in the center of the palette on the inner corners of my eyes and brought it to the middle. I also used a tiny bit along my lower lashes and patted it on my lips I used the creamy brown like I would a gel liner to create an easy cat eye then circled my finger around transparent pigment, which forms a disk in the palette, for a soft and shiny effect on my shimmering lids. Jahn
“Anyone who knows me knows what a mascara snob I am. I like a versatile product, and the fact that this mascara has two brushes is a big win for me. I wanted more separation and length than volume for this particular look, so I opted to use the curved silicone brush, which gave me tons of control and light definition, I’ll use the fluffier brush when I want tons of volume I also liked that I had no flakes or clumps and that this mascara comes in washable and waterproof formulas.” — Jahn
“I’m a huge fan of this look because I’m obviously obsessed with the sparkle! I’m so glad it’s having a moment again. I’ve been doing it forever, even when it wasn’t really a trend, and I I swear it’s the key to brightening up your face and giving your look an eye-catching glow with minimal effort.And it doesn’t have to look tacky!I think for a long time , people thought glitter was juvenile, but when done right, it actually has the opposite effect. I never get more compliments than when I have a little sparkle on my eyes or lips. Try it put it in a neutral shade like I did if you want something that won’t be too loud.” — Jahn
