Nostalgia works. There’s tons of scientific explanations and case studies that could explain why nostalgia works, but you aren’t here for that. You probably clicked onto this article because you’ve got that one friend who loves everything to do with TV and movies, and can pretty much understand every single pop culture reference on the internet, but what do you get her? A shirt with some 90s gadget or famous movie poster? That’s just way too clichéd.
If you’ve got a gal friend and you’re stuck on what would make a good gift, why not get her some really cool pop culture and 90s inspired makeup? Not only are these beauty items super useful, they also make really cute additions to her makeup shelf. You’re welcome.
1. shu uemura Ultime8 Sublime Beauty Cleansing Oil [Super Mario Brothers Edition], $65/ 150 ml, $165/ 450ml, available at all shu uemura boutiques and counters
Who says you can’t love makeup and games? shu uemura’s best-selling cleansing oil gets a limited holiday edition update with the quirky world of Super Mario in all of its 8bit goodness. Even when you’ve finished using all the product, the bottle will a pretty keepsake for your top shelf.
2. TheFaceShop Marvel Anti-Darkening Cushion, $41.40, available on kcollectionk.com
Cushion compacts are all the rage this year, and this limited edition Captain America inspired cushion is probably the one compact that we cannot resist just because of the packaging itself. You can now carry around your own little mini Captain America shield wherever you go. Even the little ribbon strap on the cushion applicator has the Marvel logo printed on it – a lot of thought went into every detail!
3. 3CE Drawing Lip Pen Kit, US$117, available on stylenanda.com
Literally colour in your lips with these lippies that look exactly like those colour pencils that had a permanent spot at your desk when you were a kid. With 12 different shades, you’ll be able to create tons of different looks with gradients and fine lines. If you have any young ones living with you, you might want to keep these pencils out of the way for fear of having them mistaken as colour pencils!
4. Wonder Woman Face Brush Set, US$95, available on luxiebeauty.com
One of the better DC movies in the series in the DC Extended Universe, Wonder Woman was the saving grace for this year’s blockbuster movies. In memory of Gal Gadot, use this set of luxurious brushes designed to help you seamlessly blend out your makeup whilst harnessing your inner Wonder Woman. With 5 different brushes as soft as a baby’s butt and a compact mirror inspired by Wonder Woman’s shield, here’s another way of showing your love for the superhero.
5. Storybook Cosmetics x Mean Girls Burn Book Storybook Palette, US$55, available at storybookcosmetics.com
The only Burn Book that’s acceptable for you to own. Featuring 12 absolutely fetch eyeshadow colours named after 12 classic quotes from the cult 2004 movie, Mean Girls, this eyeshadow palette is a collectible that every Regina George wannabe would love to own. Just remember that every Wednesday we wear pink – but with 3 shades of pink in the palette, you can wear pink everyday too!
6. Limecrime Hi-Lite Electric Highlighter Palette Unicorns, US$38, available at limecrime.com
Unicorns is all the rage this year – maybe because they remind us of those times when we were obsessed with dragons, unicorns and everything mythical. Limecrime’s electric highlighter palette comes with three colours; an electric pink, a sparkling green and a mauve-gold shift that turns you into the ultimate unicorn queen. Or if unicorns are lil’ too extra, just tell yourself you look like a goddess.
7. ColourPop X My Little Pony Palette, US$16, available at colourpop.com
Here’s another one for the little girls in our hearts. My Little Pony released a movie earlier this year, which means we weren’t surprised to see all the super adorable MLP merch pop up. Colourpop has put together a whole collection of makeup items, but the palette which features 12 colourful shades was the one that really stole our hearts. Each of the colours are named after the ponies personalities and cutie marks, and you’ve got quite a pretty varied range of colours from shimmers to mattes.
8. Xyrena’s Basic B*tch – Extrait de Parfum, US$52, available at Xyrena.com
It sounds like a disaster, but it certainly did pique your interest. This Basic B*tch perfume is a cacophony of smells from things that remind of you of a (duh) basic b*tch. Immediately some things will spring to mind – pumpkin spice latte, artisans bagels, pages from a worn-out Nicholas Sparks paperback, nail lacquer, freshly cut grass from Coachella… This unisex perfume is the last thing you need to complete your basic starter kit. Yes, basic guys can douse themselves in this perfume (we bet someone just came to mind)!
9. Mrs Potts & Chip Lip Balm Duo, £7.99. Available online at madbeauty.com and firebox.com.
Keep your beastly chapped lips looking magically moist with this lip balm duo inspired by the classic Disney movie, Beauty and the Beast. The lip pots are clutch-sized, and they’ll easily fit into your clutch or your pocket so that you can keep your puckers looking luscious all day long. Mrs Potts contains strawberry-flavoured lip-gloss, while Chip is grape-flavoured. The seriously cute miniatures will give your vanity table some much-needed Disney vibes.
10. LimeCrime Pocket Candy Palette in Sugar Plum, US$34, available at limecrime.com
We used to play house with Polly Pocket and her portable house, now that we’re grown up, we play with makeup. The little case comes in a compact inspired by the 90s toys that fits right in your, well, pocket. The Sugar Plum palette is full of pink, purple, brown and purples eyeshadows that you can use as you are prepping for work, thinking about the days you spent playing with Polly.
11. Storybook Cosmetics x Charlie And The Chocolate Factory Storybook Palette, US$55, available at storybookcosmetics.com
Charlie And The Chocolate Factory was one of the absolute classics from Roald Dahl. It was everything you could ever want in a book – there was that hopeful kid who’s biggest wishes and dreams came true, the ultimate foodie heaven that every child would love, and a little bit of horror to scare you. This palette contains 12 different shades inspired by the main characters and delicious candies that you can only find in Willy Wonka’s famed factory, and has a muted scent of chocolate. Who knew that we would put an eyeshadow palette that smells like chocolate on our Christmas wish list?
12. Etude House Be My Universe Multi-Palette Golden Galaxy, $25.90, available at all Etude House outlets and online at etudehouse.com
When you were younger, you probably would have been fascinated by the stars and galaxies. We didn’t have loads of gadgets and entertainment options as the kids today, so star gazing was more common. This palette from Etude House brings you out of this world with their sparkly hues and planet motifs. Just like the star, your eyes will sparkle throughout the entire day and night. The sky’s the limit when it comes to makeup, it seems.
13. Clarins 4 Colour All In One Pen, $48, available at all Clarins counters and online at clarins.com.sg
Remember those 4-in-1 pens that comes in blue, black, red and green colours for school? You were basically worshipped if you managed to find one that had more than 4 colours. We loved the convenience of these huge pens – there was no such thing as forgetting a pen. Clarins has come up with a 4 colour make up pen that comes with three eye colours and one lip liner colour that exudes those old school vibes. Ain’t nobody has space in their makeup pouch for too many liners!
More of NYLON’s Ultimate Beauty Gift Guides, coming soon — stay tuned! Click here to see our full list of beauty gift guides, and here for our ultimate holiday gift guides.
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