We’ve all heard of the #FBF trend where you share an old pic of yourself on the ‘Gram and say “How was this 10 years ago?!” or “OMG where were my brows?!”. So today, instead of sharing cringy old pics of myself, I thought I’d take a trip down memory lane and show you some of the makeup which I used to spend my Saturday job money on.

St. Michael Eyeshadow Tins

The very first makeup items I remember owning were 2 St Michael (aka M&S) tin palettes. One was a classic 80s blue toned eyeshadow palette and the other was a glossy lipstick palette. They were both hand-me-downs from my older sister. I couldn’t find pictures of the exact palettes but you get the idea from the pics above. I was obsessed with a blue eyeshadow look and I remember my Dad making me take the eyeshadow off before going to school on more than one occasion!

Maybelline Great Lash Mascara

Everyone owned this mascara didn’t they? It used to give me the clumpiest, chunkiest eyelashes ever but it was my thing. Mascara was the first makeup item I really felt like I needed. I felt like it made such a difference to my appearance, and I genuinely feel the same now. I’ve always said if I could only use one makeup item for the rest of my life it’d be mascara.

Maybelline Dream Matte Mousse Foundation

Sticking with Maybelline – the first proper foundation I remember using was the Dream Matte Mousse which came in a little round pot. I just used to dig my finger in there and apply it with my hands. I can literally still feel the way it applied, like really dry and almost powdery. I’ve always had oily skin and somehow this still made my skin look and feel dry! I can’t remember the shade but I’m pretty sure it was more cool toned than I should have been wearing and probably too orange giving me that lovely mask around my jawline!

Collection 2000 Eyeshadow Trio

When I graduated from blue eyeshadow, my go to look (and the one that made me think I was the queen of eyeshadow) was using the Collection 2000 eyeshadow trio palettes, specifically the black, white and silver one. This look consisted of a black outer corner ombre-ing to silver over the lid and then to the white on my inner corner. I honestly felt so chic with this badger-inspired look. I had maybe one eyeshadow brush in my collection so it was all done with that – oh, and there was NO blending *shudder*.

The Body Shop Bronzing Pearls

So as if my face wasn’t orange enough with the Dream Matte Mousse, I then used to cover my face with bronzer. I’d get a kabuki brush and swirl it around in The Body Shop’s bronzing pearls and wouldn’t stop until I looked like a 2p coin.

Lancome Cils Booster XL

As I mentioned, lashes were my thing. So when a friend told me about this ‘white mascara’ which you apply before your Maybelline Great Lash mascara to get the fattest, clumpiest lashes you could only dream of, I saved up my pocket money and headed to Boots. This was definitely a luxury purchase for me back in the day but it was incredible. I genuinely still have a tube in my drawer now which I bought after feeling particularly nostalgic one day. This came out before all the double ended mascaras with the primer on one end and black mascara on the other. And definitely before things like Younique and other brush on fibres. I’m standing by this one as a classic from my collection!

L’Oreal Glam Shine Lip Gloss

The only lip product I used to wear was a sticky, glittery lip gloss and my absolute favourite was the L’Oreal Glam Shine. I remember having a bright pink, an orange and I feel like I had a green / blue minty one! When this used to come out of the clutch on a night out, everyone would want to borrow it!

Hard Candy Nail Polish

The very last thing I wanted to remind you all of are the Hard Candy nail polishes with the gummy ring on the lid. I distinctly remember having a pastel yellow one with a fluorescent flower shaped ring which I would proudly wear on my thumb and feel like a Spice Girl. The Hard Candy line seemed to just disappear into obscurity but they were so iconic at the time. I reckon if they were to come back, they’d make a killing – especially with all the 90s throwbacks at the minute.

It’s at this point I should share some truly AWFUL flashback photos but I genuinely can’t find any that really show you the extent of my makeup artistry. But I promise, if I find any, they’ll be posted on my Instagram so make sure to follow me there so you don’t miss out!

I hope you enjoyed this trip down memory lane. I’d love to hear what your fave products were back in the day so drop me a comment below to share.

Thank you so much for reading…