Yes, it’s true, life was so much easier in our younger years. No bills, no 3000 word essays and no getting blackout drunk and finding photos of yourself asleep in a bath on Facebook the next day (thanks, friends). But best of all, no forty billion step makeup routine to struggle through before allowing yourself out for the night. We definitely lived in a simpler time before the creation of BB creams, contour kits and HD brows. So forget about the cult products of today and start thinking about reintroducing these noughties classics into your makeup bag, then we can all go back to being thirteen without a (real) care in the world… If, like me, you knew you weren’t one of the Mischa Barton’s or Lauren Conrad’s of the world, you probably had a girl crush on a teen idol with a bit more edge.
For those of us who were more Avril Lavigne and Kelly Clarkson, there was Benefit Bad Gal eyeliner. Before you had even heard about blending and smudging, it was perfectly fine to circle a thick line of black around your eye and pop off out to find a sk8er boi. You might have accidentally made your eye shape resemble that of a five pence piece, but it was the simplest smoky eye in the world. I suggest we forget about trying to highlight our cheekbones, brow bones and cupid’s bows and just revert back to using stick-on gems to make us shine. In true Mean Girls style, adorning your face with tiny stickers was sure to make your twelve year old equivalent of Aaron Samuels fall in love on the spot. Stick them on the inner and outer corners of your eye, use them as a makeshift beauty spot or a temporary nose stud - just remember not to copy Karen’s backwards K.
If Paris Hilton taught us anything, it was that it was NOT okay to be pale in the 2000s. If you were one of the lucky ones with laid-back parents, you were probably allowed to buy a bottle of Rimmel Sunshimmer Instant with that weeks pocket money so you could start preparing yourself for Beverly Hills. Although tanning is not the easiest of tasks, it used to be completely acceptable to only tan your legs and walk around on two wotsits wearing a denim mini-skirt. It took less time, and the bottle lasted so much longer. Lastly, why bother paying extortionate amounts for a high-end perfume from Chanel when you could spritz yourself with a trusty bottle of Charlie Red and smell just as good? Well maybe not as good but, you know, you could smell alright. Then with the spare cash you could buy more essentials such as blue mascara, body glitter and icy lipgloss. It’s a win-win situation! So if reading this has made you nostalgic for the good old days, let’s boycott Space NK and I’ll meet you in Claire’s.