The 1990s were an era of pop culture phenomena, from the rise of boy bands to the fixation with grunge fashion and the world’s obsession with caring for some sort of toy or digital creature (Furby, anyone?). But let’s not forget the beauty scene, where trends were as diverse as the music playing on your Walkman. Yes, we can still recite – word for word – Scary Spice’s rap in Wannabe. And proudly so.
The 90s were a period of sartorial experimentation, grunge-inspired aesthetics and an explosion of vibrant and unconventional makeup trends. From the iconic supermodels who graced the runways and the iconic music videos that captured the essence of the era to plaid skirts, crop tops, butterfly clips and frosted lips, it was all about self-expression and breaking the beauty rules. Which is exactly what Huda Kattan wants you to do with her new Huda Beauty Pretty Grunge makeup collection, complete with black lip gloss, a high-shine face gloss and a daring dark eyeshadow palette of dreams. Think goth-girl grunge, but with a glammed-up twist. This is Huda we’re talking about, after all.
Here, Kattan exclusively reveals the collection, shares her application secrets and reveals why, now more than ever, makeup holds so much power. Listen in.
GRAZIA: We’re dying to know – what did Huda Kattan look like in the 90s?
Huda Kattan: I never actually rocked the thin brows or stripy hair trends! My eyebrows were a little thinner than now, but still very similar; my hair was my statement piece. I had very big dark hair. I couldn’t resist a little touch of rebellion, so at age 17, I threw in some red streaks, but I never experimented with full-on strands. I was a typical 90s girl: white jeans, jean jackets, wedges, all the bling, oversized sunglasses, big hair and always a glossy lip. I’m nostalgic just thinking about it.
GRAZIA: You’re known for your high-glam looks, what made you want to create a grunge-inspired collection?
Huda Kattan: Since the 90s had a resurgence in fashion, I’ve been obsessed with grunge. Its iconic aesthetic has a laid-back, rebellious attitude about expressing yourself unapologetically and embracing your true, unfiltered self – no conforming to the norm here. I’m a glam girl, though, so any grunge collection for Huda Beauty was bound to have a twist, and that’s how we created Pretty Grunge, its glamour-infused grunge. You can choose to be glam, grunge, or both – it’s a celebration of individuality, and that’s what makes this collection truly special.
GRAZIA: How would you use the collection to create a more natural grunge look?
Huda Kattan: The beauty of this collection is that it’s incredibly versatile to create a more subtle grunge vibe. Our iconic Liquid Matte Lipsticks come in shades of nude and black, so using the nude shades would add more of a natural vibe to the aesthetic. The Face Blush Gloss gives a beautiful reflective glow to the skin with a subtle pop of colour for a natural glow. The shades of the eyeshadow palette vary from warm and cool neutral tones to deep glossy black, multi-chromatic and glitters to achieve a range of looks with this one palette.
To create an effortlessly natural grungy eye, I’d recommend starting with a classic smoked-out liner to capture a grungy attitude while keeping things relatively subtle. Begin by applying a shade from the palette closest to your skin tone on your lid. You could go with ‘Heroine,’ ‘Luv Anarchy,’ or ‘Brave,’ depending on your skin tone. Then, use a slightly darker brown shade to define your crease, paying extra attention to the natural dip in your crease bone. Next, take the same darker shade and use it to smoke out your lash line, including your lower lashes. Don’t hold back – really blend it out. To add that grungy depth, use ‘Grunge,’ our creamy black, to blend into the lash line, creating a seamless transition between the black and brown, and set it with ‘Renegade’.
GRAZIA: And what about a full-on glammed-up grunge look?
Huda Kattan: I love a double-liner look with this palette, but you can never go wrong with a smoky eye! Start with ‘Grunge’ as the base– this black gloss sets the tone for the whole look. Then, add transition shades in the crease – always begin with the lighter shades and gradually build up the intensity. Choose your transition shades based on your skin tone – for me, ‘Brave’ and ‘Liberty’ are my go-tos.
Now, here’s where it gets bold: add ‘Renegade’ to the entire lid, then use ‘Nirvana’ or ‘Fearless’ to seamlessly blend the dark lid into the transition shades. The key to nailing grunge is to blend, blend, blend! Add ‘Fearless’ and ‘Renegade’ to your lower lash line to bring the look together.
If you want a more glam-grunge look, add ‘Rebelle’ or ‘Maverick’ to the inner corner – to open the eyes and add a glistening effect.
GRAZIA: The power of beauty is undeniable. Why do you think, now more than ever, that beauty can do so much more than just elevate someone’s look?
Huda Kattan: Absolutely, the power of beauty is undeniable. Beauty isn’t about what we see on the surface; it’s what comes from within; it’s a means of expressing and embracing our uniqueness, diversity, and strength. The transformation happening in the beauty industry is incredible. Beauty used to have social confines and promoted certain beauty ideals, but now it’s evolving into something much more profound; it’s more individualistic and authentic. We’re breaking down these rigid standards and making our own. When Huda Beauty started on social platforms, my goal was to create a safe space where everyone in the community could be true to themselves, as to me, beauty is about self-expression and self-love. We’re all on a journey of self-acceptance, and beauty helps us throughout that.
Shop the full collection, here.
