Cher Horowitz Hair

Who hasn't tried to flat iron, volumize, and tousle their hair into Cher Horowitz/Alicia Silverstone perfection? (Extra points if you have lived-in blonde highlights that look like they actually came from the California sun.)

Braids and Curls

Brandy wore these tiny braids finished with loose curls in 1997, but they wouldn't look a day out of place here in 2021. The same goes for the frosty lipstick and multidimensional eyeshadow.

The Rachel

There was no escaping The Rachel haircut if you had thick, mostly straight hair. Dubbed after Jennifer Aniston's lovable Friends character, it taught women everywhere the meaning of "face-framing layers."

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Baby Bangs

Above-the-brow micro bangs were a cool girl staple, and the more DIY and lived in they looked, the better.

Undone Curls

One look at a Mariah Carey album cover had fans rushing to embrace their natural curls. The global superstar's hair set out a quest, should you choose to accept it: the style was perfectly undone, glossy with product but not oversaturated, and volumized without being weighed down.

Off-Duty Model

Off-duty supermodel hair was iconic in its own right—bouncy, curled or straight, with a glossy sheen that looked like it was lit from within.

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Finger-Raked Bob

Leave it to Winona Ryder to casually step out in 1990 with this finger-raked bob that, currently, sits in 1,000 moodboards across the internet.

Chunky Highlights

It's tough to find any Lil' Kim hairstyle that hasn't been echoed today, though we have to give the Most '90s Award to this blonde look with chunky pink highlights. (Or is it pink with blonde highlights?)

Tiny Waves

Crimped or not, small waves made a big splash in those years. Some were looser and more beachy, while others had that uniform, heat tool look that was everywhere.

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The Pixie

The '90s pixie cut combined two important hair factors: tiny bangs and loose, woke-up-like-this texture.

Madge Maril is a writer, editor, and creative covering beauty at Harper's Bazaar and The Zoe Report. She received a BFA in Electronic Media and a Certificate in Creative Writing through University of Cincinnati's College-Conservatory of Music. You can find her on Instagram at @madgemaril, or in real life somewhere in a thrift store.

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