C‘it was a moment, between the late 90s and early 2000sin which “fighting vampires” was synonymous with beauty. Today, almost thirty years later, Buffy the Vampire Slayer it is not just a cult series but an “archive” of beauty inspirations that Gen Z is rediscovering and replicating with surprising fidelity. An aesthetic that seemed archived resurfaces on TikTok, with beauty looks and hair accessories that come back from memories: hair worked with evident textures, metallic lips, pop hair accessories and zigzag stripes. But more than a simple nostalgia, it is a contemporary reinterpretation. Softer, more aware, but with the same attitude.
Buffy the Vampire Slayer: 90s beauty style is back in trend
It was 1997 and on Italia Uno, Buffy the Vampire Slayer it was among the most loved and followed television series by an entire generation, the Millennials. Buffy Summers was not only the prettiest girl in Sunnydale high school but she was also the “chosen one”, that is, the one who had the task of protecting the world from demons. A perfect blend of magic, teen drama, soft horror and style to spare.
Almost thirty years later, the cult series is still talked about. Not only for the recent (and sad news) of both the death of Nicholas Brendon, famous for his role as Xander Harris, at the age of 54, and for the cancellation of reboot of the series, but above all for the iconic style that is still trendy today. The reason? Not just aesthetic, but cultural.
Hailey Bieber (left) and Bella Hadid (right), Buffy-style 90s beauty look (@buffytheoutfitslayer IG)
In Buffyeach look was an extension of the character: Willow’s shyness, Cordelia’s ambition, Faith’s rebellion. In an era in which faces on social media tend to look alike, this uniqueness of style fascinates again. Then there is the nostalgia effect, even for those who did not live through those years.
A pre-social imaginary, where imperfection was not a flaw to be corrected but an integral part of style and where the aesthetic language was less filtered and freer.
The return of clothespins and pop aesthetics
Buffy the Vampire Slayer she was a true beauty icon: she never went out without a detail in her hair.
Butterfly clips, bandanas, colored clips and headbands: in each episode her honey blonde hair was styled following the trends of the moment. Today, those small style details have gone viral again precisely because of their cheerful, carefree and joyful appearance.
It was Gen Z who appreciated them and obviously brought them back into hype, wearing them with irony, of course, but also with a certain aesthetic fidelity. They break up minimal looks, add a playful touch, and above all they tell a personality. Just like they did back then.
Extra dark lips like Faith: the return of brown lipstick
If Buffy represented the light, Faith – her nemesis – embodied the shadow. And her beauty look declared it bluntly: deep lipsticks, between burgundy and brown, outlined a harder, more adult aesthetic.
Today that color palette returns, reinterpreted: defined lips with dark lip liner and gloss, natural complexion, a balance between intensity and freshness. The result is a make-up that communicates confidence without appearing constructed.
90s hair: from frisé to flippy bob
Even the hair told the story of the personalities. Cordelia, with her almost theatrical volume, carried the frisé effect to the extreme, as Willow went through more subtle visual transformations, between bob with upturned tips and soft textures. The character of Tara, on the other hand, sported a perfect zigzag line.
From left the character of Buffy played by Sarah Michelle Gellar, Willow and Tara. (Via Instagram)
Today, these hairlooks are back among contemporary trends: on the one hand the return of worked waves, wider and less artificial than in the 90s, on the other the revival of the flippy bobone of the most requested cuts, capable of giving character to even the simplest lengths.
Buffy’s make up: thin eyebrows, pastel eyeshadows and gloss
If there is land on which Buffy the Vampire Slayer continues to speak very clearly to Gen Z, it’s about make-up.
The thin eyebrows, perhaps the most iconic and controversial detail of the 90s, they are taken up with caution: the bow becomes thinner, but remains softer and more natural, wearable, more a citation than a replica.
The eyes return to their eyes pastel eyeshadows, from lilac to light blue to cold pink, nuanced and light, they no longer have the compact and saturated effect of the past, but become luminous, almost transparent veils that give light without weighing them down. Even the way of applying make-up to the skin changes: abandoning the mask effect and rediscovering a diffused, almost spontaneous luminosity.
To complete everything there are the lips, illuminated with gloss. In Buffy the glossy finish was a certainty: transparent, pink, amber reflections, often combined with soft eye makeup and a light base. And this is perhaps one of the most clearly trendy elements. Today Gen Z rediscovers them in a more versatile way, alone for a natural effect or over a brown pencil for a more defined and 90s result.
The overall result is a make up that seems simple, but is actually very precise in building an imagination: glowing skin, sorbet-toned eyes, lightened eyebrows and shiny lips. A balance that is current again today because it combines nostalgia and lightness, without seeming like a disguise.
