Although they were highly on trend back in the day, with hindsight there are certain hairstyles and colouring techniques which should never have been sported by anyone. We take a closer look at 5 key 90’s trends that we’d rather forget about… For good.

A taste for two-tone colouring

A hair peculiarity that all (or almost all) celebrities fell in love with. It was considered tasteful to have a lighter colour on top and darker locks underneath. To reinforce this two-tone effect the hair on top was slightly layered to let the darker locks show through. Needless to say, the result was far from natural. When you think back to that platinum blond mixed with chocolate or mahogany dye combined with raven black, you will be happy to know that this trend is long gone and has been replaced by much subtler colouring techniques.

Face-framing strands

Essential for ponytails, mini buns, chignons and other nineties up-dos created with hair claws (preferably with messy locks), these two fine strands pulled out of our up-dos and falling either side of our faces were considered oh so trendy when it came to styling. Some people even went one step further by gelling the strands. However, we’re not entirely sure they would enhance today’s on-trend up-dos which are much more understated and glamorous.

The soap opera blow-dry

Commonly known as a “bouffant” due to its height and shape, this XXL volume blow-dry with extreme amounts of hairspray was the prerogative of any actress in “The Young and the Restless”, “Santa Barbara” or “The Bold and the Beautiful”. Women loved copying these looks by religiously backcombing and applying endless squirts of hairspray, for a look that was as stiff as a board to say the least. A far cry from the blow-drying techniques of today. Now we have elegant straightening, floaty blow-dried looks and relaxed curls – to our sheer delight!

Up-dos with a scrunchie

A flagship accessory of the 90’s, the scrunchie is one of those hairstyling choices that you would rather never have made (at least in public). Practical and neat for creating a chignon, a ponytail or bunches, it was in your face, colourful and often matched your outfit. Although scrunchies tried to make a comeback on the catwalks in 2013, this accessory still hasn’t managed to win us over. And with good reason: we prefer more understated up-dos created with simple, even transparent hairbands so that they go totally unnoticed in your hair.

Contrasting streaks

Although highlights are still an important colouring technique, those from the 90s will never come back in fashion (well at least we hope not!). Back then, streaks were put in to create a distinct demarcation in your hair, preferably in a colour starkly contrasting with your base shade. Nothing like today’s pretty blended-in highlights which subtly light up your locks.