Photos Of Young Sarah Michelle Gellar Give Us Serious Nostalgia For '90s Makeup

The '90s are held in nostalgic reverence. After all, this was the era of genre-defining music, fashion movements that went on to stand the test of time, and beauty trends that have gone down in history. The biggest stars of the decade set the tone with makeup moves that would become staples, from grungy brown-toned lips to shiny metallic eyeshadow. And who better to look to as one of our beloved '90s it-girls, whose finger was on the pulse of pop culture at the time, than Sarah Michelle Gellar.

Known for cult classics like the slasher film "I Know What You Did Last Summer" and the dark fantasy series "Buffy the Vampire Slayer," Gellar was a '90s poster girl in every sense. Appearing at many important red carpets and parties toward the end of the decade, Gellar was all over '90s makeup. Looking at throwback photos of the star transports us back to a time when black liner was applied in thick swipes, right on the waterline, and contouring was a photography technique. She also wore some of the most iconic hairstyles of the '90s (which you can easily recreate with our tips), but her beauty looks deserve an article all their own. From her frosted eyes and lips to her ability to slay in bright, beachy coral tones, the "Cruel Intentions" alum served several '90s makeup trends that we hope make a comeback in the near future. 

When we look back at Sarah Michelle Gellar at the Los Angeles premiere of "The House of Yes" in 1997, we're hit with an uncontrollable yearning for the '90s and its wonderful trends. This was the era of both dark-toned lips and dark lip liners, often matched with lighter pinks. Gellar expertly demonstrated this along with a few other classics of the decade. She had a '90s version of a smokey eye: cool, brown, and shimmery. She also went with dramatic black liner, as well as barely there skin coverage.

We love a 2020s dewy finish, but sometimes, it's nice to reminisce on the days of yore, when velvet coverage was the go. At the premiere of "I Know What You Did Last Summer" in 1997, Sarah Michelle Gellar looked very matte and velvety in her foundation and blush (even if there was a bit too much highlight powder going on), which is something you just don't see often today. The deeper pink lips, mascara on the top and bottom lashes, simple brows, and basic shimmery shadow made this look so 1990s.

Tightlining is an eyeliner technique still used today (it's the best move for hooded eyes), but since it can make your eyes look smaller, many makeup gurus approach it with caution. There was no such thinking in the '90s, when stars like Sarah Michelle Gellar took to their inner lids liberally with black and brown liner. At the "Scream 2" premiere in 1997, Gellar teamed her lined eyes with neutral lips, basic brows, no-fuss blush, and a touch of glittery bronze eyeshadow. These minimal applications saved the dramatic liner from overwhelming her look. 

The 1990s was certainly a decade where the frosted look reigned supreme. Many celebrities went with a metallic-leaning finish on their eyes, but at the Blockbuster Entertainment Awards in 1998, Sarah Michelle Gellar took the frosted effect to her lips. This remains one of our most missed '90s trends, especially when the silvery vibe was paired with neutral tones. Again, Gellar also turned to a tightlining technique for this look, along with what looks like a very subtle eyeliner wing. Here, she's more shiny than velvety in her coverage, which totally works.

If the crimped updo doesn't give away what decade this photo was taken in, perhaps the color palette will. The year was 1998, the scene was the Video Music Awards, and Sarah Michelle Gellar was yet to discover the minimalism that dominated makeup trends in the 2020s. Between the shiny coral lipstick, the heavy liner, and the white shimmer around her eyes, this bubbly look couldn't have come about in any other era. Though this is a fun and bold makeup style, notice that the blush and coverage are still quite natural — a '90s hallmark.

Sarah Michelle Gellar can pull off a range of lip colors. Frequently throughout the '90s, she opted for slightly darker pinks, as she did at the Elton John AIDS Foundation Party in 1999. Gellar's lipstick had warm-brown tones, standing out against her frosted silver eyeshadow. This time, she went lighter on the liner, at least on her bottom lids, and this, combined with the lighter eyeshadow and shimmery pops, was genius. Applying lighter eyeshadow in the inner corners is a known makeup hack to make your eyes look bigger. 

In many ways, '90s makeup was simpler than today's standards, but at the VH-1 Divas Live concert in 1999, Sarah Michelle Gellar went with a layering method to achieve her killer smokey eyes. There was black around the outer corners, almost creating a siren silhouette, while her bottom lids were dusted with a bluish silver. The same glittery shade was used directly on top of her lids and in her inner corners, and this, paired with black liner and mascara, made for the perfect '90s dramatic eye.

While fashion trends in the '90s leaned minimal, makeup could sometimes come out Broadway-coded. Sarah Michelle Gellar ended up resembling a star of the stage at the "Simply Irresistible" premiere in 1999, but we love that she combined two of the decade's biggest crazes: frosted silver eyeshadow and deep-pink lips. Another classic '90s technique used here was the blush placement, which was firmly in the apple of the cheeks rather than higher above the cheekbone. Frosted lipstick is the perfect '90s comeback trend for a glitter girl summer, but shiny eyes work just as well.

Ah, '90s beach parties. The vibe was carefree, the hair was wavy, and the lips were glossy. While this aesthetic might not land today, we will forever appreciate Sarah Michelle Gellar for freezing this look in time when she attended the "Cruel Intentions" premiere in 1999. It wasn't quite a beach party, but she had the shimmery gold shadow, the dramatic mascara, and the filled-in blond brows to create the mood anyway. To bring this look into the 21st century, recreate it with dazzling gold highlighter. 

When she wasn't going the frosted route, Sarah Michelle Gellar often stuck to a natural beauty look in the '90s. At the time, this meant colors and tones that matched her skin and were as neutral as possible. Even on the red carpet at the Teen Choice Awards in 1999, Gellar managed to slay without cakey coverage. Instead, she went for minimal sheer foundation (if any) and a natural rosy blush placement that created a carefree energy. Natural glossy lips and the slightest bit of shimmer on her eyes perfected this easy-breezy look.