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I'm no anthropologist, but I have a theory that people are drawn to the style and beauty trends of the era they were born into. I, for example, love the silhouettes and hairstyles of the late ‘70s (shoutout to my fellow xennials), and it seems Keke Palmer harbors a whole lot of enthusiasm for the mid- to late-’90s. She was barely out of diapers when beauty trends started to get sparkly, fanciful, and downright cartoonish, which may explain why she's taking the opportunity to live out those looks right now.
Palmer may be in her pixie cut era, but that doesn't mean she's against having a little (or a lot of) fun with long-haired looks like the one she sported on Monday. She was spotted in New York City, exiting a building in SoHo, but it looked more like she was stepping out of a 1998 girl group video. We're talkin' Spice Girls meets B*Witched meets early Destiny's Child.
And sure, the embroidered, low-rise jeans, the cropped, satin shirt, and the ring chain bracelet all recall the late ‘90s, but it’s her beauty details that really serve as an aesthetic time machine.
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Starting with a base of cornrows, Palmer's hair blooms into two fun, messy space buns full of swoops, teasing, and a smattering of crystal clips. As if that weren't ‘90s enough, she’s also wearing two picture-perfect, long, curly tendrils.
Photo: Getty Images
Palmer's makeup is also serving so much nostalgia with lip gloss, blush, and shimmering eye shadow that match her fuchsia top. Even her brows are on the skinny side right now. (As someone who was in my late teens in the late '90s, this is both sentimental and triggering to me.)
She manages to look fully like a bona fide ‘90s girl without looking like she’s going to a '90s-themed costume party—the perfect way to wear the vibes of the era without overdoing it.
