13 Nostalgic Beauty Products We’re Still Saying ‘That’s Hot’ To

Best for: A post-romp flush

Launched in 1999, the peachy pink Nars Orgasm blush ruled the early 2010s and was, for many of us, our first luxury blush purchase. Celebrities from Kim Kardashian to Meghan Markle and Rosie Huntington-Whitely have gone on the record as fans, and it’s still a staple in many of our routines. What makes it special? The flicker of gold that runs through it adds a subtle shimmer to the cheeks. It’s remained a best-seller for the Nars brand since, with one being sold every 20 seconds. It was recently reformulated (along with the other blushes in the iconic Nars range) for a silkier 2024 texture.

Best for: A classic nude

Way before Charlotte Tilbury’s “Pillow Talk,” there was MAC’s “Velvet Teddy.” Described as a “warm-toned light brown with a matte finish,” Velvet Teddy was a go-to nude in the 2010s and still sits in our makeup bags.

Available at:

• $40.00 from Adore Beauty
• $40.00 from MAC

Best for: romantic looks

The product that knocked Naked 1 off its perch and started the craze for red and pink-toned eye makeup, the Modern Renaissance Palette, is still a beautifully warm-toned and romantic collection of shadows. This writer longs for Tempura, the ultimate silky and brightening base shadow for pale girls, to come out as a standalone. While we’re now more inclined to wear the bold shadows as liners, Euphoria-style, it’s a palette that’s stood the test of time.

Available at:

• $89.00 from Sephora

Best for: all-over warmth

The Too Faced “Chocolate” collection ruled the 2010s, bringing beautiful neutrals to our faces with a waft of chocolate thanks to an infusion of 100 percent cocoa powder. Easy, breezy, and blendable, this buttery bronzer is still a hot favourite. We love that it now comes in Milk Chocolate Soleil for pale queens and Natural Chocolate Soleil for deeper skin tones.

Best for: Y2K princess endorsed

When Paris Hilton revealed in Confessions of an Heiress that MAC Lipglass in “Prrr” was her go-to lip colour, a generation of girls rushed to the counters and snapped it up. Perfect paired with Nars Orgasm Blush, the light coral with a frosted finish gave perfect, long-lasting shine. It’s sticky enough to last all day but not so sticky you’ll be tugging your hair out of it all day—it’s, to quote Goldilocks, “just right.”

Best for: Megawatt glow

The 2010s were all about highlighters you can see from space, and before there was Becca, Champagne Pop, there was the more affordable “Mary-Lou Manizer” from the playful pin-up-themed brand The Balm. With the right application, it will still add subtle glow, and can be packed on the eyes for shimmer.

Available at:

• $39.95 from Adore Beauty
• $33.11 from iHerb

Best for: Eyes, lips and cheeks

One of the first mainstream makeup brands created by an artist, Stila, released banger product after banger product. While we still reach for our Convertible Colours, it was the iconic minty swirls of One Step Correct that caught our attention when we first dipped our toes into makeup.

The silky serum-consistency primer soothes on application and tones down redness while brightening all over. The product itself is packed with antioxidants and hydrating ingredients to keep your complexion calm and hydrated all day long. Still one of the best primers on the market, in our humble opinion.

Best for: Full, matte coverage

In 2017 Rihanna launched Fenty Beauty, a brand that will go down as one of (if not the) most influential in history. The game-changing product was the Fenty, Pro Filt’r Soft Matte Longwear Foundation, which came in a then-groundbreaking 50 shades. Since then, other brands have simply been playing catchup. The product itself remains, in our opinion, one of the best full-coverage, long-wearing foundations on the market, and you’re bound to find your shade.

Best for: Longwear stain

Benefit ruled the 2010s with products like the Hula Bronzer, sadly discontinued colour correctors like “Lemonaid” and mascaras that are still our beauty heroes. In 2024, we’ve spotted one of the brand’s oldest hero products sneaking its way into It-girls purses and Balenciaga Motorcycle bags: the Benetint Lip & Cheek Tint. As lore has it, the product was created in 1976 to cater to the needs of dancers who wanted a long-lasting stain for cheeks, lips and nipples. Since then, it’s been the perfect long-lasting stain for those who want an orgasmic flush that will last all day. We love topping with a gloss, but use as you will.

Available At:

• $42.00 from Adore Beauty
• $42.00 from The Iconic
• $55.00 from Myer

Best for: Contouring

During the mid-2010s, contouring took over our brains thanks to Kim Kardashian and brands from Anastasia Beverly Hills to Makeup Forever and Fenty launched products that helped us chisel our cheekbones. These products typically sat with prestige brands but here in Australia, one hero cosmetics line took contouring to the masses.

The Australis On Tour Contour & Highlight palette was the best affordable contouring kit you could (struggle to – it was perpetually sold out) get your hands on. It came with three contouring shades, including a flawless cool toned number, and three brightening shades (one a matte brightening yellow, two pearly cream highlighters). While many of us learnt the hard way that contouring was best left to the professionals, it was a banger affordable product we’re happy to see you can still get your hands on.

Available at:

• $7.79 (usually $25.95) at Australis

Best for: Perfecting

We were all about “baking” during the 2010s. While we use a lighter hand now, the Laura Mercier Translucent Loose Setting Powder is still one of the best powders you can get for complexion longevity with blurring benefits. Even better? Like many products from the 2010s, the brand has extended its shade range,

Best for: Everything

There wasn’t a beauty YouTuber worth their money who didn’t wield a 217 during the 2010s. The brush is perfect, thanks to its domed and tapered shape. With this bad boy, you can pack on shadow, blend it out, and even set areas around the nose, mouth, and inner corner of the eyes.