About This Quiz
They say beauty is eternal, which we believe to be true. Unfortunately (and often amusingly), the same cannot be said for some beauty products, which become questionable (and are often discontinued) after some time has passed. Remember banana clips, for example? Or Lee Press-On Nails? We rest our case.
This is not true of every beauty product, however — some stand the test of time and achieve cult-classic status, while others are updated and reformulated to appeal to a more modern audience. There are also those that get discontinued due to poor sales but are brought back by the protests of adoring and addicted fans. If you've ever had one of your beloved lipsticks or face masks suddenly bite the dust, you know how devastating this can be.
Now it's time to test your throwback beauty IQ. How much do you remember about the hair, makeup and skincare products that have come and gone over the years? Are there any old-school lipsticks, skin creams or styling sprays that you wish would make a comeback? This quiz will test your knowledge of all kinds of old-school beauty products, from the truly memorable to the most obscure. Do you have what it takes to identify them all?
Sun-in contains a mix of hydrogen peroxide and lemon juice that lightens hair when exposed to the sun. When it was first introduced more than 30 years ago, it was the only product of its kind. Today, numerous hair care brands have jumped on the lightening spray bandwagon, including John Frieda and Klorane.
The Noxzema formula was first introduced in the early 1900s and marketed as a remedy for sunburn. When the product proved useful for a variety of skin concerns, such as cleansing and eczema, it was rebranded as a "medicated skin cream."
Featuring mirrors and removable swing-out trays, these portable, pastel-hued train cases were the ultimate beauty product organizers. They became so popular with early '90s tweens, Mattel even released a Caboodles Barbie that came with her own mini case.
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Aqua Net became extremely popular in the 1960s due to the enormous bouffant hairstyles that defined the decade. The brand had a resurgence of recognition in the 1980s thanks to the rise of heavy metal hair bands.
When you wanted to create a gravity-defying hairstyle in the 1980s, you grabbed a can of Dep, which featured packaging so on-trend for the decade it also became a decoration for your dresser.
According to Clinique, a bottle of this skin-quenching moisture lotion is sold every 4.87 seconds. In 2013, the formula was updated for the first time in 45 years to offer double the hydration benefits.
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The Mason Pearson's scalp-stimulating design has changed very little since it was first created in 1885. In addition to its patented rubber pad, the brush features a hole at the top to let air flow in, allowing the bristles to flex with the cushion for a soft, snag-free pull.
Founded by a beauty supply house salesman named Richard Estrin, the Queen Helene brand now makes more than 90 different beauty products, including body lotions, deodorants, hot oils and foot scrubs.
Before Hard Candy, it was nearly impossible to find nail polish in showy, vibrant colors like green, purple and silver. The best part? Each bottle came with a cute plastic ring in a matching shade.
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Launched in 1974, this flowery fragrance featured a number of memorable ad slogans over the years, including "Underneath it all, she's Baby Soft" and "Innocence is sexier than you think." Sold by Dana Fragrances, the scent is still available today.
Zig-zagged crimped hairstyles gained peak popularity in the mid-to-late 1980s. Surprisingly, the questionable style experienced a bit of a rebirth in the late 2010s, with supermodels and celebrities sporting toned-down versions of the style.
Bonnie Bell introduced the world to flavored lip balms when it launched its Lip Smackers line 1973. In addition to its wildly popular soda-scent, other early flavors included Green Apple, Strawberry and Lemon.
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Lightweight and fragrance-free, this popular translucent powder features the same vintage design that appeared on its original packaging. It's also a bonafide beauty steal, retailing for just $6 at most drugstores.
In the second season of the Netflix hit "Stranger Things," which takes place in the '80s, Steve Harrington reveals that the secret to his perfect hair is none other than Faberge Organics shampoo and conditioner.
According to the brand, 60 Dove Beauty Bars are sold every second. Its signature unscented formula has remained the same since the iconic white cleanser was first introduced in 1957.
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M·A·C's lacquered Lipglass glosses, which are still bestsellers to this day, give lips a shiny, reflective finish. Designed to be worn on its own or over lipstick or lip pencil, the Clear shade was a '90s favorite.
Originally intended as a cold sore remedy, creator Alfred Woebling formulated Carmex in his kitchen and began selling it to pharmacies one by one. Its recognizable yellow-capped jar was its sole packaging design until the 1980s, when a squeezable tube was finally introduced.
With slogans like "Clean is a feeling" and "No other clean feels quite like this," Sea Breeze's potent, skin-tingling formula was a major selling point for the brand in the 1980s Today, a gentler version for sensitive skin is sold alongside the original formula.
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Released in tandem with her second album of the same name in 1989, Debbie Gibson's Electric Youth perfume was a floral-, citrus- and fruit-infused scent that also featured notes of amber and wood. It was manufactured by Revlon.
Before Proactiv reigned supreme, teens were encouraged to "Oxy-cute" their pimples with Oxy 10, a maximum-strength acne cream formulated with 10% benzoyl peroxide. It's still available today.
Apricot fruit extract and walnut shell powder are the secret ingredients that give this cult-classic scrub its superior exfoliating abilities. In 2017, a class-action lawsuit was filed against Unilever (owner of the St. Ives brand) claiming that the walnut shell powder creates tears in the skin. The suit was tossed out of court in December of 2018.
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Cherries in the Snow was added to Revlon's lipstick lineup in the early 1950s. The classic red color was first promoted in a now-iconic print ad featuring model Dorian Leigh, who is considered to be one of the world's first supermodels.
Jessica Simpson Dessert Beauty included lip gloss, hair and body mist, whipped body cream, body shimmer and bubble bath. In 2005, the pop star released a follow-up line, Dessert Treats, which was marketed to a younger audience.
Originally formulated in 1846 by pharmacist Theron T. Pond as a healing balm for burns and cuts, Pond's Cold Cream became a skin care standard in the 1920s, when it was promoted alongside the brand's popular wrinkle-reducing Vanishing Cream.
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Long, lacquered nails were a big '80s trend, so it makes sense that these easy-to-apply, no-glue-needed fake nails were everywhere in the '80s. They came in both Natural and Glamour-Length, and were applied to the nail with a special adhesive strip.
Many an '80s "It" girl turned to these bendable hot rollers to get soft, bouncy curls in a jiff. It was a great alternative to getting a perm — plus, the pastel-hued curlers came with a cute, heat-up case that made them totally portable.
Anyone who watched TV in the '80s knows that it was hard to get this brand's catchy commercial jingle out of your head. "Sometimes you need a little Finesse. Sometimes you need a lot!"
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Instantly recognizable by its emerald green hue, Prell was first introduced in 1947. Because of its harsh, clarifying formula, it was often used to strip unwanted hair color. It's still available today in a number of different formulas.
Chanel No5 was the brilliant brainchild of legendary French fashion designer Gabrielle "Coco" Chanel. Introduced in 1921, it was the first fragrance to be created by a fashion house.
Elizabeth Arden opened her first spa and salon in New York City in 1910, and was successfully selling her products internationally just a few years later. This wildly popular cream was released in 1930.
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Launched in 1987, the Salon Selectives line of shampoos, conditioners and hair styling products had a distinctive apple scent. All of the products were labeled by type so you could mix and match products based on your styling preferences.
Sported by tons of stylish young celebs, including Gwen Stefani, Melissa Joan Hart and a preteen Mary-Kate and Ashley Olsen, these colorful little hair clips were everywhere 20 years ago.
Featuring interchangeable metal plates with star, heart and zig-zag shapes, this one-of-a-kind crimper by Conair promised you'd leave a major "impression" on your friends — and probably fry your hair in the process.
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Still available today, this slim, balmy lipstick is universally flattering and easy to apply. Its sheer, blackish-berry shade achieved peak popularity in the '90s, when deep brown lip colors were all the rage.
Caylx was first released in 1986 and distributed by the brand Prescriptive. Clinique's revived version of the scent features the same bottle and packaging as the original, as well as an almost identical citrus-and-floral scent.
Launched by Clairol in 1971, the nature-inspired smell of this shampoo was one of its main selling points. Touted as being blended from the essences of 16 herbs and wildflowers, the fragrance was unlike any other shampoo scent at the time.
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It's no wonder banana clips were popular in the '80s — they kept hair out of your face while giving your mane a full, voluminous look. They were also available in every color under the sun.
Introduced in 1991 as a deodorant and antiperspirant for teens, Teen Spirit was an instant bestseller thanks to big advertising bucks and the release of Nirvana's hit song of the same name. It's still available today, however, it's available in just two scents, Sweet Strawberry and Pink Crush.
Featuring a young Kate Moss, the classic black-and-white ad campaign for CK One was just as much of a phenomenon as the perfume itself. To this day, it's still a top-selling scent, thanks in large part to its universal appeal.
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Launched in 2000, Juicy Tubes achieved cult status in the noughties, when it was hard to find a makeup bag that didn't contain one of these high-shine glosses. They're still sold today, along with a newer iteration called Lancome Juicy Shakers.