9 "Outdated" Beauty Products That Are Officially Making a Comeback in 2024
One of the most interesting things about having worked in the beauty industry for over ten years has been bearing witness to the evolution of the beauty landscape. In the space of a decade makeup looks have evolved from the full glam of the 2010s—think: contoured cheekbones, matte skin, and defined brows—through to the current trend for fresh-faced, glowy, ‘clean girl’ makeup looks. In the same space of time, we’ve seen ingredient-led products take over our skincare shelves (in 2011, no one had heard of niacinamide or ceramides), and we’ve witnessed the rise and fall of chemical exfoliation—now replaced with a fitting trend for skin barrier-repairing products.
When it comes to beauty products that go viral outside of wider trend movements, over the years I’ve noticed an interesting cycle whereby the old becomes the new again. We’re so used to perceiving new trends as exactly that, newness, that it’s easy to forget that some products have been around for years, and have been through similar previous phases of virality and success.
If, like me, your first introduction to the online beauty community was pre-TikTok and even pre-Instagram—back in the day when you had to read a blog post or watch a YouTube video to follow a makeup tutorial or skincare routine—then you’ve probably noticed some familiar faces popping up on your TikTok FYP. In recent years, as a new generation of beauty obsessives have begun to swatch and share, iconic products have started to resurface, proving just how well they stand the test of time.
From Embryolisse Lait-Crème Concentré to Clarins’ Comfort Lip Oils, and Caudalie’s Instant Detox Mask, you’ll find some of the most coveted products of the moment on this list (many of which you will recognise from the past), and if you’re browsing this list for inspiration, you’ll also want to check out my predictions for products that could (and should!) Make a comeback in 2024.
The beauty products that have made a comeback in 2024:
1. Clarins Double Serum
An iconic product first launched in 1985, Clarins reformulated the classic Double Serum at the top of the year, imbuing the new formula with organic giant Provençal reed extract to help target the effects of our busy modern lives (read: stress, lack of sleep, Deliveroo etc). If you're unfamiliar, Double Serum is an incredibly hardworking cocktail of ingredients that work together to plump, nourish, soothe and firm – smoothing away signs of dehydration and fine lines.
2. Benefit Benetint
If TikTok is good for anything, it's bringing somewhat forgotten products back to the fore. This year, it's Benefit's Benetint, a rose-tinted lip and cheek stain that goes on as a liquid and dries to a soft powder-like finish. It won't smudge or transfer (white collars are back in rotation) and looks sensational dabbed onto the lips, left to dry and topped with a clear, pink or brown-toned gloss. Just be careful when wielding the wand. The stain is a very thin liquid, meaning it drips easily. Keep the bottle close to your face and avoid swinging your arm. Trust me, it'll save you a fortune in Vanish OxiAction.
3. Caudalie Detox Mask
4. Embryolisse Lait-Crème Concentré
5. Clinique Almost Lipstick in Black Honey
The original Clinique Black Honey launched in 1971 and in the decades since then it’s maintained a loyal following of devotees. Thanks to its ability to subtly enhance lips and suit all skin tones, it’s recently undergone a resurgence in popularity, inspiring the creation of a softer pink shade, Pink Honey.
6. Urban Decay 24/7 Moondust Eyeshadow in Space Cowboy
7. Olaplex No.3 Hair Perfector
Used in salons by professional hairstylists for decades, Olaplex No.3 is the gold standard of reparative hair treatments. It works by rebuilding broken bonds in hair damaged by excessive heat styling or colouring. I remember No.3 being impossible to get hold of when it first launched to consumers, and thanks to the brand’s constant virality on TikTok, it’s a similar story in 2024.
8. Clarins Lip Comfort Oil
9. La Roche-Posay Cicaplast Baume B5
When it first launched in 2005, ‘skin barrier’ was certainly not the buzzword it is now, but La Roche-Posay’s Cicaplast Baume B5 quickly became one of the cult skincare products that bloggers picked up in their French pharmacy hauls. Now, the skin barrier is a major trend, and this product is right at the heart of it.
The beauty products we predict will make a comeback in 2024:
1. Estée Lauder Bronze Goddess
Few fragrances can evoke the headiness of the early 00s, the bliss of lying on a beach with a rum cocktail and the feeling of just stepping out of an everything shower. Bronze Goddess somehow does all three. Creamy and sensual, it's strong on coconut and vanilla (without being cloying or sickly), underpinned by amber and dry, warm sandalwood.
2. Elizabeth Arden 8 Hour Cream
There's nothing Eight Hour Cream can't do. The thick pink ointment saves unhappy cuticles, soothes sore, chapped lips and, in a pinch, can work wonders as a brow gel and hair tamer (if you try this, start light – you'll need very little to work). As a lip balm-dependent person, I'm never without a tube of 8HC – one lives in my handbag and another by my bed. It's the best repairing, moisturising, smoothing balm in the biz, no doubt.
3. E45 Cream
E45 have a number of new products (hydrating serums, clever SPFs and moisturising lip balms) but the one I gravitate back towards time and time again is the original E45 cream. For sensitive skin, it's a no-brainer – especially when used as an overnight sleeping mask. Before bed, cleanse, tone and treat, followed by a layer of E45. As an emollient (a product that acts as a barrier to trap water and hydration in the skin), it'll help soften and protect, leaving you with plumper, calmer skin in the morning.
4. GHD Original Hair Straightener
GHD are having a bumper year already. The brilliant new Duet Styler – a wet-to-blowdry hair tool that garnered me more compliments than is polite to disclose – launched earlier in the summer to much celebration. But I have a hunch that the original, the ceramic straighteners that defined the 00s and 2010s, will quietly come back into rotation, especially as we move past the unbelievably bouncy blow-dry trend of 2022 and '23.
5. Aesop Parsley Seed Cleansing Masque
6. La Roche-Posay Serozinc
While La Roche-Posay is currently most known for its Cicaplast range, this face mist is not to be overlooked. Serozinc was a staple within acne-focused skincare routines of 2017, and in my opinion, deserves the same hype in 2024. It utilises zinc, an anti-inflammatory, to reduce the swelling and redness of breakouts.
7. Antipodes Aura Manuka Honey Mask
Another beauty blogger staple, Antipodes Aura Manuka Honey Mask is still one of my all-time favourite face masks. It’s perfect for skin that’s experiencing acne breakouts while also contending with dryness and sensitivity—the Manuka honey soothes and calms skin.
8. Eve Lom Cleanser
9. Clarins Beauty Flash Balm
10. Nars Sheer Glow Foundation
11. Dior Addict Lip Glow
12. Origins Drink Up Intensive Overnight Mask
Even after a decade, I’ve yet to find an overnight hydration treatment that works as well as this one. As a student, it was my go-to hangover mask, because even after a late night it would instantly restore brightness and moisture to my dehydrated skin.
13. Kevyn Aucoin Sculpting Powder
Contouring probably isn’t top priority in your daily makeup routine in 2024, but that doesn’t mean there isn’t a place in your makeup bag for Kevyn Aucoin’s Sculpting Powder. If you’re after something to gently sculpt and define your features without looking orange or feeling heavy, this is it.
14. Oskia Renaissance Cleansing Gel
15. Missha M Perfect Cover BB Cream
Korean beauty products are always trending, and for good reason—they’re packed with effective skincare ingredients, and are almost aways focused on giving skin a few, glass-glow finish. If that’s what you’re after then you’ll love this weightless BB cream, which subtly tints skin while delivering powerful hydration.
16. Lancôme Juicy Tubes Lip Gloss
This lip gloss was a Y2K icon and I wouldn't be surprised to see it making a comeback with the resurgence of lip oils, high-shine glosses and tinted balms that are dominating makeup trends at the moment. These ones have a very off-the-moment jelly finish with plenty of shine. Plus, they smell incredible.
Grace Day is a beauty editor and content creator. She has over 10 years of beauty-industry experience, spanning editorial, retail, and e-commerce, which gives her a unique understanding into how people shop for their beauty routines.While studying for a history degree (specialising in the history of beauty) and working as a beauty adviser in department stores, Grace started writing her own beauty blog in order to share the products she discovered while dealing with acne. After graduating, she moved to Beauty Bay as beauty editor and content manager. Grace is currently a beauty contributor to Who What Wear. She has also written for Hypebae and PopSugar and works as a brand consultant and copywriter.
-
Celebrity Aesthetician Sofie Pavitt Says This "Boring" Skincare Routine Can Clear Acne in Record Time
No 12-step routines here.
-
Dior Just Updated Its Iconic Backstage Makeup Collection (and Revamped This Celeb-Loved, TikTok-Viral Blush)
So chic.
-
Bella Hadid Said She Almost Texted Rihanna to Tell Her How Good *This* Fenty Beauty Product Is
And the $18 moisturizer she buys "like eight times a month."
-
This Viral Makeup Artist Is Basically the Beauty World's Picasso—Here's Why We're Obsessed
She's taking TikTok by storm.
-
Hot Take, But This Trendy Wellness Supplement Belongs in Your Skincare Routine—Here's Why
Think calmer, stronger, more moisturized skin.
-
The Internet Says This Viral Tool Is Like a Magic Wand for Puffy Eyes—I Was Skeptical, so I Tried It
Puffy under-eyes, begone!
-
I'm Clearing My Beauty Closet for a Cross-Country Move—30 Favorites I Can't Fathom Leaving Behind
Call me obsessed.
-
I Asked Billie Eilish's and Miley Cyrus's L.A. Esthetician to Share Her Most Underrated Skin Tips
She talks double-cleansing, derma-rolling, and more.