Eesha Kulkarni

When Rani Mukerji made her debut in the industry, she caught everyone’s attention with her beautiful wavy hair, hazel eyes and flawless complexion. Over the years, she has experimented with various makeup looks, but her favourite feature to accentuate remains her Bambi eyes. Mukerji has tried different styles of smokey eye, glittery eyeshadows, and long lashes to enhance her peepers, and this has always been a constant in her makeup routine since the 90s.

Back in 1998, the actress sported shoulder-length hair and kohl-rimmed eyes in her portrayal of Tina Malhotra in Kuch Kuch Hota Hai. Her signature look at the time included middle-parted hair and dark-lined lips. As the early ‘00s arrived, she embraced the trend of the era, often seen wearing frosty pink lipstick, lots of lip liner, light eyeshadow, and well-defined eyebrows.

From 2006 onwards, Mukerji also started wearing kohl on her lower lash line, and blush and highlighter became essential additions to her makeup looks. Additionally, she began opting for straighter hair, replacing the curls and waves that were prevalent in the previous years.

After making a promising debut with Raja Ki Aayegi Baraat in 1997, over the next decade, she went on to cement her status as the archetypal Yash Raj heroine with several hits to her credit, including Saathiya (2002), Hum Tum (2004), Veer Zaara (2004) and Bunty Aur Babli (2005) among others. Last seen in the gritty thriller Mrs Chatterjee Vs Norway (2023), Mukerji stripped down to the beauty basics for the role and sported a more contemporary clean, soft, and minimal makeup look. She let her natural beauty shine through with minimal mascara, soft bottom lash line shadow, subtly lined lips, and gentle blush, with a bold brow.

But before Mukerji succumbed to the Gen-Z favourite ‘clean girl’ aesthetic, she was the OG baddie of the ‘90s and early 2000s, sporting brown lips, frosty eyeshadows, matte skin, fluttery eyelashes and the whole shebang. Mukerji’s beauty looks were coveted and how. If you’re a millennial, crushing over the old beauty trends, take notes from the ‘90s queen herself.

Smoked out eyes

Mukerji’s signature smokey eye looks in the 90s were the epitome of glamour. With her kohl-rimmed eyes and sultry stare, she was a vision to behold. Her shoulder-length hair was usually styled with a middle part and left loose, while her lips were often lined with a dark shade of lipstick. Mukerji’s smokey eye look was achieved by blending dark eyeshadow shades like black, brown, and grey together, creating a gradient effect that intensified towards the lash line. She also applied kohl generously to her upper and lower lash lines, further enhancing the smoky effect. This look became her trademark and was frequently seen in her films and public appearances during the decade.

Quirky hair accessories

In the era before it made a comeback in 2019, the original beauty queens of Bollywood in the ‘90s flaunted charming and unique hair accessories with effortless style! Mukerji, in particular, led the way with her collection of wide headbands, adorable hair clips and glittering barrettes. I mean, that’s what inspired us to make our own little collection of hair accessories as kids, didn’t it?

Dark, lined vampy lips

In a sea of reds and pinks, Mukerji stood out with her signature brown lip. As one of the leading Bollywood actresses in the ‘90s, she was often seen sporting a chocolate brown pout both on and off-screen. She experimented with different finishes, from matte to metallic to glossy, making the look her own. While others followed the trends of the time, the star’s unique beauty choices set her apart and cemented her status as a true fashion icon.

Matte skin

Back in the day, it was all about achieving a natural, flawless, and matte base, unlike today’s desire for dewy skin. Mukerji was a proponent of this trend, sporting a matte finish on her skin, which she paired with bronzer to achieve a sculpted look that could give even Kim Kardashian’s famous contouring a run for its money.

Poker-straight, middle parted hair

Mukerji rarely sported curly hair in her movies, but her iconic poker-straight, glossy locks as Tina in KKHH became the ultimate hair goal for every 90s girl. Her Pinterest-worthy outfits and ‘it-girl’ makeup looks added to the charm and allure of her character, making her a fashion and beauty icon of that era.

Metallic pastel nails

Remember Rani Mukerji’s shiny, silvery-white nails? If not, you probably remember seeing them on Kajol, Shilpa Shetty, Madhuri Dixit, or one of the many leading ladies from that decade. Those nails were what you hoped you’d be wearing when you went to college.

Tiny sunglasses

Before Instagram and TikTok fashionistas took over the tiny sunglasses trend, it was Mukerji’s signature accessory in her movies. The trend was all the rage back then, and the actress rocked them like a pro, elevating her chic outfits and adding a touch of mystery to her on-screen persona. Whether it was the iconic rectangular frames in Kuch Kuch Hota Hai or the oval-shaped ones in Har Dil Jo Pyar Karega, Mukerji knew how to make them work with her diverse roles and fashion sense.