SquareHue October 2015: The Decades – 1990

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The 90s is a decade I’m very familiar with! Being a teenager, I was interested in everything that was going on – whether it’s pop culture or world events, so I expected this SquareHue collection to resonate with my experiences.

To my surprise, the October collection looks very similar to the September trio! Here we have a light neutral color, a deep nearly dark shade, and a shimmery dark red. I will have comparison swatches at the bottom of the post so you can decide for yourself if they’re dupes.

HOW IT WORKS: For $14.99/month + Shipping & Handling, SquareHue subscribers receive a limited edition collection of 3 carefully curated season-appropriate nail polish colors. Alternatively, the company recently launched a 2-polish box variation that costs $10.99/month + Shipping & Handling. Each month has a distinct personality to suit a variety of dress needs. Quick drying “5-Free” Clean formula does not contain Formaldehyde, Toluene, DBP, Camphor or Formaldehyde Resin. Click here to subscribe.

COUPONS: 

• Use code HALLOWEENFLASH to get 40% off your first box.
• Use code SYDNEY to get the Sydney collection delivered with your first box. Offer valid for the 3-polish subscription plans only.

I didn’t see this music video until much later because at the time it came out my home country was still under communist rule, but when we finally got access to MTV, I thought it was the chicest clip ever [well, that and George Michael’s “Freedom”]! Vogue 1990 was inspired by Madonna, who became truly iconic during that decade.

Vogue can be described as an apple red with darkened gold microshimmer and warm undertone. It looks very royal, doesn’t it? The coverage is buttery smooth and a breeze to apply. In the swatch above I’m wearing two coats topped with Seche Vite for some extra shine.

In my country not much was known about this operation, and I read about it much later on the internet, since it didn’t make history books yet. Desert Storm 1991 pays homage to the tragic events that kept the World on its feet, and to brave men and women who wore beige uniforms, kind of like this medium beige creme with warm undertone.

The brush glided over my nail with ease, thanks to slightly runny formula that was packed with enough pigment to stay in place without sliding off or pooling into cuticles. In the swatch above I’m wearing two coats, plus a coat of Seche Vite.

I don’t know how the whole Y2K thing started, but even back then I thought it was ridiculous. As someone who had a PC since grade school, I knew darn well that nothing bad was going to happen, the calendar went far beyond 2000. My parents didn’t seem too concerned either, and I don’t recall any of our neighbors talk about it.

Y2K 1999 is humorously portrayed here as a deep gunmetal gray with silver microshimmer and cool undertone, kind of like the round-the-world blackouts that were promised to us by doomsday city cryers. None of that happened, but some families were stuck eating barley, pasta, and canned food for many years after.

And finally, here are some comparison swatches for you between September and October colors. As you can see, they are quite different when shown side by side, but in the box they really did all look similar to one another.

THE VERDICT: I really liked the inspiration behind the October colors, especially the Madonna reference. That woman is a legend and a reigning queen of pop; which makes me wonder if we might see a Britney-inspired color in the 2000s box? I guess we’ll see!

What colors do you associate the 90s decade with? In your opinion, how similar are the shades in September and October boxes? Let me know in the comments below!

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