At some point, after an endless work week, paying rent, or spending a full hour in the Whole Foods checkout line, we've all fantasized about going back to a simpler, responsibility-free time: childhood. We used to snap out of that daydream pretty quickly. Lately? Not so much. Grown-ups are running around the city catching Pokémon, fashion's cool girls are all wearing chokers, gloss is back in a big way, and adult summer camps are a thing.
I'll admit, I wasn't into any of this at first, but I'm coming around to the idea of adding a little more childlike whimsy and nostalgia into my life. If ya can't beat 'em, join 'em, right? I thought back to the thing I missed most from my youth and landed on my tween hero, Lizzie McGuire. Back in the 2000s, she was the queen of the Disney Channel and I couldn't get enough of watching her coming-of-age moments. (Remember that time she awkwardly blurted out that she needed a bra? Or what about when she was going through a rebellious phase and called herself 'Frizz?') I decided I'd transform myself into Lizzie for a week — and document the results.
Lizzie's makeup was simple enough for teenager in 2001 — brown eyeshadow and liner, a lot of peach blush, and of course, heavy lip gloss. Her hairstyles, on the other hand, were a whole different story. I'm 22 , I work in beauty, and I could barely get them right.
In the end, this experiment was a good reminder to have fun with my routine again. No-makeup makeup and effortless, French-girl hair may be trending, but sometimes, you just need to throw some butterfly clips and glitter into the mix.
Click through to see my week of being Ms. McGuire.
Day 1
I started with a Lizzie signature: crimped hair. In hindsight, I should’ve practiced first or saved it for last, because it was not easy. The hot tool was hard to use and clamping down on my hair and basically frying it to death didn't feel like the smartest decision.
I spent so much time trying to get my hair done that I had to email my boss and let her know I'd be late to work. (Lizzie must have had a lot of detention slips.) I threw a bandana on — because I wasn't ready for butterfly clips just yet.
The makeup was easy, but a little out of my comfort zone. I used all mineral makeup, considering how popular Bare Minerals was at the time, but the coverage felt too minimal. The hardest thing to get used to was the classic sticky gloss on my lips all day — flattering, but not great for windy days.
Day 2
I’ve been saying for awhile now that headscarves are making a comeback, so that fact that Lizzie often rocked them excited me.
I curled my hair into loose waves, wrapped my head, and opted for more subtle makeup: nude lip gloss, brown eyeshadow, coral blush.
Then, I took things one step further and threw on some Bon Bons nail polish in the most sparkly shade I could find. (If you didn't use this brand back in the day, you missed out — it was cheap and the colors were adorable.) Despite the sparkle, this was probably my most mature look of the week.
Day 3
Time for the high, scrunchie-wrapped ponytail. Alas, I chopped my hair off two weeks ago, so I had to go with a classic half-pony, accented with two glittery butterfly clips. When I walked out the door, I felt like a toddler heading to a play date, not the office, but whatever. If Lizzie did it, so would I.
Bath & Body Works and Victoria’s Secret scents were huge at the time, so I lathered my body in Sweet Pea body lotion and VS Love Spell. I'm pretty sure I nearly suffocated everyone in my presence, but I couldn't worry too much about that.
Day 4
Unfortunately, I knew I'd have to test-drive headbands during this experiment to really do Lizzie justice. But boy, do I hate the things. I couldn’t even keep this plastic one on for more than couple hours before my temples were throbbing. How did she do it?!
I added a flower, so I'd have something decorative there during my intermittent breaks from the band. By the end of the day, I was counting down the minutes 'til I could go back to being myself again.
Day 5
There’s nothing like iridescent eyeshadow and an in-your-face hair clip from Claire's, am I right? So, I covered my eyes in silver and metallic-blue shadow, topped off my lips with the glossiest pink product I could find from Lancôme, and secured my faux rose.
Surprisingly, I didn't get as many strange looks from people as I was expecting. All week, in fact, no one really seemed to care. Maybe it's because I live in NYC, or maybe the 2000s really are cool again. All I know is, I'm making it my mission to never let crimping come back into style.
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