Our obsession with Y2K nostalgia just reached fever pitch. Why? Because Hannah Montana is back. As tradition would have it, last night Miley Cyrus swapped her honeyed brunette lengths for full-on blonde as she stepped out for the world premiere of Disney+’s Hannah Montana 20th Anniversary Special, which airs today. Nearly 20 years on from its Disney Channel debut, the one-hour special brings Cyrus’ on-screen superstar alter ego back into focus with an in-depth interview, never-before-seen archival scenes and a brand new song. Our inner child is screaming.
The second coming of Hannah Montana is for the fans. In a press release, Cyrus explained, ‘Hannah Montana will always be a part of who I am. What started as a TV show became a shared experience that shaped my life and the lives of so many fans, and I’ll always be thankful for that connection. The fact that it still means so much to people all these years later is something I’m very proud of. This “Hannahversary” is my way of celebrating and thanking the fans who’ve stood by me for 20 years.’
Millennials born in the ’90s will remember running home from school to watch Cyrus in action, only to mimic her one-liners, lyrics and dance numbers (Hoedown Throwdown anyone?) in front of the mirror. But any reenactment of the noughties icon wasn’t complete without hair and wardrobe. Her Y2K-coded aesthetic (read: bootcut pants, low-rise belts and masterful layering) was as integral to the makings of Hannah Montana as her beauty choices. Need proof? Just look to the 1.1M videos on TikTok that dissect the fictional superstar, including her beauty look.
Let’s not forget, she fooled Malibu and the entire world with a single wig just to get the best of both worlds. And that’s only the tip of the iceberg. Pink gloss, glitter eyes and a beachy glow were hallmarks of her signature noughties pop star glam, and we wouldn’t be surprised if Zara Larsson has Hannah pinned to her mood board right now. Here are the key beauty lessons we learnt from Hannah Montana.
1. Hair Is Power
Miley Stewart’s secret double life pivots on the presence of a blonde wig. When she wears it, she is global superstar Hannah Montana and without it she is simply Miley, girl-next-door. As a central plot mechanism in the show, Miley’s hair is a character defining accessory that helps to separate her public and private life. But more than just armour, it became a visual symbol of the show that represented power, freedom and choice. Yes, even in the moments Miley ripped it off her head when she finally decided to ‘reveal’ who she really is.
2. Liner Is A Must
She may have only been 13 when she was catapulted to global stardom, but Stewart learnt quick in the make-up hot seat. Specifically, how to instantly define the eyes. Caught on both Miley Stewart and Hannah Montana, kohl was used along the waterline to intensify the eyes for a bold, big-eyed look. Once a non-negotiable in beauty routines in the noughties, tightlining fell out of favour while the clean-girl aesthetic of recent years took hold. But millennials can rejoice, because eyeliner is back.
3. Go For Gloss
Another key in the beauty arsenal? Gloss and a lot of it. Whether on Miley or Hannah, a thick coat of pink lip gloss was commonplace. Arguably the epitome of Y2K beauty trends, it spoke to girlhood and free-spiritedness, when getting your hair stuck in sticky gloss wouldn’t send you into a hot frenzy. We’d hazard a guess that the on-set glam team relied on another jewel in the noughties crown: Lancome’s Juicy Tubes.
4. Harness The Malibu Glow
Living in an eternally sunny beach town certainly has a way of boosting radiance. But outside of being blessed with balmy climates and an ability to naturally catch a tan running between high school and stadium shows, Miley’s sunkissed look was achieved through clever bronzing and light blush work, which looked effortless and natural on the then teen star.
5. Precision Glitter
Hannah knew how to dial things up. On stage, she relied on heavier, bolder beauty choices to step into character and a precision line of glitter just along the lash line was a fool-proof way of nailing the look. Eagle-eyed TikTok make-up buffs have speculated the Urban Decay Heavy Metal Glitter Liner was used on Cyrus for her twinkle eyed look.
’90s beauty with a modern-spin? The best of both worlds.
This story first appeared on GRAZIA UK.
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