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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.