Britpop is generally remembered as a musical era that was dominated by men – the laddish rivalry of Oasis and Blur, mods on mopeds, boys in skinny rib t-shirts and Adidas Gazelles pogoing and posturing. But the generation of girls who came of age during that time remember it differently. This is when we saw women playing guitars on Top of the Pops for the first time and when Louise Wener, Justine Frischmann and Lauren Laverne sang about the realities of being a young woman in Britain.

And while we’re quite rightly nostalgic for their music, it’s also worth remembering that the women of Britpop did a lot for teenage girls' self image too. In a more innocent time before vajazzling, size zero and twerking, these smart, funny, gobby frontwomen took traditional beauty tropes and subverted them - girls looked like boys and vice versa (did Justine copy Brett's hair or was it the other way round?) - or ironically exaggerated them - teased candyfloss clouds of blonde hair, lavishly lipsticked mouths.

And the best thing was we didn't have to look to America for heroines to worship anymore - we had our own and they were so tangible. You could bleach your hair with Sun In, safe in the knowledge that Manda Rin from Bis was probably doing the same, smear Barry M Dazzle Dust on your cheeks like Miki from Lush or buy Rimmel's Heather Shimmer lipstick in Superdrug on a Saturday to look just like Lauren Laverne.

Britpop goddesses were just a few years older than us, like the impossibly cool six formers or insouciant art college kids we idolised. They weren't glossy, there was an endearing gaucheness about their style - like they dyed their hair in the sink, drank cider on the bus and couldn't be bothered to shave their legs. They looked amazing, but they also looked real.

Click through the gallery to revisit the golden age of Britpop beauty.