TikToker Jordan Rumsey, 21, Has Made ‘80s Hair Her Whole Personality. Here's How Much Hairspray She Uses (Exclusive)

Meet the Gen Z TikToker bring ‘80s trends back in a big way

Jordan Rumsey has made her love for the '80s a lifestyle — and a career.

On Zoom, the TikToker sits in front of a wall covered in memorabilia from a bygone time. There's a vintage Bon Jovi calendar from ‘86, a Samantha Fox poster from '88, plus a few dedicated to her favorite glam metal bands such as Mötley Crüe and Cinderella. 

She's also fully dolled up with her signature hairstyle — a blonde shaggy mullet-type cut with crimped waves and blown-out curtain bangs that you've likely seen in an episode of Saved by the Bell.

But Rumsey isn't a Gen X-er or a millennial. She's actually a 21-year-old college student and a self-described "2000s baby at heart." But, having grown up consuming '80s movies, television shows and music, thanks to her parents' introduction, she's nostalgic for a decade she never lived through — and she definitely dresses the part.

“If reincarnation is a thing, I feel like maybe I was alive in the '80s and [life] got cut short or something,” Rumsey tells PEOPLE of how she feels deeply connected to the decade.

Her love for '80s trends has only grown stronger, so much so that four years ago she turned to TikTok to find a community of like-minded people sentimental about the era.

After making a couple of trendy videos she discovered her niche, and that is how her popular page @cantbuyme80s, which currently sits at 812K followers, was born.

Related: These Stars Fully Embraced Big Hair in the '80s. See What They Looked Like Then and Now

Over on TikTok, Rumsey posts '80s style and pop culture-related videos weekly, but its her big hair that's made her most recognizable on the app.

Rumsey draws inspiration from icons like former model Samantha Fox, Pamela Anderson and Paula Abdul (who wanted hair tips from her when they met), as well as the aesthetics of popular metal bands.

Most times, she does her own hair at home and it's taken her a few failed attempts and much practice to perfect her DIY vintage look.

“What I do normally is take a huge big chunk of my top hair, tease it until I look like an Oompa Loompa, shape it with hairspray and then [it’s] just teasing and teasing,” she explains of her routine, which takes a speedy three minutes.

She also uses a collection of authentic old-school tools like crimpers, benders and a 40-year-old Conair hair dryer, many of which she sources from the estate sales and thrift stores. "I like to collect anything '80s that I can get my hands on," she admits.

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Other times, she’ll upkeep her style at the salon, occasionally sharing vlogs from her appointments (a video she posted in July garnered over one million views). Her stylist at Looks Salon in Columbia, Maryland, will give her a feathery Farrah Fawcett look or a perm, and her bangs always come out fluffed to perfection.

Despite her voluminous style requiring lots of hairspray (Rumsey goes through around two largecans a month), her hair wash routine is quite simple.

“I normally do my hair every other day or every three days, depending on my schedule. All I do is use shampoo and conditioner,” she says, adding that she gets rid of any tangles in the shower and stocks up on products that keep her hair feeling soft.

For the most part, Rumsey's unapologetic sense of style is welcomed with open arms on the Internet, her followers showing her nothing but love and support. However, like anyone with a following online, she is prone to unwarranted negativity. "I do clap back sometimes," Rumsey admits, adding that she's fond of the block button when need be.

But, she hopes she can inspire others to wear their style how they want through her videos. "As far as we know, you only live once, and so just live the way that you want to live," she encourages. "Whatever makes you happy, just go for it."

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